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Embattled Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is fending off new allegations -- this time from his sister.
An embattled Arizona sheriff who earlier denied he threatened to deport his ex-lover to Mexico is fending off new allegations – this time from his sister, who claims he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student from a Massachusetts boarding school he once ran.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeau, who is running for Congress in Arizona's 4th Congressional District, denies the allegations made by Lucy Babeau, and his camp is questioning her mental stability.
In a story broadcast Sunday, Lucy Babeau told ABC15 that her brother had an inappropriate relationship with a male student at the DeSisto School, a private boarding school for troubled teens in Stockbridge, Mass., while Paul Babeau directed the school. Babeau was executive director and headmaster of DeSisto from 1999 to 2001.
Lucy Babeu told the ABC15 she confronted her brother after finding a teen student from the school living with him.
“I said, ‘What is this student from DeSisto doing here?’ He says, ‘Lucy, he's my boyfriend. I love him.'" At the time, the student was 17, which is above the legal age of consent in Massachusetts, according to ABC15.
The story also said physical and sexual abuse occurred at the school under Babeau’s stewardship. The TV station cited former students and state records as saying the school used controversial disciplinary methods, including forcing misbehaving students to strip down and wear nothing but a sheet or to sit facing the wall for hours.
Babeu declined an on-camera interview, but his spokesman sent ABC15 this statement:
"DeSisto Private School's mission was to save troubled, yet talented youth in a therapeutic environment. The Sheriff served three years and was recognized for helping restore financial stability of the school. He was never the target of any investigation or lawsuit. Sheriff Babeu is a recognized leader for Victim's Rights."
On Tuesday, Babeau’s campaign launched a counterattack against his sister. The Rose Law Group, which has supported Babeau, put out a two-page dossier detailing what it said was Lucy Babeau’s medical history and alleged behavioral problems, The Arizona Star reported. It also distributed a letter from the former teen at DeSoto. In it, he denies having had “any inappropriate sexual relationship” with Babeau.
Lucy Babeau, reached at her home in North Adams, Mass., called the dossier “slanderous” and said several portions were false.
Sheriff Babeau, known for his tough stance against illegal immigration, made national headlines in mid-February after the Phoenix New Times published an article in which a man claimed the sheriff threatened him with deportation for refusing to promise never to disclose their years-long relationship.
Babeau held a press conference and acknowledged he is gay but denied the allegations of misconduct against him. Babeau also resigned as Arizona co-chairman of Mitt Romney’s GOP presidential campaign.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
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It's just strange that he was upfront in taking others freedom away because he figures he was born in America. He has similar shortcomings as do all human beings. We are not better than each other whether it is a murderer, gay, thief, pedophile, rapist, communist, illegal alien,etc. We all have our demons yet we pretend to be better than others. HYPOCRITES.
So you put gays and illigal aliens in the same class as pedophiles, murders, rapist and thieves?
Sorry. In my opinion, I am better than a rapeing, thieving murderer. I'm not sure about you.
As dysfunctional as my family is - we would never seek revenge publicly
oh,wait. Cancel that - I've got 2 sisters that would jump on that bandwagon in a heartbeat.
it always amazes me how "separation of church and state" afficionados walk right into it, without even realizing it. Many of our laws come directly out of the Jewish.....Bible. Yes, I know that chaps your butt, but that's the way it is. You refuse to see the hypocrisy in your actions. You benefit individually from those laws as our society enforces them, and punishes dissenters.
You benefit from moral absolutes, yet decry their existence. It's all "relative morality now" Show me a relative murder and I'll show you a relative that was murdered....a beloved family membe no longer with us.
It doesn't seem like it's inappropiate if the legal age is met. Sounds like the sister has her own axe to grind against her brother 9probably a religious nut) and is using this opprutunity to do so. How lovely for her.
leroy2112
Unfortunately, Leroy, it's not that simple. Gay men like having sex in public parks, restrooms of public buildings....any place they can get away with it. Police have to set up sting operations to curtail it. There is something wrong with this picture. And don't play the two wrongs make it right argument. Yes I know heterosexual couples have sex outdoors, but never as brazenly as the gays - In broad daylight, in the bushes, in the bathroom stalls. It hits the news all the time. It has become a plague in our society. Children can walk right in on them at a public park.
You are aware that only a small percentage of gays get involved in public sex. It is not a required activity for gay men or women. Regardless, what does that have to do with this article? Babeu is not being accused of public sex.
So, the whole argument of "what we do in our own bedroom is our business" is a bunch of crap. In gay pride parades, there is mock copulation going on, just very deviant behavior (which means out of the norm). Since when do heterosexuals march in heterosexual pride parades?
If you were so proud of your lifestyle, why don't you make arrangements with your local police and man your posts at a local public park and start reporting license plate numbers of the gays looking for sex in public parks? Certainly you would not approve of that behavior would you?
And that poses another question....why don't I see lesbians at public parks being arrested for lewd behavior? I'll tell you why...because it's just plain sick for anybody to be pursuing sex in public parks. Period!
Have you ever heard of Mardi Gras? There is plenty of that behavior you describe going on involving heterosexuals. As far as heterosexual pride parades go, how about the St. Patrick's Day parade. In many cities, the organizers of St. Patrick's Day parades refuse to allow homosexuals to take part in the parade. Therefore, it is a heterosexuals only parade celebrating Irish pride.
Sorry, but I have better things to do than to monitor what goes on in parks.
Yes, the father is a Senator from Idaho.
Sometimes it takes alittle time to talk. With all the recent exposure the sister might have gained the strength to come forward. Maybe he threatened her too? Could be just the family secret. I see no benefit to her for exposing her brother. His actions are already questionable. Law officers or any public servant should not have online dating accounts. Heck even general public applying for jobs are sometimes denied a job for this reason. Sounds like he should resign and go live happily in paradise.
Amazing, he (the sheriff) met this kid when he was 17 going to this school. He (the sheriff) was one of many that were in charge. That makes him a kiddie-diddler, plain and simple. That goes in the same line as teachers having sex with students. anyway you look at it, its being a pedophile.