Youth abuse investigation leads to 2 arrests

The employees at Florida Youth Academy may have hit teens during a rite of passage for those leaving the program.

By LEON M. TUCKER, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 18, 2003

LARGO -- Police have arrested two Florida Youth Academy employees after investigating allegations of child abuse at the Largo facility for troubled youths.

Largo police arrested Betherea Anthony Stokes of St. Petersburg on Sunday and charged him with child abuse. He is accused of beating a 16-year-old resident at the academy, a private facility for youths who have had legal troubles.

On Monday police arrested Youth Academy staffer Andy Lewis, 26, and charged him with one count of child neglect for failing to stop the alleged beating.

The arrests are the result of complaints by residents at the facility who said they were punched and kicked by staffers -- perhaps as a rite of passage for completing the program, police said.

Stokes, 35, of 3877 Seventh Ave. N, Apt. K, was released after posting $5,000 bail.

Lewis, 1315 Kings Highway, Clearwater, was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on Monday night in lieu of $10,000 bail.

"Mr. Stokes basically said they were horse playing," said Officer Gary Lang, who is investigating the case.

But Lang said other residents have complained about the employees' actions.

"A lot of the girls said this goes on a lot where the male staffers like to horseplay, but it goes too far," Lang said.

Police said they are looking for a third person, Dequicertis Collins, also of St. Petersburg, for questioning.

No warrant has been issued for Collins.

According to police reports, on March 6 Stokes was involved in a "physical take down" during which Stokes put his knee in the girl's back. One report described how the victim was taken to a room where she was punched in the legs.

Erika Doman, the girl's grandmother, said she became deeply disturbed when she discovered days later that her granddaughter's arms and legs were covered with bruises.

"When I opened the door, it was like somebody punched me in the stomach," she said. "I thought I was going to be physically ill."

Both Lang and Doman believe the beatings amount to a rite of passage for youngsters leaving the program.

"Here is a member of my own family that this has happened to, not by a stranger, but by a professional who was supposed to take care of my granddaughter," said Doman, 66, who said her granddaughter suffers from manic depression. "I was paralyzed with anger, frustration, fear for other kids that are still in there -- that I know are going to go through the same thing if something doesn't get done."

The academy at 12895 Seminole Blvd. is one of 167 residential treatment programs around the state that works with youths up to 18 years old who have gotten into trouble with the law. The youths are referred to the academy by the state Department of Juvenile Justice and can stay anywhere from six months to a year.

Using a system of three risk levels, the facility houses 96 females aged 14 to 18 in its high-risk program, 18 females aged 13 to 18 in its moderate-risk program and 18 males aged 10 to 14 in its low-risk program, said Catherine Arnold, spokeswoman for the state Department of Juvenile Justice.

The Florida Youth Academy has been under a state contract to provide rehabilitation to troubled youngsters for the past three years.

While Department of Juvenile Justice officials say it is too early to tell what effect these incidents could have on the academy's state contract, a separate investigation into the matter will be conducted.

"The way we operate our programs is we have very strong standards for reporting any allegations of inappropriate activities," Arnold said. "Those incident reports are called into the inspector general, who then makes a determination of what happens next in terms of an investigation.

"It's way too early to begin speculation," she added. "And without knowing the facts it would be unreasonable to speculate on the action that will be taken."

-- Leon M. Tucker can be reached at 445-4167 or tucker@sptimes.com .

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright