Kindergarten Turned Into House Of Horrors
Children As Young As Five Fed Painkillers, Forced To Perform In Sex Shows In Texas
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This photo released by the Smith County Sheriff's Office shows Patrick Kelly. On Monday, June 23, 2008, Kelly is scheduled to stand trial in Tyler, Texas, for his alleged role in the "Mineola Swinger's Club." (AP/Smith County Sheriffs Office)
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Two people have already been convicted in the case. Now a third person with ties to the club, previously known in town only as a swingers group, is set to go on trial Monday not far from Mineola, population 5,100.
"This really shook this town," said Shirley Chadwick, a longtime resident of Mineola. "This was horrible."
Patrick Kelly, 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity.
In all, six adults have been charged in connection with the case, including a parent of the three siblings involved.
Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants, who were accused of grooming the kids for sex shows in "kindergarten" classes and passing off Vicodin as "silly pills" to help the children perform.
Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo were sentenced to life in prison. Kelly also faces a life sentence if convicted, and Smith County prosecutors hope for another swift verdict.
Thad Davidson, Kelly's attorney, said his client passed a lie-detector test proving his innocence and worries about getting a fair trial in Tyler, just 25 miles southeast of Mineola.
Mineola, about 80 miles east of Dallas, is a close-knit, conservative bean-processing town of with more than 30 churches. Residents there want to put the scandal behind them as quickly as possible.
The one-story building where prosecutors say four children - the three siblings, now ages 12, 10 and 7, and their 10-year-old aunt - were trained to perform in front of an audience of 50 to 100 once a week has been vacant since the landlord ousted the alleged organizers in 2004.
Down a slight hill is a retirement home, and even closer is the office of the local newspaper. Doris Newman, editor of The Mineola Monitor, said rumors of swinger parties spread around town but that no one mentioned children being involved.
Newman, who can see the building from her office window, said she remembers the parking lot filling up with more than a dozen cars at night.
In August 2004, an editorial under the headline "Sex In the City" opined that if the swingers left quietly, "we'll try and forget they've infiltrated our town with their set of moral standards."
"It's not that we're trying to look the other way," Newman said. "But there's a lot more to Mineola than that."
According to a Mineola police report, the department first investigated a complaint in June 2005 in which the siblings' foster mother said one of the girls described dancing toward men and another child saying that "everybody does nasty stuff in there."
In the second trial, Child Protective Services caseworker Kristi Hachtel testified, "I've seen a lot and I never in my wildest dreams imagined this. They were preyed upon in probably one of the most heinous ways possible."
The children are now doing better, the welfare agency said.
"Through counseling and therapy sessions, these children are now finally feeling secure and safe," agency spokeswoman Shari Pulliam wrote in an e-mail.
Permanent custody of the three siblings was given to John and Margie Cantrell. This week, prosecutors in California charged John Cantrell with sexually assaulting a child in the state 18 years ago. Margie Cantrell said her husband is innocent.
Kelly's attorney moved Friday asking to postpone the trial in light of the allegations against Cantrell, a state witness. Texas Child Protective Services said it would be "common" for the agency to investigate.
The Rev. Tim Letsch is opening a church in the yellow-plastered building where the children were abused. He acknowledges that building a congregation might be difficult because of the stigma attached to the property.
"You got to decide whether you're willing to forgive those kind of things," Letsch said. "It's a hard deal. Especially for a spiritual person to walk in and say, 'This happened here."'
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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See all 160 CommentsThese are the easily led, the moronic followers of the Bush doctrine of fear and loathing.
CBS; what ever happened to journalistic integrity; this story contains some outright blatant lies.
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 07:53 AM : Jun 23, 2008
Thank you.
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only a sick person would use this story to bash a president. you need help
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 07:53 AM : Jun 23, 2008
Thank you.
Posted by shanev137
The problem is they have no water.
They only hydrate with beer, tequila and peyote juice
Posted by maxify55
All that is false and you know it. I think I''m beginning to see who''s the real cause of the antagonism between left and right. And it isn''t Bush or Cheney and it isn''t Pelosi or Gore. It''s people like Maxify55, who feel they need to lie and antagonize people just to get a rise out of them. Sort of the like the weasels in grade school who started s h i t, then stepped back and watched the fireworks, all for their amusement.
it isn''t only Texas. You see these kind of stories coming from every state in the country. It just proves there are sick people everywhere.
it isn''''t only Texas. You see these kind of stories coming from every state in the country. It just proves there are sick people everywhere.
Posted by patriot12436
No, most seem to be coming from the state that gave us the Cowboy who is All Hat and No Cattle.
Posted by patriot12436
I hope this is actually true. Well, no, I don''t actually "hope" its true, its vile. What I mean is, I remember a story years ago (in Massachusetts I think) about a daycare center where the employees were accused of similiar vile things. But as the stories of what supposedly happened became more and moe incredible, it turned out that overeager social workers got the kids, who wanted to please the social workers, to make up incredible tales. Apparently, none of it happened and it ruined the lives of the people working at the daycare center.
Took 3 years to round up 4 children??? Texas child protective services rounded up 400 for religion in less than 3 days. We can do better and we must to protect our future. Our future is our children!
5,100 people in the town, and a crowd of 50 to 100 people once a week, and Ms. Chadwick is "surprised"?
Yeah right.
you left out that tranplanted ohioan,
singin something or onother i cant recall!!
no its the type of Depravity Republicans have a proven track record with....
??????? I''m rarely speechless, but this takes the cake for stupidity!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don''t understand this paragraph. Either they have done the right thing and found a secure home for the children, or they did not. It reads like they turned the children over to child molesters.
Way to go Texas - home state of George W. Bush! The state that brought us the kidnapping of 460 children because the State didn''t agree with their parent''s religion!
Too much conservative repression. Causes them to get all twisted up inside and do horrible things. And since their social services are so screwed up, this stuff goes on far too long. Texans need to join the 21st century.
Better think about some famous Democrats before you start sling mud a Republicans. Ted Kennedy comes to mind...
"faith_in_w...
no its the type of Depravity Republicans have a proven track record with...."
you left out that tranplanted ohioan,
singin something or onother i cant recall!!
Posted by midland666 at 09:11 AM : Jun 23, 2008
And RowdyWicca.
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Posted by hungry1968 at 09:18 AM : Jun 23, 2008
Aren''t you cute...a dipwad sitting there sucking up Obama''s lies and promoting him as the new Jesus Christ!
Shame isn''t it, one of the biggest states in the country is not going to buy Obama''s KRAP! Along with many more.
Posted by maxify55
Nice take out of context there. Fortunately, I have the whole quote form the book:
"Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."
Obama clearly means that if things get as bad for Muslims like it did for the Japanese during WWII, with illegal detentions and such, he would stand with them. Really, a rather pathetic attempt at fear mongering about Obama there.
You and your ilk is the reason why most people despise Xtians. You''re so effing narrow-minded and stupid.
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Posted by maxify55 at 09:49 AM : Jun 23, 2008
+ report abuse
No need for "Bashing" when the Republiclowns do such a great job of showing what complete and utter Contemptable Scumbags they really are......
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I''ve seen your posts...by your own books standards...you''re going to have a heckuva time getting past those pearly gates should they actually exist.
To these children, I hope you recover without much pain. I''m sorry that these people you trusted and looked up to spat on you in such a terrible way.
Posted by faith_in_w at 10:24 AM : Jun 23, 2008
face the music, it''s probably happening everywhere in America/ the world... we need vigilantes
You have many religious issues and honey you are most certainly narrow-minded...how dare you judge me. Most Xtians I have ever met are like you and I choose not to believe the lies you guys use to get money, get people trapped by their fears, and end up not living a life because of a silly fears.
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Posted by xraytwonine at 10:47 AM : Jun 23, 2008
I sure hope it isn''t...
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Posted by usmcvn2 at 10:50 AM : Jun 23, 2008
Not a christian here, but your approach isn''t necessarily appropiate. Makes you no better then faith_in_w.
I am very open minded but when it comes to messing around with Kids that is where I draw the line.
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Posted by mjm117 at 10:51 AM : Jun 23, 2008
Don''t comment on comments ***. You post your thoughts, I''ll post mind.
Go back to the mensrooms neocon freak.
Actually, this type of depravity tends to happen as a result of repression in the supposed name of Christ, but whatever...you can''t teach truth to ignorant folk living their lives in fear of a world they''ve convinced themselves is evil.
That''s is how people become controlled.
"Residents there want to put the scandal behind them as quickly as possible."
Sounds to me like there was a good amount of residents in the audience who would like to "put the scandal behind them". Dumbing down America really took it''s toll on this state.
Go back to the mensrooms neocon freak.
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Posted by usmcvn2 at 10:54 AM : Jun 23, 2008
You just posted on my comment...what kind of example are you setting. Honestly, I agreed with most of your post...just didn''t find it necessary to finish it the way you did. It''s cool man, you showed your brain power ability. Go back to your cave
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Posted by usmcvn2 at 10:54 AM : Jun 23, 2008
By the way, I''m liberal. Far from a neocon
Typical judgmental person certain in their righteousness...but certainty is the abscence of faith; hate to tell you but you''re preaching nothing more than blasphemy.
Way to kill your God there worshipper...LOL
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