Former school psych pleads guilty
to molesting 8 students under 14
Sac Bee excloo
MARYSVILLE 8/9/02 (YSN) - Former elementary school psychologist William Wayne Babcock, 54, waived his right to a trial Friday and pleaded guilty in Yuba County Superior Court to molesting eight boys under 14 years old.
Judge James Curry warned Babcock that at the time of sentencing the court may also consider additional misdemeanor allegations that Babcock had touched 10 other boys under 18 years old in a lewd and lascivious manner.
Babcock now faces a possible state prison term of up to 22 years, Curry said.
Curry scheduled sentencing for 3 p.m. Sept. 27 after Yuba County Victims/Witness Program Director Sandy Fonley requested an afternoon time "so kids can be out of school for it."
The judge declined to lift the gag order he has placed on the case. Lawyers and parties to the case and family members attending the hearing refused to comment.
However, a Sutter County representing 10 minors who have brought related civil claims against Marysville Joint Unified School District relating, welcomed the guilty pleas.
"The families wanted him to admit his responsibilities in the criminal case, and he has," Jesse Santana, of Beauchamp & Santana, said.
One major benefit of the early guilty pleas is that the affected children will not have to testify in a criminal trial -- although they still may have to appear in civil trials, if the school district does not settle the matter beforehand, Santana said.
"It's time now for the district to step to the plate and admit they failed to adequately supervise Mr. Babcock," Santana said.
Marysville police arrested Babcock in April after a month-long investigation into a suspicious grandmother's complaints about Babcock's activities.
Babcock was originally booked on four felony counts and held in $400,000. Further charges later added. He remains in custody
Claims documents allege that Babcock made it a practice of locking the door to his office while he was with students, and further screening the view into the room by painting a window, placing a curtain over a door window and dimming the lights.
Angry claimants have accused district officials brushing off several complaints about Babcock's activities and negligently failing to monitor his actions.
District officials have denied all claims brought so far, and MJUSD Superintendent Marc Liebman has repeatedly denied any wrong-doing on the part of the district.
Tort claims for a dozen minors involved in Babcock's case already have been filed, with additional claims by their parents and guardians. Several more are known to be in the hopper, Santana said.
Some seek specific damages - for example, the 10 minors Santana has filed for are asking for $3 million each, or total of $30 million - while the claims brought by their parents seek unspecified damages.
A separate claim filed for an 11th minor boy seeks "in excess of $1 million," and more claims are expected, Yuba City Michael Trezza.
Trezza, who grew up in the Yuba-Sutter rea and practiced law here since 1989 called the Kynoch school sex abuse cases in Yuba County history. "I can think of none comparable," Trezza said.
Liebman was out of town Friday and could not be reached for comment on Babcock's guilty pleas.
to molesting 8 students under 14
Sac Bee excloo
MARYSVILLE 8/9/02 (YSN) - Former elementary school psychologist William Wayne Babcock, 54, waived his right to a trial Friday and pleaded guilty in Yuba County Superior Court to molesting eight boys under 14 years old.
Judge James Curry warned Babcock that at the time of sentencing the court may also consider additional misdemeanor allegations that Babcock had touched 10 other boys under 18 years old in a lewd and lascivious manner.
Babcock now faces a possible state prison term of up to 22 years, Curry said.
Curry scheduled sentencing for 3 p.m. Sept. 27 after Yuba County Victims/Witness Program Director Sandy Fonley requested an afternoon time "so kids can be out of school for it."
The judge declined to lift the gag order he has placed on the case. Lawyers and parties to the case and family members attending the hearing refused to comment.
However, a Sutter County representing 10 minors who have brought related civil claims against Marysville Joint Unified School District relating, welcomed the guilty pleas.
"The families wanted him to admit his responsibilities in the criminal case, and he has," Jesse Santana, of Beauchamp & Santana, said.
One major benefit of the early guilty pleas is that the affected children will not have to testify in a criminal trial -- although they still may have to appear in civil trials, if the school district does not settle the matter beforehand, Santana said.
"It's time now for the district to step to the plate and admit they failed to adequately supervise Mr. Babcock," Santana said.
Marysville police arrested Babcock in April after a month-long investigation into a suspicious grandmother's complaints about Babcock's activities.
Babcock was originally booked on four felony counts and held in $400,000. Further charges later added. He remains in custody
Claims documents allege that Babcock made it a practice of locking the door to his office while he was with students, and further screening the view into the room by painting a window, placing a curtain over a door window and dimming the lights.
Angry claimants have accused district officials brushing off several complaints about Babcock's activities and negligently failing to monitor his actions.
District officials have denied all claims brought so far, and MJUSD Superintendent Marc Liebman has repeatedly denied any wrong-doing on the part of the district.
Tort claims for a dozen minors involved in Babcock's case already have been filed, with additional claims by their parents and guardians. Several more are known to be in the hopper, Santana said.
Some seek specific damages - for example, the 10 minors Santana has filed for are asking for $3 million each, or total of $30 million - while the claims brought by their parents seek unspecified damages.
A separate claim filed for an 11th minor boy seeks "in excess of $1 million," and more claims are expected, Yuba City Michael Trezza.
Trezza, who grew up in the Yuba-Sutter rea and practiced law here since 1989 called the Kynoch school sex abuse cases in Yuba County history. "I can think of none comparable," Trezza said.
Liebman was out of town Friday and could not be reached for comment on Babcock's guilty pleas.
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