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Apr 29, 2008 6:15 am US/Eastern
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Phys. Ed. Teacher Arrested For Sexual Child Abuse
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) ―
Police say an elementary school teacher forced a 12-year-old to perform a series of heinous acts in his Towson home for years. Now, police are searching for more victims.
Mary Bubala has the latest on what else officers uncovered.
Police say they believe there is a strong possibility there are more young victims out there and they are urging them to come forward.
Baltimore County Police are working to get the picture of 42-year-old Timothy Rhodes out to parents and students. Rhodes is accused of sexually abusing and assaulting a 12-year-old girl dozens of times at his home over a two-year period while working as a physical education teacher at Pleasant Plains Elementary.
"It's disheartening. I mean, you want to think your child is safe when they come to school," said Jennifer Schuh.
According to investigators, Rhodes touched the young girl in "personal places," engaged in oral sex with her and showed her pornographic videos to instruct her on sexual acts he desired.
Timothy Rhodes and his wife regularly babysat the 12-year-old girl at their home while her mother attended night classes, but police believe Rhodes would wait until his wife left the house to go to work, then begin abusing the girl.
"When the victim would go to sleep, it would be at that point that he would go in and sexually abuse her," Cpl.Mike Hill with Baltimore County Police said.
In the community where Rhodes lives and teaches, parents and neighbors are shaken.
"I thought it would be wholesome living across from a school, but apparently not," said Alice Kelley.
"As a parent, that's not easy to say but you do have to respect them and let it unfold and let the police do their job," said Maryanne Maranto.
Now investigators say the girl may not be his only victim.
"Either around the neighborhood, I don't know whether he coached any teams or anything, but there could be a possibility of abuse from other positions he may have held," Hill said.
Rhodes is charged with sex abuse of a minor, second-degree child abuse, second-degree assault and third-degree sex offense. He is free on bail.
Timothy Rhodes was unavailable for comment.
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