UPDATE:
Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed and the Shiremanstown Police Department today released the following statement regarding their investigation into alleged child sexual abuse at Bible Baptist School in Shiremanstown:
The active investigation into this case is continuing. The investigation is jointly led by Shiremanstown Police Chief James Stoner and the Criminal Investigation Division of the Cumberland County District Attorneys Office. These investigators have been supplemented at the request of the District Attorney by police officers from Lower Allen Township, Hampden Township and Mechanicsburg Borough Police Departments. In addition, two police officers from Upper Allen Township, both members of the Cumberland County Electronic Crimes Task Force, are assigned to the computer forensics portion of the case. The joint investigation is being staged out of the Lower Allen Township Police Department.
During the course of the investigation, in addition to the basic police investigation, investigators have executed four (4) search warrants and conducted consensual searches of certain portions of Bible Baptist School. Investigators have seized at least (6) different electronic devices and conducted numerous personal interviews. Forensic reviews of the electronic devices are underway.
District Attorney David Freed stated,” I am pleased with the progress of the investigation. The investigators are working diligently and covering a lot of ground. Based on the nature of this case, our investigators are working hard to identify and interview the universe of potential victims. I understand and appreciate the public’s interest in this matter. I want to stress that it is our duty as law enforcement officials to ensure the integrity of the investigation and ensure that any criminal charges are supported by strong evidence.
We commend Bible Baptist School for their cooperation and personally thank Chief James Adams from Upper Allen Township, David Spotts from Mechanicsburg Borough, Harry Clay from Hampden Township and Frank Williamson from Lower Allen Township for their assistance with this case. We anticipate that the initial stages of the investigation will be complete within a week.”
We ask again for any parents or individuals with information about this investigation to contact the Shiremanstown Police Department or the Cumberland County District Attorneys Office.
Any potential target of this investigation is innocent until proven guilty.
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Although no criminal charges have been filed, court documents indicate the minister of music at Bible Baptist Church in Shiremanstown and music teacher at the church's school allegedly had sexual contact with a 17-year-old student.
Police and the District Attorney are actively pursuing an investigation. The suspect, 54-year-old William Jackson of New Cumberland, has been fired from the church and the school.
On Friday, two concerned parents gave school officials 19 pages of printed texts, instant messages and emails between their teenage son and William Jackson. The content, investigators say, was inappropriate language between a teacher and a student.
Officials notified police who then met with the parents, the victim and county detectives. The electronic messages, listed in the affidavit of probable cause read, "I love you (victim's name) more today than ever before...never forget that! Always love (victim's name) always love – on."
In another message, he wrote "Can't wait to see you in those boxers!!! Wwowsers!!!"
In another text he asked, "you will delete this whole thing...right?"
In an affidavit of probable cause for a search warrant of Jackson's home, the victim said the teacher asked him to pull down his pants while they were alone in the music room one night two years ago.
He complied. Jackson looked at his private parts and them touched them. The victim says the teacher also gave massages to other boys in the music room.
Investigators got a search warrant for Jackson's home in the 700 block of 15th Street in New Cumberland. They searched for computer, phone and other electronic devices. What, if anything, was seized has not been released.
Although lights were on inside Jackson's home Wednesday afternoon, no one answered several knocks on the door. A neighbor walking past Jackson's was surprised to hear the allegations again him.
"It actually worries me,” stated New Cumberland neighbor Sara Christiana. “It makes me very uncomfortable that there is someone in the community that could be doing some thing like this and it's very disturbing and worries me."
The school said in a press release, "As advocates for children and their education, the BBS community is deeply saddened that a former employee is under investigation. Our first thoughts and prayers are with families impacted."
District Attorney Dave Freed says the school has fully cooperated with investigators. As for the possibility of criminal charges, Freed says an announcement could come Thursday or Friday.