Shernon James molests a 15-year-old Ukrainian foreign exchange student

[Sister Iroz]

A 15-year-old Ukrainian foreign exchange student is expected to be placed with another host after his sponsor allegedly fondled him.

The man, Shernon James, 27, of Naples is now in the Osceola County Jail facing two charges, one for lewd and lascivious molestation of a 12- to 15-year-old and distributing obscene material to a minor.

The complaint was called in Monday, according to Twist Lizasuain, spokeswoman for the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

James and the victim, who had arrived to the U.S. a week before, had been staying at the Omni Hotel in Kissimee visiting the area, while going to theme parks. The two stayed in the same room, in the same bed and the teen reportedly woke up to James touching him inappropriately, Lizasuain said. The encounter lasted 90 minutes; the student reported it to officials a couple of days later.

The second charge was due to James allegedly showing the student nude photos of himself on his cell phone camera.

“It’s an odd situation because normally these students are placed with a mother and father,” she said. “But, in this case, apparently he (the teen) was staying with James and a female roommate in Naples.”

The company, which remains unnamed, plans to place the teen with a new family.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20.../90811073/1075

KISSIMMEE - The sponsor of a foreign exchange student from Ukrania has been charged with molesting the 15-year-old during a visit to Osceola County.

Shernon James of Naples was arrested late Monday after the student complained his host had been fondling him while he slept in a room at the Omni Hotel on Masters Boulevard, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

The teen, who had intended to live with James' family this school year, told investigators that James took nude pictures of himself with a cell phone and showed the teen the pictures, the agency wrote.

The investigation began Monday. James, 27, was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a 12- to 15-year- old victim and distributing obscene material to a minor. He remained held in the Osceola County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail on both counts.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,3677046.story

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Ewwww! And to make it more eeewwww!

His former boss knew it was just a matter of time before Shernon James would get arrested again.

So Kevin Smith, who owns a local talent agency, wasn’t shocked to hear James, who was sponsoring a Ukranian foreign exchange student, has been charged with molesting the 15-year-old boy during a visit to Kissimmee.

“I’m surprised that it has taken him this long,” Smith said Wednesday, adding that James knows all the ways to work the system to his advantage. “But eventually, he would get caught.”
[...]

In March 2006, James was acquitted of 10 counts of possessing child porn after a Collier Circuit jury heard testimony that four other employees of a local talent agency, which fired him, had access to his computer, not just him. Collier Sheriff’s detectives testified he admitted downloading the porn — obscene photos of young boys — but because it wasn’t a taped confession, he denied that and jurors found him not guilty. His criminal record was then expunged.

“I feel very bad for the Ukranian family. ... He is sick,” Smith said of James, adding that he’d heard James volunteers as a youth coach and Big Brother.

According to his Web site, shernonjames.com, James works as a disc jockey, a computer professional, owns several businesses, and is a “big brother (to many).”

Michele Guptill, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida, said James was currently not a Big Brother, but had applied to volunteer. She couldn’t confirm whether he had been accepted.
[...]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/...lesting-excha/

James' neighbors say he is around children a lot.

"He's always playing with my kids and other kids and riding their bikes," says neighbor Lorraine Cruz. "it's a little shocking and devastating to know my child was playing around here with someone like that."

We also found out that James is a coach of a teenage basketball team at the YMCA in Collier County, but he is not an employee there. The YMCA says James will not be allowed back on their property.

http://www.winknews.com/news/top/53067692.html

[BluLobster]

I wonder if they do background checks for these exchange programs? And if so, how good they are? I know colleges and universities are usually fairly thorough for study abroad host families, but I have no idea about high school programs.

I mean, the guy was acquitted for his previous crime and his record was expunged, so that wouldn't have helped in this case. But still, this case opens up a lot of questions about the vulnerability of exchange students. Kind of freaks me out.

[Misskittychaos]

I wonder if they do background checks for these exchange programs? And if so, how good they are? I know colleges and universities are usually fairly thorough for study abroad host families, but I have no idea about high school programs.

We ended up with two summer exchange kids once, Pauline(French) and Helena(Spanish) and before two long we had a third for a few days b/c come to find out they placed her with HORRIBLE people. They never even did a home visit and sent some of these kids to live in falling down trailers with a family of 5 or more who were usually looking for babysitters...it's scary what situations these kids get placed in.

We never even had to fill anything out for our Spanish exchange student actually. My stepmom got a frantic phone call saying they had a group of 45 kids and only 20 homes lined up. Helena's parents didn't even have a contact number for her!

So from my experience not all of these programs take much in the way of precaution to protect these kids.