In this post, we will be examining the testimony of Elizabeth Webster. She works for the Department of Human Services and was one of the agents who took the sexual abuse victim out of Midwest Academy. We will go over some of the highlights and link to the full testimony below.
They heard about the allegations due to two phone calls to DHS. It was decided that they would have a one-hour response time to the compliant by management.
A. A supervisor called me and advised that we had received allegations on a student at Midwest Academy. They were sexual abuse in nature, and that the intake was assigned a one-hour response time.
Some of the Traniacs previously claimed that Midwest Academy called DHS first and then Cheyenne did. The below testimony excerpt shows that Cheyenne’s call came in first. As Cheyenne previously testified, she made the call from the Midwest Academy parking lot as she was about to walk into her meeting with management. As soon as she walked into her meeting, she let them know she had contacted DHS. Approximately 40 minutes later, Jane Ritter – the third person in the meeting with Cheyenne – made a call to DHS. One has to wonder if they would have called DHS if Cheyenne hadn’t have called first. We know from an email sent to Ben Trane from the victim’s parents that Midwest Academy knew about the allegations for at least 6 days before it was reported to authorities and they were “conducting an internal investigation” so it’s definitely questionable.
Q. Because of the circumstances of this case, you are of the understanding that you are allowed to provide the information about the times they called in; correct?
A. That’s my understanding, correct.
Q. So who made the first call to DHS?
A. Cheyenne Jerred.
Q. What time did she call?
A. 3:06 p.m.
Q. Was that on December 1st?
A. Correct.
Q. Who made the second call?
A. Jane Riter.
Q. And what was your understanding of who Jane Riter was?
A. A counselor or therapist at the facility.
Q. What time was that call made?
A. 3:58 p.m.
Q. So you reviewed these intake sheets. What do you do then?
A. I consulted with supervisory level and also with the County Attorney’s Office regarding concerns for the child’s safety.
Q. Then what?
A. The County Attorney consulted with the judge who issued an order of removal of [sexual abuse victim] from the facility.
Q. So did you go get her?
A. I did. I went with two uniformed deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department to Midwest Academy.
Q. When you arrived at the academy, were you met by anyone?
A. Yes. I believe Mike Davis and Devon Dade were in the foyer area of the facility.
Q. And where was [sexual abuse victim]?
A. We were taken to what appeared to be kind of a bedroom area. There were several bunk beds and female students in the room, and she was also in that room.
Q. You escorted her out then?
A. I did.
Q. About what time was this?
A. Around 6:30 p.m.
According to Elizabeth’s testimony, it’s common for sexual abuse victims to take time to disclose acts of sexual conduct and that more will come out over time.
Q. In your training and experience, is it normal for someone who is disclosing acts of sexual contact and is younger, is that normal that it sometimes does take them time to disclose?
A. Yes. Every person is different.
Q. In your training and experience, is it unusual in sexual abuse cases that information comes out over time?
A. I don’t think that’s unusual. That’s common.
When the DHS workers came back to the academy on December 4th, they spoke to Ben and he said he would immediately remove himself from any contact with the girls on the girls wing until the investigation was completed. He maintained he would cut off all contact with the girls. 18 days later, he was observed with female students in Victoria’s Secret in Quincy, IL by another DHS worker.
Q. All right. Let’s talk about December 4, 2015. You returned to Midwest Academy that day; correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Why?
A. To retrieve some of [sexual abuse victim]’s belongings for her.
Q. Who met you?
A. When we arrived, Ben Trane was in the driveway area.
Q. Can you describe to us what happened there?
A. I was with Stacy Weber from the Sheriff’s Department. We advised Ben that we needed to gather some of [sexual abuse victim]’s belongings. He asked to speak with us, and we let him know we were just there to gather belongings and did not need to speak with him that day. He then took us in to get some of her belongings and took us into an office. And while someone else retrieved her items, Ben continued to talk with us.
Q. What did he want to talk to you about?
A. He said that he just wanted some information on how he should proceed with the allegations. He said that typically if an allegation had been made in front of the staff members that he would ask that staff member not to have contact with the individual. And so he said that he was not having contact with the girls on the wing, and that he had removed himself from that.
Q. So in that meeting he told you that he had completely removed himself from any contact with any of the girls?
A. With any female students, yes.
Q. Did he say anything about [sexual abuse victim], about being alone with her?
A. He said that he had not been alone with her, and he was glad there had not been any opportunity for those things to have occurred.
Q. That was December 4, 2015; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Shortly after this meeting, were you informed by one of your co -workers that the Defendant was, in fact, interacting with the girls from the academy?
A. Yes.
Q. Tell us about that.
A. I believe it was December 22nd around lunch time. A co -worker was at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville and observed–
MS. SCHAEFER: Objection, Your Honor. This calls for hearsay.
MS. TIMMINS: This can be tied up with a witness that will be coming to testify about it.
THE COURT: Well, sustained. We’ll let the other witness just testify about it.
Q. (By Ms. Timmins) You received a call from Jenny Richardson that day?
A. Yes.
Q. She provided you some information that was important to your investigation?
A. Yes.
Q. And that was on December 22nd?
A. Correct
