It gets even worse...
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Ex-school nurse faces additional charges in Duchesne CountyBy Geoff Liesik
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 5:35 p.m. MST
Geary David OakesROOSEVELT — A former boarding school nurse, already accused of molesting two teenage boys, has been charged with sexually abusing two more teens and illegally providing prescription drugs to three others.
Geary David Oakes, 57, made his initial appearance Monday in 8th District Court on six counts of forcible sexual abuse and six counts of distribution of a controlled substance, both second-degree felonies; and one count of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.
Oakes, who worked as director of student services for Cedar Ridge Academy for the past 10 years, now stands accused of sexually abusing four teenage students and providing one of the alleged abuse victims and three other students with Lortab and Vicodin.
"We've been through this with a fine-toothed comb," said Cedar Ridge director Robert Nielson. "I've talked to people who know this guy, who knew this guy, and everybody's astonished that this stuff happened."
Nielson said he doesn't believe any of the alleged criminal activity by Oakes occurred before August.
"These are things that couldn't have sustained themselves," he said.
Cedar Ridge, which bills itself as a "therapeutic boarding school," employed Oakes to serve as an liaison between a doctor who visits the facility once a week and the school's students, Nielson said. But investigators say nothing in Oakes' job description, or his training as a certified nursing assistant, called for him to perform "hernia checks" on some of the school's male students as frequently as three times per month.
"There was some classic grooming behavior going on," said Duchesne County Sheriff's Sgt. Wade Butterfield. "There was no other purpose to be performing those checks — that many, that often — on the same individuals."
The sergeant said the alleged abuse came to light in late November when one of the teens discussed it in a therapy session. Cedar Ridge staff contacted the state Division of Child and Family Services, which got the sheriff's office involved. In total, Butterfield said, nine Cedar Ridge students were interviewed at the Duchesne County Children's Justice Center.
"I think (Oakes) had a pretty good idea of who was … susceptible to this type of conduct and I think that he focused his efforts on those kids," Butterfield said.
Oakes was initially arrested Dec. 1 and charged with two counts of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony; and forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony. The charges in those cases indicated that the alleged abuse took place at Cedar Ridge, at Oakes' home and in the bathroom of a Roosevelt grocery store.
Butterfield said Oakes has declined to talk with investigators about the new charges against him. Oakes also has refuted claims that he doled out drugs to students, the sergeant said.
Cedar Ridge has examined its policies and procedures in the wake of Oakes' arrest, Nielson said. The school has instituted a policy that bars employees from being alone with students regardless of staff member or student gender, he said.
"I've vowed to the gods that it ain't going to happen again," Nielson said.
Oakes remains in the Duchesne County Jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 7.
e-mail: gliesik@desnews.com. TWITTER: GeoffLiesik