Inside the planetarium
It will take a trial to determine whether there's any truth to charges traveling educator Daniel Roy Smith touched students inappropriately at San Gabriel's Washington Elementary last month.
Either way, it wouldn't be surprising if schools rethink the practice of sending children into portable, enclosed and darkened theaters with a third-party contractor. (Picture of "the bubble" at the preceding link.)
Of course statistics show most sexual abuse occurs at the home, by family or friends. Although I won't be covering the trial any further, I got the sense in court Monday that the defense is likely to bring that fact up and try arguing that Smith -- who has pleaded innocent -- was a convenient scape-goat.
(Picture is copyright Mobile Productions Inc., linked here under fair use provisions.)
Students accuse man of lewd acts
Girls allege touching at astronomy show
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 02/11/2008 10:40:59 PM PST
ALHAMBRA - Four young girls Monday identified the man accused of touching them inappropriately last month during an astronomy presentation at school.
Daniel Roy Smith, 42, of Fullerton rested his head on one arm as the girls, ages 7 through 11, testified on the witness stand and told a judge that the operator of a portable planetarium touched them briefly during a Jan. 14 presentation in the cafeteria of Washington Elementary School in San Gabriel.
Inside the inflatable planetarium, where the students said they were shown projected images of the cosmos, two girls alleged that Smith briefly touched them on the buttocks.
"He just touched it really quick," said one 11-year-old girl, who was identified in court only using her first name.
She said the incident left her "scared."
"I didn't know what was going to happen," said the girl, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to the five felony counts of lewd conduct toward a child under the age of 14. He was arrested Wednesday.
One 7-year-old girl was the first to testify.
Under oath, she said Smith then reached under her pants to touch her genitals after the presentation, while sitting on a bench with other students.
Smith's lawyer, Serge Kohan, questioned how the alleged molestation could have taken place without several children, who were seated at the table engaging in a Q&A with Smith, knowing
Advertisement
about it. He also asked pointed questions about the child's life at home and said he would call for her Mandarin-speaking mother to testify as a witness.
Another witness said Smith touched her back as she was leaving the enclosed "bubble" where he presented the show.
One 10-year-old said she felt "disgusted" after being fondled.
"I didn't know him, so it felt wrong, and I wasn't expecting it," she said.
Four of the five child witnesses were interviewed during Monday's preliminary hearing. Smith returns to the Alhambra courtroom of Superior Court Judge David Milton on Wednesday to hear from the remaining student and witness.
Hinting at evidence that was not presented Monday, Deputy District Attorney Steven Ipson referred in court to a pair of pants that might be tested for DNA, although he added that "no fluid exchange" was believed to have occurred.
Kohan said further examination of those garments could vindicate his client.
Smith, who has toured hundreds of schools as an employee of Michigan-based Skydome Planetarium, is being held on $1.5 million bail.
todd.ruiz@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4444
www.insidesocal.com/pasadenapolitics
Leave a comment