Carlos Bell is being held without bond in Charles County, Maryland, on charges of child molestation and the production and possession of child pornography. Until last Friday Mr. Bell had been employed by the Charles County schools and had held positions wherein he had access to young men to victimize.
While in the employ of the Charles County educational system, Mr. Bell had worked as both a track coach, and a school aide, but his status as Hiv Positive has just recently come to light.
So far he has been charged with two counts of sexual assault, and three counts of producing child pornography.
The investigation began last December when a parent raised concern about electronic messages that Mr. Bell had sent to her child.
As it stands today, Mr. Bell is believed to have molested seven male students and produced graphic videos that graphically display his carnal acts. The police believe that there will be more charges forthcoming, but none have been filed so far.
Not an isolated problem
There would appear to be a specific risk to molestation posed to student athletes by serial molesters, as an ongoing case in Michigan demonstrates.
Former Michigan State University Doctor Larry Nassar had intimate ties to the USA gymnastics program is also being held without bond, and is facing 22 new charges of sexual assault.
He is alleged to have used his position to fulfill his sexual desires, and also possessed child pornography
The investigation into Mr. Nassar's life over the last five months has been shocking to some, with more than 80 people coming forward to accuse him of committing various perversions against them. He is currently on trial for three cases of sexual assault, and the state prosecutor in charge of the case expects more charges to be filed soon.
According to the complaints, Mr. Nassar repeatedly violated the bodies of his patients with his fingers during treatments.
Questionable practices
While the case against Mr. Bell is only beginning to develop, Mr. Nassar's first set of trials is in full swing. He has found lawyers that are willing to argue that inserting his fingers into women's vaginas was a part of acceptable medical treatment, and somehow the trial is still going on.
The state prosecutor has called the defense's argument “outrageous”, but it will take time to know how the jury feels about its validity. For Mr. Bell, the likelihood of a workable defense seems less likely, as there really is no conceivable reason to take young men to one's home and rape them on camera.
