Recruiters Face Charges For Sexually Abusing High School Students

A seventh woman has come forward to say that former Indiana National Guard recruiter, Sgt. Eric Vetesy (photo), sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors have said Vetesy met most of the women in high school lunchrooms where he worked as a military recruiter. CounterRecruiter.net reported last month that Vetesy assembled background information on each recruit (available because of the No Child Left Behind Act) and was able to target those he thought he would be able to coerce. He met most of the high school students during lunch breaks at school.

Meanwhile, in California, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune is reporting that two Army recruiters were due in court this past week on accusations they had sex with two high school girls they met on recruiting visits to Antelope Valley High School.

The paper reports "Sgts. Ramsey Robertson, 29, and Christopher Starks, 32, have already been cleared by an Army investigation and have pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges lodged by prosecutors, one defendant's attorney said... Deputy District Attorney Kelly Cromer said the men are accused of having sex with the girls between March and April 2004 off-campus, sometimes during school hours... In the civil lawsuit, the mother accuses high school officials of negligently failing to supervise Army recruiters who came onto the campus. The soldiers 'were allowed to use their position of power and prestige as Army recruiters to take advantage of [the two girls] to engage in unlawful sex,' the lawsuit said."

On Thursday, the Indiana National Guard announced a new "No Alone Policy," which bars recruiters from being alone with young women they recruit.

Last month the Indianapolis Star reported the National Guard kept Vetesy working as a high school recruiter even after women complained about inappropriate behavior. It was only after a woman accused him of rape did the National Guard remove Vetesy from his post.

MEANWHILE IN CALIFORNIA...