"Stand Up for Kids" Founder Richard Koca Charged with Child Sexual Assault

[MuffyBee]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/standup-kids-founder-arrested-child-sex-assault/story?id=17263199#.UFoYsK7BnIU
StandUp for Kids Founder Charged With Child Sex Assault
September 19, 2012

 The founder of a national charity for at-risk youth has been charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a child over a three year period.

Richard Koca, Sr., 69, was charged in Aurora, Colo., last week in connection with the child sexual assault case, according to ABC News station KMGH.

Court documents state that Koca faces seven felony charges of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust that began in August 2009 and continued until August 2012. The document describes his behavior as a "pattern of abuse," according to KMGH.

The charges against Koca were "suppressed," or sealed, by court order on Monday after KMGH's report. The Arapahoe County district attorney would not comment on the charges.

The Aurora police department told KMGH that investigators are preparing for the possibility that more potential victims could come forwarding the case.

 Koca, who lives in Aurora, founded the national non-profit StandUp For Kids, which aims to help homeless youth around the country. The organization's website was no longer accessible online today, and calls to the headquarters went unreturned.

An old version of the organization's website included a message from Koca, who founded the organization in 1990. In the message, Koca condemns child abuse and outlines the mission of the organization, which is to offer resources to homeless youth.
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Koca is being held in Arapahoe County jail on $250,000 bond until his next court appearance, on Sept. 21, at 10:30 a.m. He is being represented by the public defender's office, which did not return ABC News' calls for comment.

[MuffyBee]

http://kdvr.com/2012/09/18/stand-up-for-kids-founder-arrested-for-sex-assault-on-child/
‘Stand up for Kids’ founder arrested for sex assault on child
September 18, 2012

AURORA, Colo. — The founder of a non-profit group that has worked with homeless children in 37 cities for over two decades has been arrested in Aurora on charges of sexual assault on a child.

The Aurora Police Department confirmed Tuesday that Richard Koca, Sr., who founded “Stand up for Kids” in 1990, was taken into custody on Sept. 15, after an investigation that began on Aug. 29. Authorities said over that period of time, they built a case that alleges Koca was committing felony sexual assault on a child he was supervising in Aurora.

Koca is being charged with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust for partaking in what police are calling a pattern of sexual abuse that spanned three years, beginning in Aug. 2009. The 69-year-old is being held on $250,000 bond.

Considering the reach of Koca’s non-profit organization and his extensive personal travel, authorities are concerned this may not be the first or only time Koca has engaged in an inappropriate sexual act with a child.

Aside from founding “Stand up for Kids,” Koca is currently a board member for the non-profit organization, which claims to be working with at-risk homeless youth populations in 37 cities. Koca is a retired naval officer who has either been stationed in or visited five countries outside the U.S. He has also spent time in San Diego, Houston and Atlanta in addition to Aurora.

According to authorities, Koca spent time as a Scout Master during his time in Panama and volunteered for an orphanage during his time in England.
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See two videos at link.

[MuffyBee]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/19/13963501-founder-of-standup-for-kids-arrested-on-child-sexual-assault-charges?lite
Founder of StandUp for Kids arrested on child sexual assault charges
September 19, 2012

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Aurora police began investigating Koca Aug. 29. He's currently being held in the Arapahoe County Jail on $250,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, The Sentinel said.
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Court records indicate a pattern of alleged abuse began in August 2009 and continued into 2012, TheDenverChannel.com reported. Koca faces seven felony counts of sexual assault on a single juvenile victim.

With Koca's extensive ties to children -- he was a Scout Master for Boy Scouts of America in Panama, volunteered at an English orphanage, and was involved in Explorer scout programs in California -- officials are encouraging any other possible victims to come forward.

"He placed himself in situations where there were youth around with the façade that he was doing good," Aurora Sgt. Cassidee Carlson said, reported TheDenverChannel.com.

Koca served in the Navy for 30 years, working with children in various places across the U.S. and overseas during his military career as well, The Aurora Sentinel said. He has continued to serve on the board of directors of StandUp for Kids since he retired from his position as CEO.

[MuffyBee]

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/19/justice/colorado-child-advocate-abuse/index.html
Advocate for homeless children charged with sex abuse
September 19, 2012

CNN) -- The founder of a national charity to help homeless children has been accused of sexually abusing a minor he was supervising, police in Aurora, Colorado, said.

And investigators said they're concerned Richard Lee Koca Sr. may have abused other children during his decades of work with nonprofits serving children, from the Boy Scouts to his own StandUp for Kids.

Koca, 69, is accused of one count of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, according to a police statement Monday. He was arrested Saturday in an investigation that began in late August, police said.

Police did not say whether the child was part of Koca's StandUp for Kids charity or elaborate on the circumstances of the alleged abuse.

Koca was being held Tuesday in lieu of $250,000 bond at the Arapahoe County jail, according to jail records. He is scheduled to appear in Arapahoe County District Court on Friday.
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The StandUp for Kids website is not active, but according to copies of the website maintained by Google and the Internet Archive website, Koca founded the organization in 1990 when he arrived in San Diego.

He was on its board of directors until Monday when the group learned of the charges, interim director Justine Madison said in a statement Tuesday.

Madison said the group was aware of the arrest but had no information about the accusations. The group has not been contacted by police, Madison said in the statement.

Koca retired as the group's CEO in 2010, according to the statement.

In a "Founder's Message" on archived copies of the website maintained by Google and the Internet Archive, Koca apparently wrote about the risks of sexual exploitation of homeless children,.

"We know first hand that once on the streets, young people are at even higher risk of being physically and/or sexually victimized, of self-medicating with drugs or alcohol to reduce emotional pain," Koca apparently wrote. "Some even attempt suicide and often engage in act of 'survival' sex to meet their need for food, shelter, and clothing."

According to the group's 2010 tax filings, StandUp for Kids provided food, clothing, showers, transportation and other services to more than 15,000 children through a network of drop-in centers, alternative schools and street outreach programs.

It claimed total revenue of $1.7 million in 2010, the last year for which tax records are available online.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2205366/StandUp-Kids-founder-69-arrested-child-sex-assault-charges.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
StandUp for Kids founder, 69, arrested on child sex assault charges

September 19, 2012

    Richard Koca Sr faces seven felony counts of sexual assault on a child
    Charges so far relate to a single victim
    Concerns there may be many more victims as Koca's extensive contact with juveniles goes back decades
    Koca retired as charity's CEO in 2010, but continued to serve on board of directors until his arrest

Richard Koca, 69, faces seven felony counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust involving a pattern of abuse