WP,pg1: U.S. Targets Sex Abuse Of Exchange Students

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S. Targets Sex Abuse Of Exchange Students

By Robin Wright and Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 12, 2005; Page A01


Responding to public outcry about sexual abuse of foreign students in the United States, the Bush administration is today proposing new rules to screen host families and regulate agencies that sponsor some 28,000 high school exchange students, almost all minors, every year.

Although foreign students have been coming to the United States under formal exchange programs for more than a half-century, no sponsor has been required to keep figures on sexual abuse or report molestation cases to the federal government. Now they will.

Yet the rules could not have prevented three cases of abuse now in the courts.

Gaithersburg High School biology teacher Andrew Powers sneaked into the bedroom of the 17-year-old German girl living with his family in the middle of the night last December and tried to get her to perform oral sex, according to a police affidavit. When his wife wasn't home, Powers also "frequently" roamed the house naked in front of the student, the affidavit adds. Powers, who has resigned, is to be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to second-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual offenses. His attorney declined to comment.

The host father of a 16-year-old German girl in Plainwell, Mich., was charged in April with installing hidden cameras in her bedroom, first under her blankets, then in a dollhouse, to capture her naked. Dale Lacoss will be sentenced this month after pleading guilty to distributing the image of an unclothed person and possession of child sexually abusive material....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081102083.html

[walkon]

1. Did I miss something?

"Responding to public outcry about sexual abuse of foreign students in the United States,....."

I don't watch the cable news anymore but I haven't seen anything like a public outcry over this. Any abuse of any one is unfortunate and should be dealt with but we do have laws against this type of activity already. And the article clearly states that the "proposed" actions would not have prevented any of the incidents cited.

What nerve does this touch in this administration? Is it yet another attempt at distraction? Abuse, torture and murder of "suspected" terrorists is perfectly o.k. And then a big todo over sexually inappropriate behavior toward foreign exchange students. A curious bunch, these neocons.

[WildClarySage]

2. I think it's distraction and another means of gaining information

about the type of families that are inclined to foster international cooperation by hosting. My family has twice hosted exchange students and found that by and large, the other families involved in the program tend to be liberal.

[Corgigal]

3. actually its not

Our family also hosted an exchange student and I know of one other family in our group where the teen-aged girl ran out of the house around 1030 pm to a local cop who lived up the street. Momma wasn't home but her husband was. I'm sure this incident was never investigated because the foreign exchange groups want to pretend this never happens. I bet when the kids get home they tell the native country what happened.

I think this is long overdue.