Counselor gets 120 days for showing kids porn

ST. GEORGE — A counselor at a LaVerkin facility for troubled youth was sentenced to 120 days in jail Tuesday for showing personal videos of sexual behavior to boys being housed at the institution.

Donald M. Brown Jr., 48, pleaded guilty in August to five felony counts of offering harmful material to a minor as part of an agreement that dismissed five other charges, but acknowledged in the 5th District Court

hearing that he had written a letter to the court in which he claimed the charges were racially motivated.

“I was a little frustrated because some of (the accusations are) true and some of it is not,” Brown, an African-American, told Judge Eric Ludlow. “The statement I wrote I did out of frustration. I apologize and I’d just like to move on.”

Brown said he discussed the videos with the youth, contradicting an investigator’s statement that Brown admitted the youths had seen pornography on his phone “several times, but every time was an accident” and that “a LOT of accidents” took place.

Deputy County Attorney Zachary Weiland expressed concern that Brown was not taking responsibility for his actions, and Ludlow added that he was troubled by Brown’s statements.

“I don’t think you’ve come clean, quite frankly,” the judge said.

Under questioning about whether Brown was disputing his guilty pleas, and after further discussion with defense attorney Ryan Stout, Brown added, “I admit to it and I apologize.”

Brown could have faced up to five years in prison for each charge, but pre-sentencing investigators recommended the 120-day sentence based in part on Brown’s lack of prior criminal history and compliance with court instructions.

“He … grew up on the rough side of Chicago,” Stout said, asking Ludlow to keep Brown out of jail so he could keep his job. “He’s a man that’s proud of his lack of criminal history. He’s got a lot of friends walking around with convictions. … Mr. Brown’s done a fantastic job of staying out of trouble.”

Stout said Brown has found a job since being fired from the Youth Foundation Success Academy, a youth facility that is an outgrowth of the Cross Creek Programs and Horizon Academy.

Stout asked that any sentence allow him to continue working at his new job

Brown’s wife, who acknowledged being part of the threesome shown in the videos, was also employed at the youth facility, but Stout said Brown is now the family’s sole provider.Ludlow agreed with the recommended four-month jail sentence, however, granting Brown credit for 17 days served. Ludlow also denied Stout’s request for Brown to turn himself in by the weekend and instead ordered Brown taken into custody immediately.

Ludlow said he was not inclined to be lenient because multiple victims were involved and the victims were “particularly vulnerable,” noting Brown’s position of authority over them.

Behavior like this should not be tolerated.

Source: http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20131112/NEWS01/311120007/Youth-counselor-gets-120-days-showing-kids-porn?nclick_check=1