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Former police officer arrested again

Weatherford Democrat - 5/27/2018

May 25--Former Springtown ISD School Resource Officer Franklin "Frank" Carroll, 41, who's been awaiting trial for more than two years on an allegation of child sexual abuse in Parker County, was arrested again last month, accused of accessing a woman's cellphone without her consent.

Saginaw Police Capt. Russell Ragsdale said police obtained a warrant for Carroll's arrest on April 18 after receiving a report on April 4 that Carroll accessed the cellphone of a woman without her permission.

The woman is not related to him, Ragsdale said.

"Apparently, he made a confession to his boss that he'd donesuch (accessed the woman's phone without her consent)," Ragsdale said.

Carroll turned himself in on a misdemeanor warrant for computer security breach on April 19, according to law enforcement.

Ragsdale declined to provide additional details about the charge Tuesday as the investigation is ongoing.

Carroll was indicted and arrested in February 2016 on a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact involving a Springtown ISD student.

The mother of a teen who has accused of Carroll of sexual abuse expressed frustration by the length of time that the Parker County case has been pending.

"It's been two years and seven months since this all started," the teen's mother said. "And this guy is just running around, living his life."

The Democrat is not naming the woman to avoid identifying a victim of sexual assault.

"My daughter wants it over with," the mother said. "She asks about it all the time."

Assistant District Attorney Jeff Swain, a spokesperson for the Parker County District Attorney's Office, said the case is on target to go to trial in July.

Assistant District Attorney Abby Placke filed a motion Thursday afternoon to have the judge declare Carroll's bond insufficient based on the April arrest.

Carroll has a long history of accusations of inappropriate behavior involving women and girls.

According to records obtained by the Democrat in 2016, police investigated then-Mansfield ISD police officer Carroll in January 2004.

A Mansfield ISD teacher and students reported concerns about the nature of a relationship between Carroll and a female student, pointing to factors such as cellphone calls between the two and Carroll pulling the girl from class.

The investigator found no evidence of a sexual or inappropriate relationship and Carroll was told it was not appropriate to pull students out of class for personal business, according to the department's records.

Another investigation occurred in May and June 2006 about a complaint of official oppression.

A middle school teacher in Mansfield ISD reported that Carroll repeatedly sought a relationship with her and she rebuffed him.

Carroll became physical with her and handcuffed her without her consent on two occasions, according to the woman's account.

"She informed me that she as well as other female teachers went out of their way to stay away from Officer Carroll because of his comments and behavior," the investigating officer wrote.

The teacher told police that "she was concerned about meeting up with Officer Carroll away from the school because she did not know what he was capable of doing to her," according to the officer's report.

Other Mansfield ISD employees witnessed one handcuffing incident in the copy room, including a woman who reported that, "Officer Carroll bent [the teacher] over a trash can and handcuffed her. She believed [the teacher] was tolerating it out of politeness."

Carroll resigned his position during the investigation and the department submitted the case to prosecutors, according to records.

In May 2007, the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office opted not to prosecute the case.

"One of the legal requirements that must be proven in such a prosecution [in a charge of official oppression] is that the defendant was acting in his official capacity at the time of the offense," according to a letter from the district attorney's office, adding that Chief of Pre-trial Services Kurt Stallings determined that "this essential element was absent."

Carroll did not work as a police officer again until he was hired by Springtown Police Department in February 2009, according to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records.

Mansfield ISD records show Carroll signed a statement allowing Springtown police access to his personnel file, including information about the complaints.

"All references checked recommend him for employment," Springtown Police Sgt. Randall Briggs wrote in a background investigation report completed before Carroll's hire at Springtown. "MISD PD stated that he is a 'likable' guy that acted 'immature.'"

"Applicant's reputation is one that reflects favorably in all areas by all references contacted," Briggs wrote of Carroll.

However, the complaints continued after Carroll was hired in Springtown.

In February 2012, a Springtown police officer reported to his supervisor that multiple women had independently approached him and alleged similar stories of sexual harassment and stalking by Carroll.

During the resulting internal investigation, one woman gave a written statement to police that Carroll, while on duty, repeatedly propositioned and harassed her at her workplace and home, attempted to use his position as a police officer to coerce her to perform a sexual favor during a traffic stop, exposed himself to her and physically assaulted her.

A second woman gave a written statement that Carroll began showing up at her house after a traffic stop involving her and would pull her vehicle over "just to talk."

Carroll attempted to kiss her, propositioned her, and jokingly threatened to use his Taser on her, the woman said.

Carroll also repeatedly showed up inside her house uninvited, including before she dressed in the morning, the woman wrote, adding that she began locking her door to keep Carroll out of her home.

Records show a third woman told an investigator that she had consensual sexual contact with Carroll in a patrol vehicle while he was on duty.

Carroll denied the allegations.

Police Chief Ed Crowdis, who has since retired, confirmed that Springtown police did not conduct a criminal investigation separate from the internal affairs investigation into the women's allegations.

Crowdis also confirmed that Springtown police did not forward the allegations of criminal conduct reported to have occurred within the jurisdiction of the Parker County Sheriff's Office to that agency.

"I recommend that Ofc. Carroll receive no disciplinary action and that he be exonerated from all accusations, leaving no negative connotations stemming from these accusations in his personnel file," Lt. Curtis Stone wrote in his internal investigation report.

Months later Carroll received a 1.5 percent merit pay increase and was appointed to the school resource officer position at Springtown ISD.

The husband and father of a Springtown ISD employee and student in November 2012 made a complaint against Carroll, alleging Carroll was harassing the family, according to the department's records.

Carroll was accused of jokingly blaming the school employee of being in possession of marijuana in front of students, pulling the family's daughter out of class and using his cellphone to call the school employee, according to records.

"Ofc. Carroll denied any malevolence," Lt. Curtis Stone wrote, finding that Carroll violated evidence handling procedure regarding the confiscated illegal substance and was inappropriate in singling out the student and calling the school employee on his cellphone. He faced no formal reprimand.

Carroll resigned from Springtown Police Department in October 2015 after a coworker alleged he sexually harassed her, which he denied.

A video recorded by the police department shortly before Carroll resigned shows a woman -- who said Carroll harassed her at work and home, exposed himself and ejaculated in front of her, and physically assaulted her, leaving bruises -- begging then Police Chief Ed Crowdis to do something.

"It's terrifying to know that he is that close to all these children in this town," the woman said about seeing him at the middle school despite her and another woman coming forward in 2012.

"I don't want to pursue a bunch of drama," the woman told Crowdis. "I just want this man to be stopped."

The Parker County grand jury's February 2016 indictment alleges Carroll molested a child under 17 years old around January 2013.

However, Crowdis said the allegations of an inappropriate sexual relationship reported by three students were not reported to the department until after Carroll resigned from the department.

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(c)2018 Weatherford Democrat (Weatherford, Texas)

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