Friday, November 20, 2009 East Central Illinois

2002 case strikingly similar to White case

By: Amy F. Reiter

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Monday, June 16, 2008
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Huddleston

If the case of Jon White feels eerily familiar to some East Central Illinoisans, there's a good reason.

In 2002, Gerald Scott Huddleston, then a teacher at Chatsworth Elementary School in Livingston County, was charged with committing oral sex acts against young girls.

The circumstances of his acts read like a playbook that White – who attended nearby Illinois State University at the time – could have followed: bringing students to the classroom to help with cleaning, blindfolding students and having them perform a "tasting game."

Huddleston was convicted on three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, and is now serving life in prison at Menard.

Detective Earl Dutko of the Livingston County Sheriff's Department covered the case at the time.

"My case came to light when three girls were sitting in the lunchroom talking and the lunchroom monitor overhead them," he said, adding that the school principal dealt with the concern immediately.

One lesson he's learned about sexual predators is that the attitude of "it couldn't happen here" doesn't work.

"Your child's sexual predators are not hiding in the bushes," he said. "They're the guy that everyone always says 'I never would have guessed that.'"

He said changes in a child's behavior may be indicators of a problem: a major appetite change, a sudden failure in a class the child always loved, "if they get real defiant, or if they get secluded and (closed) up."

Parents need to "sit down and have a long time with your kids and make sure they know they can talk to you," he said. "Be aware of your children. Be involved with them, because sexual predators are very, very good at what they do."

Clinical therapist Michael Kleppin, who works in Champaign and Vermilion counties, wrote the sex offender evaluation and risk assessment for White. He's not able to comment on White's case or any client's case but can discuss signs and patterns of sex offenders.

When he's evaluating whether a sex offender is at risk of repeating the behavior, Kleppin looks at many factors, including past behavior and the degree of deviance, defined as "something that fits the criteria of being destructive, secretive, dysfunctional, causing harm," he said.

He also looks at how – and if – that person has tried to address his issues. "Have they made successful changes?" he asked. Or has the person found a way to justify the actions?

When it comes to sexual predators, "the way we would recognize (the problem) is by first becoming educated on it," Kleppin said. He said people have, in general, become educated about signs of alcohol abuse, but "in the world of sex offense, that's even more difficult because in our society, talking about sex is a taboo," and confronting someone about a sex-related issue could be embarrassing.

"Sexualized behavior" can be a warning sign, Kleppin said, objectifying a person or sexually offensive statements. "Excessive use of pornography is a symptom," he said, adding that, like cannabis to a hard-drug user, "pornography is the gateway to this kind of activity."

When it comes to child sex offenders, warning signs include that person singling out a student, giving gifts or special attention, finding ways to be with the child alone, Kleppin said. Potential sex offenders may choose jobs where they have access to potential victims, he said.

"If an adult is having better relationships with a child than their adult relationships, that doesn't necessarily mean they're a pedophile. ... But it's definitely something to look at," he said. "Tutors do private lessons – you've got to look at the whole picture. As I've said for 22 years of being a therapist, one symptom does not make a diagnosis. ... You keep an eye on it."

Urbana police investigator Duane Maxey estimates he's investigated hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse. He said people should pay attention to someone pulling children aside to spend time with them without a good reason.

"If it appears as though there's not a legitimate reason for the behavior, be suspicious," he said.

Charol Shakeshaft, an educational leadership professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of a 2004 U.S. Department of Education report on educator sexual misconduct, concurred. Meeting one student at a time, behind closed doors, shades drawn, with the same student or same type of student, she said, "you start to see a pattern."

Shakeshaft, who has re-searched educator sexual misconduct since the late '80s, said other signs include adults using sexual language or talking about their sex life with students, or adults "acting more like a kid than an adult, or acting like a peer," she said. "That's when you need to take a look."

To stop or prevent child sexual abuse, school districts need to be on the lookout, she said.

"You need to supervise staff. You need to keep your ears open, you need to keep your eyes open."

Parent also have avenues for action.

"Parents can ask for workshops, training. Parents can ask questions. What's going on? What does the school district know?" Shakeshaft said. "If parents ask for something, if parents complain about something ... it's more likely to be addressed than not. So parents can have a lot of influence."

Maxey concurred.

"I don't think that schools should be the final say," he said. "If the parents don't get the answer, they should keep going. The police can use discretion. We're here to serve, right?"

The Urbana investigator also said parents should actively listen to what their children say, to both verbal and visual cues.

Shakeshaft said that in the last decade, she has seen more adults taking action to prevent sexual misconduct in schools.

"I've seen a big change. People are more aware of the issues. People are more willing to speak up," she said. "School districts are more willing to take action."

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