UNT School Official Fired; Accused Of Indecency With A Child
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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A former vice president at the University of North Texas Health Science Center was arrested Wednesday and accused of indecency with a child.
In September of last year, the victim's mother contacted police and said that Barrett touched and kissed her daughter inappropriately when she went to his house to babysit his 5-year-old. The teen said Barrett had slow music playing, which was out of the ordinary and that he was acting like "a boy who's trying to flirt with a girl. She said he tried to get close to her by "opening up" to her. Before kissing her, the arrest warrant states Barrett asked the victim, "How adventurous are you?" She told Barrett to stop kissing her on the neck, then texted her mother in a panic to come pick her up.
The teen started crying in her mother's car, according to the warrant. The victim's mother told police she waited two months to report the incident because she wanted her daughter to get counseling.
In addition to the criminal investigation stemming from the July 13, 2015 incident, the Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS) began a civil investigation to ensure the safety of Stephen's children. On October 8, 2015 a CPS investigator spoke to Barrett about the 15-year-old's allegations.
Barrett said when the babysitter came over he was hung over from the night before. So he had another drink to help his hangover, according to the warrant, and other than sitting on the couch with the teen, he didn't remember any of his actions toward her. However, Barrett admitted that it was clear he "did something outlandish" while he was drunk, according to the warrant.
UNT fired Barrett after his arrest.
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