Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / March 2007

He was MORE than an adopter and Foster.

11 kids?

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070317/NEWS02/70
3170303/1007

Youth services employee charged with assault

By Jill Fahy
Free Press Staff Writer

March 17, 2007
A youth-services employee and foster-care parent has been arrested for
sexually assaulting a teenage girl, Vermont State Police in Royalton
said.

Frank C. Taplin, 58, of Bethel was charged Thursday with aggravated
sexual assault and lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor. He
pleaded not guilty to both charges Friday in Vermont District Court in
White River Junction and was being held at the Southern State
Correctional Facility in Springfield for lack of $40,000 bail.

The charges against Taplin came to light Wednesday when the teenage
girl reported the alleged abuse, Windsor County State's Attorney
Robert Sand said.

"The affidavit indicates that police interviewed the child. Then they
went to the defendant's work place," Sand said. "Based on the
information gathered in both interviews, the decision was made that
that was enough for an arrest."

According to the affidavit, there were multiple instances of
inappropriate sexual touching with the girl over time, Sands said.

The Burlington Free Press does not identify victims of sexual
assault.

Efforts to reach Taplin's attorney, Kevin Griffin, were unsuccessful.

Taplin works for Nine East Network, in Montpelier, doing contract work
as a youth development coordinator for the Vermont Department of
Children and Families, state police said in a release.

Stephen Dale, commissioner of the Department of Children and Families,
said Taplin has worked with the department through Nine East for 1 1/2
years. Dale said Taplin provided support services for older teenagers
and adults in their early 20s who were aging out of the foster care
system and transitioning into adulthood.

"He obviously will not be working with our organization unless or
until this is cleared up," Dale said. "His contract status will be
sorted out in the next few days."

Nine East Network, formerly Vermont Consultants for Language and
Learning, does private consulting and direct services for individuals,
schools and agencies in the areas of speech and language, special
education and youth services.

Nine East Director Susan Kimmerly said Taplin has been with the
organization for about 1 1/2 years and remains an employee.

If Taplin makes bail, Sand said, his conduct will be governed by
restrictions, including a prohibition on contacting minors, including
any of his 11 children.
Contact Jill Fahy at 660-1898 or jfahy@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com