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Lake Worth Middle School Teacher Richard Woolcock Accused of Molesting Student on Traveling Soccer Team

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activity-ball-equipment-50713-300x200Middle school teacher and youth soccer coach Richard Woolcock of Royal Palm Beach was arrested earlier this week for allegedly molesting one of his players.

Woolcock, 33, is a teacher at Lake Worth Middle School. He is charged with lewd and lascivious behavior with a child and was ordered held on $20,000. He has since bailed out of jail. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the alleged incident occurred at a hotel in Altamonte Springs near Orlando earlier this month. Woolcock was traveling with a soccer team he coached. One of the players was reportedly laying in a bed with Woolcock to watch a show on Netflix.

The boy told investigators that he thinks of Woolcock as a “father figure” and that the coach is a “cuddler,” the report states. They were cuddling together in the bed and then Woolcock asked him if he wanted to go to sleep and the boy agreed. The player told investigators it wasn’t unusual because he had shared a bed with Woolcock at other travel events.

The victim purportedly awoke when Woolcock started touching his private parts, the police report said. The player was afraid and he grabbed his teacher’s wrist and moved it away. He went to the bathroom to try and reach his friends and family members using his cell phone.

The alleged victim then left the hotel and walked to a nearby Waffle House. A waitress at the restaurant noticed the boy was crying and asked him if he was OK. The player purportedly told her what had happened and the waitress called 911. Officers arrived a few minutes later. Woolcock reportedly refused to cooperate with them.

Parents received the following message from the Royal Palm Beach soccer league, according to WPTV:

“An incident had occurred this past weekend involving one of the coaches in our program. The coach has been suspended indefinitely by the RPB Soccer program, Florida Youth Soccer Association, US Youth Soccer Association and US Soccer Federation pending the outcome of the coach’s legal issues. At this time no other information is available. Please respect any ongoing law enforcement investigations and/or related legal proceedings. Thank you.”

A spokesperson for the Palm Beach County School District told news sources that the alleged victim was not a student at Lake Worth Middle School and that Woolcock has been removed from the school and won’t have any more contact with students.

According to news sources, Woolcock has worked as a teacher at four other schools: HL Johnson Elementary School, Whispering Pines Elementary School, Hidden Oaks Elementary School, and Watson B. Duncan Middle School. He was also a coach at Royal Palm Beach Community High School.

Palm Beach County Sexual Assault Attorney

If you are involved in a lewd and lascivious molestation case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Palm Beach County’s most experienced sexual assault attorneys.

Source: 5.21.19 Lake Worth middle school teacher molested player on traveling soccer team.pdf

Swedish Sportscaster Bo Gunnar Hansson Accused of Gropping Teenage Boys in Coral Springs, Florida

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action-child-children-79990-300x200Retired Swedish sportscaster Bo Gunnar Hansson was arrested for allegedly groping a teenage boy at a public park in Coral Springs and pursuing two other teens in a park in Margate.

Hansson, 85, is charged with lewd or lascivious molestation on a minor. He is being held in Broward’s Main Jail on $100,000 bond. He was deemed a flight risk because he had already purchased a return ticket to Sweden and was ordered to surrender his passport. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the incidents occurred Fern Glen Park in Coral springs and an unnamed public park in Margate.

The Coral Springs incident occurred on January 3. Hansson reportedly tried to “assist” a 13-year-old boy who was using monkey bars and moved his hands up the teen’s pants to get closer to his “private” parts. The teen became uncomfortable and moved to a sit-up bench. Hansson allegedly followed him and held his feet down for him. He again move his hands up the boy’s legs and this time groped him in the groin area.

The teen got up and ran away, the report said. He told investigators that he didn’t know Hansson and that this was the first time they had interacted, but he had seen him in the park on several occasions.

The Margate incident occurred the next day. Police say Hansson approached two boys at the park and started asking them about their fitness routines. He then attempted to grab one of the boy’s shirts and asked to “see his muscles,” the report said. One of the teens pushed his hand away and called the police.

When interviewed by police, Hansson reportedly admitted to having contact with the teens, but he denied doing anything inappropriate.

Hansson is reportedly a well-known TV personality in Sweden, where he worked as a sports journalist and commentator covering several big sporting events, including Worlds Cups and the Olympics. News sources say he travels to Florida from Sweden for about a month every year.

Another incident of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor by an adult was reported in Doral last week. Taekwondo instructor Sebastian Hanul Choi was arrested on January 8 for allegedly forcing a female student to perform oral sex on him.

Choi, 22, faces charges of sexual battery on a minor and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child. He is being held without bond. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the arrest report, the student was molested three years ago when she was 10 years old at Team Taekwondo in Doral, Florida. Choi, who 19 at the time, was her instructor and PE teacher. The victim told her parents she was repeatedly molested by Choi in 2015. He reportedly forced her to touch his genitals and perform oral sex on him.

Following his arrest, Choi has been suspended from USA Taekwondo and is ineligible or any USA Taekwondo-related activities pending the outcome of the investigation.

Florida Sex Crimes Attorney

If you have been involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sex crimes attorneys.

Source: 1.9.19 Visitor, 85, groped teenage boys, wanted to see muscles, cops say.pdf

Swedish Sportscaster Bo Gunnar Hansson Accused of Gropping Teenage Boys in Coral Springs, Florida

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action-child-children-79990-300x200Retired Swedish sportscaster Bo Gunnar Hansson was arrested for allegedly groping a teenage boy at a public park in Coral Springs and pursuing two other teens in a park in Margate.

Hansson, 85, is charged with lewd or lascivious molestation on a minor. He is being held in Broward’s Main Jail on $100,000 bond. He was deemed a flight risk because he had already purchased a return ticket to Sweden and was ordered to surrender his passport. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the incidents occurred Fern Glen Park in Coral springs and an unnamed public park in Margate.

The Coral Springs incident occurred on January 3. Hansson reportedly tried to “assist” a 13-year-old boy who was using monkey bars and moved his hands up the teen’s pants to get closer to his “private” parts. The teen became uncomfortable and moved to a sit-up bench. Hansson allegedly followed him and held his feet down for him. He again move his hands up the boy’s legs and this time groped him in the groin area.

The teen got up and ran away, the report said. He told investigators that he didn’t know Hansson and that this was the first time they had interacted, but he had seen him in the park on several occasions.

The Margate incident occurred the next day. Police say Hansson approached two boys at the park and started asking them about their fitness routines. He then attempted to grab one of the boy’s shirts and asked to “see his muscles,” the report said. One of the teens pushed his hand away and called the police.

When interviewed by police, Hansson reportedly admitted to having contact with the teens, but he denied doing anything inappropriate.

Hansson is reportedly a well-known TV personality in Sweden, where he worked as a sports journalist and commentator covering several big sporting events, including Worlds Cups and the Olympics. News sources say he travels to Florida from Sweden for about a month every year.

Another incident of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor by an adult was reported in Doral last week. Taekwondo instructor Sebastian Hanul Choi was arrested on January 8 for allegedly forcing a female student to perform oral sex on him.

Choi, 22, faces charges of sexual battery on a minor and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child. He is being held without bond. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the arrest report, the student was molested three years ago when she was 10 years old at Team Taekwondo in Doral, Florida. Choi, who 19 at the time, was her instructor and PE teacher. The victim told her parents she was repeatedly molested by Choi in 2015. He reportedly forced her to touch his genitals and perform oral sex on him.

Following his arrest, Choi has been suspended from USA Taekwondo and is ineligible or any USA Taekwondo-related activities pending the outcome of the investigation.

Florida Sex Crimes Attorney

If you have been involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sex crimes attorneys.

Source: 1.9.19 Visitor, 85, groped teenage boys, wanted to see muscles, cops say.pdf

Two Catholic Priests Charged After Being Caught Performing a Sexual Act in Miami Beach, Florida

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Catholic priests Edwin Giraldo Cortes and Diego Berrio were arrested on September 3 after they were allegedly caught performing a sexual act inside a parked vehicle in full view of the public.

Berrio, 39, and Giraldo Cortes, 30, are charged with lewd and lascivious behavior. Giraldo-Cortes is also being charged with indecent exposure. The two men have since bonded out of jail. It is unclear if they have acquired legal representation.

According to the arrest report, Miami Beach police received a 911 call at around 3 p.m. on September 3 about two men engaging in a sex act in the 1300 block of Ocean Drive. The two men were reportedly inside a parked Volkswagen with untinted windows. The location was near a children’s playground.

“I parked my vehicle and approached the passenger side of the vehicle on foot,” the arresting officer wrote in the arrest report, according to the Miami Herald. “I observed defendant Berrio in the passenger seat, performing oral sex on defendant Giraldo who was seated in the driver’s seat. Giraldo’s pants were unzipped and his genitals exposed. This act was occurring in full view of the public passing by on Ocean Drive and the sidewalk.”

The officer purportedly had to knock on the window to get their attention. The two men gave their occupation as priests and provided the officer with an address for a mission in Illinois, Chicago. They were arrested without incident.

Parents who witnessed the incident were shocked that priests would engage in such behavior. A spokesperson for the Miami Beach Police Department said their occupation was “irrelevant.”

“Their profession is irrelevant, in fact our trouble with this is that this is broad daylight, for anyone to see including children. There’s a time and a place for everything and this certainly was not the time and place,” said Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez.

The Archdiocese of Chicago released the following statement regarding the incident:

“We were informed this morning that Rev. Diego Berrio, pastor of Misión San Juan Diego in Arlington Heights, Ill., and Rev. Edwin Giraldo Cortes, an extern priest from Soacha, Colombia. . .were arrested in Miami on September 3, 2018.”

“Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, has removed Fr. Berrio from ministry and withdrawn his faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago, effective immediately. The archdiocese will appoint an administrator for the Misión San Juan Diego as soon as possible,” the statement said.

“Archdiocese representatives have been in contact with Fr. Cortes’ home diocese of Soacha, Colombia and informed them that Fr. Cortes will not be granted additional faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago.”

Florida Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Attorney

If you are involved in a lewd and lascivious behavior case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual offense attorneys.

Source: 9.4.18 Miami beach police arrest two priests caught performing sex act in car.pdf

Broward School Teacher Wyman Gresham Faces Felony Charges for Alleged Sexual Misconduct

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Wyman-Gresham-1-300x169Wyman Gresham of Broward, Florida faces felony charges after three teenage girls, aged 12, 13, and 15, made allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The girls are students at Lauderhill 6-12 Stem-Med Magnet School where Gresham was a teacher.

Gresham, 48, is charged with lewd and lascivious conduct and lewd and lascivious molestation.

The charges come after a Local 10 investigation revealed that Gresham allegedly had a history of sexual misconduct going back almost two decades, but the school district allowed him to keep his teaching position.

“The defendant’s actions date back to 1998, where he had offered a 13-year-old girl money to strip and perform sexual acts,” prosecutor Amanda Graham told Broward County Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel in court last Friday. “In 2002, he touched another girl’s hip area and made inappropriate comments to her. (From) 2007 to 2010, there was another girl, who was a close family friend, who he asked to send pictures. And then, in 2015, he actually physically abused a student.”

Based on two of those allegations, the state education commissioner filed an administrative complaint against Gresham in 2006 that sought to suspend or revoke his teaching certificate.

Gresham didn’t fight the allegations and was found guilty of “gross immorality” but was allowed to keep his teaching certificate. The case was settled by the state in 2009 with a $1,000 fine, a psychological evaluation, a written reprimand, and three years of employment probation.

Gresham still works for the school district even after the latest allegations came to light. His defense attorney asked the judge on Friday to take him off house arrest and allow him to work at the school’s book depository, where he wouldn’t have any contact with any students. Seigel kept him on house arrest, but permitted Gresham to work at the book depository.

When asked why Gresham was still employed by the school district, Superintendent Robert Runcie told Local 10 that he was not aware of the previous allegations against Gresham, but said the school board had launched an investigation.

“Once I have the facts and we can actually see what’s going on, I can tell you without question we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of our students, our families, our communities, and that will never be compromised,” Runcie said.

Runcie added that the previous allegations against Gresham happened before he was appointed superintendent.

Sex Crime Attorney

If you (or your loved one) are a victim of a sex crime, contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sex crime defense attorneys.

Source: 4.6.18 Broward County teacher with long history of sexual misconduct complaints faces felony charges.pdf