Army Recruiter Suspended For Groping

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-army-recruiter-story,0,7931344.story

David Solano
June 25, 2010

GALVESTON, Texas - A Galveston based Army recruiter is being charged
after a student said he touched her in an offensive manner.
36-year-old, Antonio De Leon, was arrested and charged with two
counts of assault by contact late last month. 39 News learned more
about what happened on Friday, June 25 about this Army recruiter,
who's making headlines for the wrong reasons.

De Leon was recruiting students at two Galveston High Schools in May
when teenage girls reported complaints. When Galveston police looked
into the allegation, they discovered five females had similar
complaints of being touched inappropriately. De Leon was arrested and
booked in Galveston Co. jail.

"A matter like this is under investigation," said Nathan Bollinger, a
major with the United States Army, who works out of the recruiting
battalion office in Houston. "It's under investigation with the
Galveston authorities."

Galveston Independent School District police chief, LeeRoy Amador,
told 39 news that, "We want to make sure that he has not done this to
any other schools besides Galveston."

"It was equivalent to a [class C] misdemeanor offense, and he posted
bond that evening," said Bollinger.

De Leon is charged with two counts of assault by contact in civilian
jurisdiction. It would have been a different story had it occurred on
a military base, meaning the United States Army would have had full
jurisdiction over the case. Bollinger said De Leon is suspended for
several reasons.

"To protect that soldiers rights to do processing and fairness for
him; we suspend him to protect the civilians, who have made these
allegations against our soldier. And finally, it's designed to
protect the integrity of the investigation until these allegations
are fully examined," Bollinger said.

Galveston district officials said the girls alleged De Leon invited
them to the Army recruiting office in Galveston, touching them in an
offensive manner.

"Everybody in recruiting is let down when one of our recruiters fails
to up hold the Army and recruiting command standards," Bollinger
said. "We take these allegations very seriously, and we do whatever
we need to do to restore the trust and faith of the people we serve."

De Leon has recruited in Galveston for the past four years. It's 39
News' understanding that no other Army recruiters were involved.

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