Friday, July 26, 2013

Former South Middle School teacher charged with sex crimes

(Updated)

Charles Dominic Gastel, an eighth grade science teacher at Joplin South Middle School during the 2012-2013 school year, was charged today with sexual exploitation of children, according to documents filed in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

An affidavit signed by Detective Tim Williams of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force indicates Gastel was arrested following an investigation that started with a sexual assault complaint July 15 in Carterville.

From the affidavit:

On July 16, 2013, Deputy Chief John Redden contacted the complaintant and victim, “Jane Doe,” at her home located in Lamar Missouri. In a written statement the victim reported that she had been sexually assaulted on June 28, 2013, by Charles Dominic Gastel. The victim specified that Gastel
directed her to take her clothes off. Gastel then started touching her breasts and vagina. Gastel then inserted his penis into the victim’s vagina despite the victim’s protestations. 

I then spoke with GASTEL’S son who stated that he saw a video on GASTEL’S black laptop computer depicting GASTEL and the victim engaging in sexual intercourse. 

On July 17, 2013, Deputy Chief John Redden along with members of the Children’s Division made contact with Charles Gastel at his home (in Carterville) for an on-sight inspection. After the inspection Gastel agreed to an interview at the Joplin Police Department. Gastel was advised of and waived his Miranda rights prior to the interview. During the interview, I told him that his son saw an incriminating video recording on his laptop. Gastel said there were not any videos on his laptop. I then asked if I had consent to take his laptop and have it searched by forensic technicians. He replied he wanted to talk to a lawyer because there were things on his computer that would end his teaching career. I then took him into custody and transported him to the Jasper County Jail. 

On July 18, 2013, Deputy Chief Redden applied for and received a search warrant for the house (in Carterville), to seize digital media, including computers. Investigators seized multiple computers, an X box video console, 3 Sony PlayStation 3 consoles, three cellular telephones, a Sony video recorder, an Olympus Camera, and multiple DVDs and CDs containing videos and pictures. 

On July 25, 2013, I performed a forensic preview of the optical media disks collected during the search warrant. While examining the optical media disks, several video files were located as well as image files of suspected child pornography. The images and videos contained depictions of sexual assault being conducted on “Jane Doe” by Gastel. The abuse included vaginal sexual intercourse, and the use of sexual toys to vaginally penetrate “Jane Doe.” 

On July 25, 2013, I interviewed “Jane Doe” again. “Jane Doe” stated the videos depicting her engaged in the aforementioned sexual conduct, were created by Gastel when she was 16 years of age. The victim stated Gastel used a digital video recorder, which was collected in the search warrant, set up at the end of the bed on a tripod to record the sexual acts. “Jane Doe” reported that Gastel made two to 
three videos when she was 16 years of age. “Jane Doe” further reported that Gastel began engaging in sexual acts with her when she was ten years old.

Gastel taught one year in the Joplin R-8 School District, according to Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education records and reportedly had left the school district for another teaching job.


9 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:11 PM

    A 2012 graduate of MSSU?

    "Gastel, Charles Dominic
    BSE, Teacher Educ. – Elem Ed. Soc. Studies
    Carterville"

    http://www.mssu.edu/news/2012/may/honors-grads-spring-2012.php


    "Consent Agenda
    Minutes - April 24, 2012 and May 10, 2012
    Employments
    – Laura Davied, Katie Gronberg, Bobbie Hoag, Julie Humbyrd, Laura Johns, Jana Johnson, Catherine McCombs, Katie Millard, Stacy Pinnell, Ashley Clouse, Amanada Cole, Julie Forst, Mandi Gash, Charles Gastel, Maggie Johnson, Heather Taylor, Gayle Hennessey"

    http://www.joplinschools.org/cms/lib07/MO01909954/Centricity/Domain/463/05_May_29_2012_Regular_Session_Minutes.pdf

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  2. Anonymous3:22 PM

    No resignation recorded in the school board minutes after repeated searches for the word Gastel. His employment is found in the board minutes minutes by this method (see previous comment with link).

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  3. That is disgusting! He was my teacher!

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  4. Anonymous11:39 PM

    Is this real? Im creeped out now he was my home teacher (Gage)

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  5. Anonymous11:46 PM

    WOW, REALLY??? (Gage)

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  6. Anonymous6:44 AM

    He was one of my favorite teachers! But I always thought there was something odd about him!

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  7. Anonymous9:40 AM

    I honestly am somewhat surprised, somewhat not. He was always kind of an odd guy, and there was rumors going around about him at school.

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  8. Anonymous12:44 PM

    My child adored this man. He was one of his favorite teachers. I heard this man's name every single night at my dinner table for all of last school year. Mr. Gastel made my kid excited about learning and as a result had the the trust of my family. My gut reaction was to hope he had been wrongly accused. It doesn't seem very likely that he is innocent of these charges. I cried. I feel betrayed and heart broken. My son is having a hard time identifying his feelings about this. It's hard to learn someone you liked is in fact a predator. Knowing he hurt a child on purpose is very upsetting. Mr. Gastel sometimes brought his deaf child to school with him and inspired an a desire to learn American Sign Language in my son and several of his peers. My son was so anxious to gain Mr. Gastel's approval during this last Science Fair. I am absolutely stunned by this news.

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  9. Anonymous3:12 PM

    This is beyond disgusting.
    You won't find the resignation in minutes because the published minutes this year have not included resignations, retirements or anything about teachers leaving.
    12:44--I'm SO sorry for how much this has hurt you, your son and many others (especially that girl!). Good people do bad things sometimes (he's not in this category) and bad people do good things sometimes (he IS in this category). That's why it's hard to tell who is who. I hope that what he has done will not be what is remembered most. I hope that everyone will continue to enjoy their interests without associating them with this awful excuse for a "man".
    We have been betrayed but we can do the right things and move on and help everyone heal.

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