As seen in the Salem News Later reports from the Boston Globe indicate that the ex-counselor has been freed on bail while she awaits trial. It is unclear from reports if she was a mental health aid, although one supposes that in working with "wayward youth" that she would have had "appropriate training"
A former Beverly group home staff member was indicted yesterday on charges that she repeatedly had sex with a 15-year-old boy living in the home last year.
Emma Miles, 34, of Franklin is facing three counts of child rape in the indictments, handed up yesterday afternoon by an Essex County grand jury. She could face up to life in prison on each count if convicted.
Miles was an overnight counselor at the Anchorage group home for adolescent boys on Thorndike Street until the alleged relationship was discovered by the boy's mother, who had intercepted cell phone text messages Miles sent to the boy in July, according to a police report.
The boy's mother went to police, who questioned him in August. He said that Miles, who was hired in late 2005, began "coming on to me," expressing sexual interest in the boy, according to the report. One night when another overnight staff member called in sick, the two had sex in the boy's room.
The incidents continued, the boy told police, with the two arranging to meet outside of the home. The boy said he would check out of the program and walk down the street, where Miles would pick him up in her 1993 Toyota Paseo sedan and drive them to Lynch Park, where they would engage in sexual acts.
The incidents happened over the course of about six months between November 2005 and June 2006, according to the indictments.
Miles allegedly told the boy, "If you keep doing good I'll give you something," and also warned him not to tell anyone.
On his 16th birthday in June, she gave him a birthday card with pictures of cherries on it and the words "Sweet Thing" and "Love, Emma," according to the police report. The card contained $40.
And she sent text messages and explicit photos of herself to the boy's cell phone.
Some of the messages Miles allegedly sent the boy were still stored in the phone's memory when police questioned the boy. Miles tells the boy, "Baby I want to please U," in one message. In others, she appears to be concerned that the boy's mother had discovered the relationship.
"Does she know who I am?" she allegedly asks in one message. In another: "U need to tell me exactly what U told her." The messages continued throughout the month of July. "When did she find out?" "Did you admit to anything?" "Is she going to call the police?"
She allegedly told the boy in one message: "You didn't do anything wrong, I did."
She also directed the boy to delete all of the messages she had sent him, as well as her phone number. "I need to know if U are gonna delete everything," she wrote. In another message: "Please tell me what's happening. I'm scared, please call me back."
After questioning the boy, police tried to interview Miles, initially setting up an interview with her. But a lawyer subsequently called back and canceled the interview, according to the report. That attorney said he no longer represents the woman, who has been deemed indigent and was appointed a public defender.
Beverly police had filed charges against Miles stemming from the same alleged incidents in Salem District Court, where she appeared two weeks ago in response to a summons and pleaded not guilty. Judge Richard Mori released Miles on personal recognizance with the condition that she stay away from the boy and stay in touch with a probation officer.
Miles is expected to be rearraigned on the charges in Salem Superior Court within the next several weeks.
Anchorage shut down its programs last September. At the time, the 33-year-old nonprofit announced that the closing was a result of concerns about recent changes to state policies, specifically requirements to adding locks and alarms to the group homes and to accept teens with more serious issues.
Yesterday, Priscilla Douglas, the organization's former president, said the decision to close down had nothing to do with the incidents involving Miles, who, she said, was fired after they came to light.
Douglas also said she was unaware that charges had been filed against Miles.
The Department of Social Services investigated the allegations, as well. A spokeswoman for DSS could not be reached late yesterday.
No comments:
Post a Comment