Prosecutors amend complaint against former mental hospital director to include other alleged victims [Updated]

Prosecutors have amended the criminal complaint against a former state mental hospital director accused of molesting his adopted son to allow alleged victims outside the statute of limitations to testify against him.

In the amended complaint filed Thursday, prosecutors said Claude Edward Foulk, the former executive director of Napa State Hospital, molested a different boy, a "foster son," from the age of 9 to 21 from 1973 to 1985. They claimed he also allegedly molested the foster son's 10- or 11-year-old friend, and another friend of a foster child in 1977.

Foulk is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles County court Friday on charges he molested his adopted son. Prosecutors amended the complaint so that the other alleged victims could possibly testify against Foulk in proceedings regarding his adopted son.

In the amended complaint, L.A. County prosecutors also claim Foulk masturbated in the presence of two boys, ages 14 and 15, who were friends of Foulk's foster child.

Foulk, 62, was arrested after a lengthy investigation into alleged molestations in Southern California and Northern California.

[Updated at 11:43 a.m.: Foulk pleaded not guilty Friday to 35 felony charges of child molestation involving his adopted son and was ordered held in lieu of $3.5 million.

A Long Beach Superior Court judge rejected a defense attorney's request to reduce Foulk's bail to $500,000, and the judge approved a request from the state medical board to suspend Foulk's license to practice nursing. A March 12 preliminary hearing date was set for the molestation charges.]

L.A. County prosecutors have charged Foulk with 35 felony counts, including 22 counts of forcible oral copulation and 11 counts of sodomy by use of force. Authorities said they have evidence Foulk molested at least five children all under 14, including foster children in his care.

They said the statute of limitations in the other cases had expired. The incidents occurred between 1975 and 2004 in Long Beach and 2004 to 2006 in a Sacramento suburb. Hours after his arrest Wednesday, state officials announced that they had terminated Foulk's employment as the director of a hospital that houses mentally ill criminals.

According to Long Beach Police Cmdr. Jeff Johnson, investigators began building their case in September when one of Foulk's former foster children contacted them with details about abuse he allegedly suffered decades earlier.

The man, who is now in his 40s, came forward after learning that Foulk was heading the hospital, authorities said. Detectives believe that Foulk used his position working at mental hospitals in Southern California to make connections with children.

Johnson said Foulk also came into contact with alleged victims who lived in his neighborhood. Detectives said Foulk met some of his alleged victims as far back as 1975. Johnson said most of the alleged incidents occurred before 1988, which is the cutoff under the statute of limitations.

The charges filed this week involve his adopted son, now in his mid-20s, who alleges Foulk molested him from 1992 to 2006. Some employees at Napa State Hospital said they were concerned because Foulk lived in a house on the grounds next to a day-care center.

The charges do not include allegations of molestation at the Napa hospital, but Long Beach police said they believe there may be more victims in L.A. County and Northern California.

Prosecutors said that Foulk could have molested as many as 13 children dating back as far as 1965. Since Foulk's arrest on Wednesday, four more people have come forward with new allegations that Long Beach police detectives are reviewing.

-- Richard Winton

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Comments

[Tornadoes28]

I hope he enjoys his life among his soon to be friends in the general prison population. I hear they love child molesters.

[Emile Zola]

If he had been a priest, he would have been convicted already and the catholic church would have had to pay millions of dollars, but since he represents the state, then the state, schools are not liable. What is wrong with this picture? Plenty. In every organization, from BSA to judges, policemen, laic and secular all have these type of individuals and they get to fade into the sunset- as a figure of speech-, but the catholic church is the only that pays for the dirty dishes. That is not justice, that is pedophile money chasing. And how about the so called "victims?". It is clear that many, if not all, went for seconds, thirds and more and never complained. Is somebody looking for a retirement rainbow in the horizon? Your guess ia as good as mine. This hypocrisy to the nth degree, not justice. Justice is supposed to be blind, not peek under the blindfold.

[t money]

@ emile Z. these KIDS were victims of this monster. they did not "go" for seconds. he preyed on kids who probably had no one to turn to. they were in foster care after all.

your defense of the church/religious molestors is dispicable. all molestors, be they religious or not, should have to face the law. in this situation this monster was not an agent of anyone but himself. the difference with many priests is that the church knew what they were doin and moved them around. no one knew what this guy was doing. no one covered for him.

you really have a warped sense of reality and justice.

[mycomment]

here's the difference, emile:

once the state received the report of abuse, they opened an investigation resulting in these charges;

the catholic church protected the pedophiles among them, and hid and/or lied about the accusations, threatening children and their families, relocating the pedophiles among them to other parishes where they could continue their abuse anew. the financial reparations they have paid don't begin to cover the suffering those pedophiles caused.

get it?

[PadrePete]

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"!
What is being failed to communicate is that this guy is also a HOMOSEXUAL predator pedophile. Why is it that the obvious in these types of cases is always avoided mention?
It's clear that such crimes of out-of-control same-sex driven aggression, either by premeditation or indirectly, becomes a ripe platform of homosexual recruitment. Of course this notion is governed by the law of averages, as not all of those molested become practicing homos. However, in every case the psychological damage is devastating and permanent. But whatever, the mere mention that this bum committed a homosexual crime remains off the polite PC record. Surely such publicity damages the intended long-term "gay" 'agenda'.
Understand, I do not ignore the crimes of the ‘other’ pedophile (opposite sex based) as these crimes are equally repugnant. But society needs to ask itself; "Should we just do away completely with the lid that somewhat covered Pandora’s Box prior to the sixties?" This question certainly wraps around many of the present Prop 8 type questions testing society's moral limits, if such a limit anymore exists.
This filthy pedophile edifies the rampant failure and degradation of civilization, and any possible hope for the human to example a far loftier potential. This guy’s crime amplifies society’s PC failure to face the truth and act decisively. Allowing such people like him to even exist is a public codification of his crime.
Prison has failed to remedy these monsters; psychiatry has admitted failure which leaves us one final answer; give this dirt a fast trial, faster appeal and even swifter death. No one has the right to gamble with an innocent Childs future.

[VoiceOfReason]

PadrePete, you are a bigoted idiot. The vast majority of men who molest boys are heterosexual. Gay men do not "recruit" by molesting children. Being molested does not make someone gay; the vast majority of boys molested by men grow up to be heterosexual. The "gay agenda" idea, promoted by the religious right, is nonsense and none of the goals of the gay community include molesting or "recruiting" children. Rather, the goals include achieving the recognition and civil rights they deserve as human beings.

Pedophilia is a separate issue, and yes, if convicted, he should face the punishment he deserves.

[tersa Bugarin]

sept 10-2010 my name teresa i have relative in the san bernarnino ca area he is a patient at patton mental state hospital since 2004 i call talk to him almost everyday he complain meny times about dental care the dentist and staff routining ignore his dental problem then he develope serious root canal problem that absolutely became uncomfortable and painful to bare with his everyday daily activities the dentist waited to lone the root canal had to come out soon it was infected on oct 31-2009 doctor daniel y lee attempted surgery doctor realize the root canal was to deep to reach and he cut 3 main artury inside my relative right cheek and his lip he underwent heavy serious bleeding the doctor did not give him a shot for his pain he only gave ice pack and refuse to call for help right away my relative almost dided now doctor daniel y lee refuse to correct the damage he cause to my relative right indside cheek he is numb cant feel anything he has to walk with his shoulder close up to his shoulder for support and doctor lee and patton hospital gets 3.1million dollars every year said it cost to much to fix it i call attorneys all over los angeles ca area they will not take the case they said because it happen 2009 and said this to me good luck to this day doctor lee still refuse to give my relative medication for pain if you have any ideas email me teresa