Glendale Church Volunteer Arrested for Child Molestation, by Micah Ohlman, November 7, 2007

Glendale Church Volunteer Arrested for Child Molestation

By Micah Ohlman
KABC
November 7, 2007

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5749160

GLENDALE, Nov. 7, 2007 (KABC-TV) - A 53-year-old man is in the custody of Glendale police on charges he molested three children more than a decade ago. The suspect has spent time volunteering at local churches.

The man taught catechism classes at these local churches. He's now facing 15 felony counts of sexual assault on a minor.

Fifty-three-year-old Donald Allen, church volunteer and, says the District Attorney's office, a child molester.

Police say Allen sexually assaulted three children, ages 5 to 12, crimes investigators say happened 10 to 15 years ago.

"They come forward years later, after the fact," said Glendale Police Dept. Spokesman John Balian. "But by going public with this, his arrest, hoping there are no victims, but if there are, we can give them some kind of closure."

An anonymous tip led investigators to Donald Allen, a man who has volunteered at Holy Family Church in Glendale, and Saint Dominics Church in Eagle Rock for the past 12 years.

"He just happened to be a volunteer at these churches," said Balian. "But we don't have any information to believe that the victims were members of the church."

Both churches are situated directly across the street from elementary schools.

"You know, you hear about it in other communities, and you just hope it didn't happen in your community, but unfortunately that's what we're facing today," said Balian.

Allen has been arrested and is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.

Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, told Eyewitness News that once learned of the charges, announcements were made at Masses, in church, and in a bulletin instructing anyone with more information or possible victims to contact the Glendale Police Department.

Investigators believe there may well be more victims that have yet to come forward. If you know anything, you're asked to call the Glendale Police Dept. at (818) 507-STOP (7867).