Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Teacher faces second set of sex abuse charges

Police say Ballmann had inappropriate contact with students at Westland, Frost middle schools

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Ballmann
The Robert Frost Middle School teacher charged with sexual abuse of a minor in May was arrested again Thursday morning on similar charges allegedly involving another former student.

Police arrested Joseph Robert Ballmann, 47, in the 81900 block of Falling Star Road in Germantown, charging him with child abuse and third-degree sexual offense.

Police detectives said Ballmann engaged in inappropriate sexual contact between 1995 and 1997 with a boy who was in the seventh and eighth grades at Westland Middle School in Bethesda at the time. The alleged victim is now 24 years old.

Police said the student and Ballmann, then a teacher at Westland, had developed a personal relationship as the two spent time together in activities both during and after school. The alleged abuse occurred at the victim’s home, not on school property, police said.

Ballmann was arrested May 2 in the 11100 block of Cedarwood Drive in Rockville on charges that he sexually abused a Frost student on numerous occasions from spring 2004 to May 2005.

Police said Ballmann had been the boy’s seventh grade teacher and had engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with him at Ballmann’s residence, not on school property. The student is now 15.

Ballmann was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, third-degree sexual offense and sexual solicitation of a minor in that arrest.

The bond for Ballmann’s first arrest was originally reduced from $1 million to $150,000 at a hearing on May 3, provided he move in with his sister, obey a curfew, wear a tracking device and refrain from any contact with children or Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville.

Ballmann paid the bond at that time and was released.

On June 7, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a motion seeking to have the bond for Ballmann’s first case revoked, citing new evidence. The motion was granted.

After Ballmann was arrested again the same day on the new charges, bond was set at $150,000.

Stephen B. Mercer, a Rockville attorney representing Ballmann, did not seek to have Ballmann’s second bond reduced during his hearing Friday afternoon in Montgomery County District Court before Judge Eugene Wolf.

As a result, Ballmann is being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg, Officer Melanie Hadley, a county police spokeswoman, said Tuesday

Mercer requested a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for July 6.

Seth B. Zucker, communications director for the State’s Attorney’s Office, said a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Ballmann’s first case on Friday.

Mercer would not comment after the bond hearing, but he did provide a statement to The Gazette in an e-mail message Monday evening.

‘‘My only comment is that my client is entering a plea of not guilty to all charges and will be aggressively fighting the charges,” he wrote.

Ballmann was a bus driver for the Montgomery County school system, served as a substitute teacher, taught English and social studies at Westland and taught English at Robert Frost, school system officials confirmed.

Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Kate Harrison said Ballmann is on administrative leave from the school system.

Anyone who has additional information about other alleged incidents involving Ballmann is asked to call Detective Karen Carvajal in the Family Crimes Division at 240-773-5417. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

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