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Hi - I’m Reed. I am an experienced attorney licensed to practice law in Missouri and Kansas. I am an advocate for each and every client and my passion is representing and fighting for victims of child abuse. My team and I are ready to help you.
As reported by the Springfield News-Leader, a fifth school employee has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse while employed at the Agape Boarding School located at 12998 E 1400 Rd, Stockton, MO 65785.
On December 28, 2021, the Agape Boarding School physician, 57-year-old Dr. David E. Smock, was arrested. Despite a warrant being issued for Stock's arrest the prior week due in Missouri, he was caught by law enforcement in Arkansas.
Smock has recently been charged with eight new sex crime felonies in addition to three earlier felony charges. The new charges include:
According to The Daily Beast, the private Christian school doctor has been accused of having a sexual relationship with one of the students. The report claimed Smock gave the underage boy presents and took him on personal trips. The investigation further stated that at a point in time, the boy moved into Smock's home, where the school employee sexually abused him.
Smock provided medical treatment for a few of the boys in his home. This treatment often included injuries sustained from sexual abuse at the hand of other school employees. The accusations claim Stock covered up the abuse instead of reporting it as he was supposed to by law.
Smock makes the fifth boarding school employee arrested on abuse charges since the investigation on the Agape Boarding School began.
To learn more about the ongoing abuse at the Agape Boarding School: https://abuseguardian.com/
Smock, the Christian boarding school doctor, is now facing new allegations of sexually assaulting many boys at the Christian boarding school. He has been jailed in the Greene County Jail since January 5 for a number of felony child sex offenses. Smock now faces four additional charges, bringing his total to fifteen. Two of them have ties to the second victim, while the other two have ties to the first. One of the new charges is first-degree statutory sodomy. Smock is accused of forcing the first victim to expose his genitals in order to arouse the defendant's sexual urge.
Since the initial victim came forward, additional "young boys have come forward and made similar claims," stated one of the Greene County prosecutors.
Attorney Reed Martens of Monsees & Mayer P.C. represents several former students filing lawsuits against the Agape Boarding School. He has offered some information about the legal options available to boarding school sexual assault victims.
"While several of the former students of the Agape Boarding School have made accusations against the school's faculty of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, it is common for more there to be more victims. Our team of caring abuse lawyers understands how hard it may be for a victim to come forward. We want you to know you are not alone."
"Boarding schools, like Agape Boarding School, have a duty to provide their students a safe and secure environment, free of abuse. When a school fails to offer basic security measures such as security monitoring cameras and background checks, they can and should be held liable for their neglect. Many times negligent security allows abuse, such as sexual abuse, to occur."
"If students and their families cannot rely on staff to report misconduct, the school can be deemed negligent and held liable in a civil lawsuit. Justice should be served for staff members that cover up abuse by other employees."
If you or your child was a victim of sexual abuse during their time at Agape Boarding School or another boarding school, our team could help you find an experienced boarding school abuse attorney today. Victims of boarding school abuse should know they have legal rights to seek justice, including financial compensation.
