By Mark Thomas
KUTV [Utah]
April 5, 2007
http://kutv.com/local/local_story_095222545.html
(KUTV) Salt Lake City Another potential victim has come forward in the case of a former LDS bishop accused of sexually abusing three girls.
The newest accuser of Timothy McCleve is now 21-years-old. She says the abuse happened years ago.
And today the parents of the three original accusers talked to 2 News. They say trust and friendship were the cornerstones of their relationship with Timothy McCleve, and the kids seemed to like McCleve's many visits to their home.
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| Timothy McCleve |
"Because he brought candy, let them play on his laptop games he brought into the house. He put some games on my computer. You know, got them busy doing fun things," the alleged victims' father spoke to 2 News on condition of anonymity.
The girls' father says it went beyond computer games to physical contact, "He would wrestle with them; let them climb all over him. Just having a fun time."
Harrisville City Police Chief Max Jackson says another victim has now come forward, "A young lady that is 21-years-old now, a college student. She contacted us and requested an interview regarding events that took place back in 1992 or 93 when she was 6 or 7 years old."
Chief Jackson says he believe the newest victim's story is credible.
"After interviewing her and knowing her personally," says Chief Jackson, "I consider her to be very credible and she'll be a good witness in this case."
The girls' mother said the girls spoke out after another case of sexual abuse emerged from a Utah public school last month.
In March Rosamond Elementary School teacher Frank Laine Hall was accused by several female students of inappropriate sexual touching that allegedly occurred during class.
According to the girls' mother one of her daughters was talking to her about the news reports she had seen about Hall.
The mother says, "What [the news] had said, that he was touching students inappropriately, [my daughter said] that that was gross."
She continues, "And as I watched her tell me this, it was as if a light bulb went off in her head and she explained to me something that recently happened that [McCleve] had done."
McCleve was a religious leader, a family friend and a man trusted by the victims' father.
"I'd probably say the trust was unconditional," said the girls' father, "It was totally there because of the wisdom he has; teaching me what I needed to know about my church calling."
But the girls' parents have had concerns.
Their mother says, "When at first the kids started to tell me that he would come over when we weren't there my question would be, 'what did he do? What was he doing?'"
"The answer I always got," she said, "was downloading pictures that he had taken of games or pictures of his dog or putting games on the computer."
Yesterday, McCleve appeared before a judge in Ogden on three charges of forcible sexual abuse.
McCleve is now out of jail on bail and has been ordered to have no contact with minors.
But County prosecutors say that arrangement simply isn't acceptable.
Prosecutor Brenda Beaton says Weber County has no way to monitor whether McCleve is actually following the court order to avoid children.
Following yesterday's court appearance Beaton said she believes McCleve is a danger and should not be out on bail.
McCleve's lawyer refused to comment on the case.
A bail hearing is set for Friday, April 13 to decide if McCleve can remain a free man while the case moves through court.
It is unclear whether the Weber County Attorney's Office will file more charges against McCleve based on today's allegations from that 21-year-old woman. Since those allegations stem from events that are more than a decade old there may be statute of limitations issues.
Harrisville police are urging any other victims to come forward.
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