Local News

Texan Convicted For Role In Child Sex Scandal

TYLER (AP) ― An East Texas man was convicted Thursday of grooming children as young as 5 to perform sex shows at a small-town swingers club.

Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly showed no emotion after the verdict was read. Jurors deliberated about two hours before finding him guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity, a conviction that could send him to prison for life.

Prosecutors alleged Kelly was a member of the so-called Mineola Swinger's Club, though the 41-year-old Kelly has testified he is innocent. They contended Kelly helped set up a "kindergarten" where young children learned to dance provocatively. To help perform at the club, prosecutors say the children were given Vicodin-like drugs the adults passed off as "silly pills."

Testimony began Thursday afternoon in the sentencing phase of the trial, during which prosecutors are pushing for a life sentence. Kelly could go to prison anywhere from five years to life.

During closing arguments in the three-week trial Thursday, prosecutor Joe Murphy said the four children had contact with Kelly and each showed signs of sexual abuse. Kelly previously faced allegations of sexual abuse involving a child who is not part of the case.

"Why is it that every child that comes into contact with him is broken?" Murphy asked.

Kelly's defense attorney, Thad Davidson, questioned why the children didn't remember details about the club and why they weren't examined by medical personnel trained to detect sexual abuse.

Davidson also pointed out that the lead investigator had little experience handling sex crimes and contended he didn't conduct a thorough investigation. The investigator was influenced by the woman who brought the original complaint, Davidson said.

"So you got these incredible suggestive, tainted ... interviews. And who takes over the interviews? The woman who has custody of the three children," Davidson said.

Kelly testified during the trial that he has no knowledge of "silly pills" and never made children do any kind of sexual dancing or touched them inappropriately. He said he has never even been to the Mineola Swinger's Club.

Other witnesses called by Kelly's attorneys have said that while swinger parties took place in the building, children were never present.

Margie Cantrell, who has custody of three of the children, sparked the two-year investigation by the Texas Rangers when she reported that her foster children told her of having being forced into sex. The outcry came some 18 months after the abuse was alleged to have happened inside the windowless rooms of the former day care.

Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo were convicted in minutes and sentenced to life in prison in earlier trials. Three other defendants in the case are awaiting trial.

Mineola is about 85 miles east of Dallas.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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