All Balyo’s Contact with Kids Investigated

By Susan Samples
WOOD
June 26, 2014

http://woodtv.com/2014/06/26/all-balyos-contact-with-kids-investigated/

Federal investigators say they have heard from several people who are concerned a longtime Christian radio host accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old may have also targeted their children.

John Balyo, 35, is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second degree criminal sexual conduct. He allegedly admitted to investigators that he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy in Battle Creek in May. He also allegedly pointed them to his storage unit, which contained what federal investigators called a “bondage kit.”

Homeland Security Investigations, Michigan State Police and the Battle Creek Police Department continue their investigation into the former WCSG morning show host.

One week after his arrest, authorities said they have received “several” calls from people who worry Balyo may have acted inappropriately with their children.

Kenneth Duke, resident agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, says authorities will investigate every single call — and that’s just the beginning.

“Anywhere he would have been travelling, any time he could have possibly had any type of contact with children, we’re going to investigate that to the best of our ability,” said Duke. “We’re trying to prioritize the most serious ones first, but all of his locations are on the list.”

Duke says they will also investigate Balyo’s contact with children through the photography business he ran on the side. The website featuring Balyo’s pictures of children and families has been taken down since his arrest Friday.

The former radio host also sponsored at least two children overseas through an international aid agency.

Duke also revealed that despite Balyo’s alleged confession to sexually assaulting a boy in a Battle Creek hotel room, agents do not believe the former radio host has been entirely truthful with them.

“He was slightly cooperative. He was definitely not fully candid with us during his interview,” said Duke. “We’ve talked to him once, but we (have since) developed information during forensic examinations of various electronic media that he wasn’t fully candid with us.”

Duke did say that investigators do not believe Balyo was involving in any missing children cases.

That’s despite disturbing items found in a storage unit rented by Balyo at a facility in northeast Kent County. In addition to multiple restraint devices and children’s Halloween costumes, the storage locker also contained newspaper clippings about missing children and children’s obituaries.

“It doesn’t appear to be anything of evidentiary value in there. It does kind of go towards his mindset, but that could possibly be why he gave us consent (to search) and identified the storage shed, because he knew there was nothing of evidentiary value in there,” said Duke.