A Duchesne County boarding school employee accused of sexually abusing boys now faces more charges.
Geary David Oakes, 57, was charged with an additional six counts of forcible sexual abuse of a child and six counts of distribution of a controlled substance. Those come after two charges each of forcible sex abuse and forcible sodomy were filed earlier in December.
Oakes spent the past 10 years as director of social services at Cedar Ridge Academy, arranging off-site medical trips and phone calls to parents. The school serves youth who are struggling in school and with drug issues but have not committed criminal acts. Oakes apparently set up a system where he would dispense drugs to students in exchange for sexual favors, said Robert Nielson, academy director.
In two incidents last month, he gave a 15-year-old boy cigarettes in exchange for oral sex, once at a school building and once at his house, according to charges filed earlier this month in 8th District Court.
He allegedly abused a second boy, also 15, after checking him out of school for medical treatment, and later gave him two Vicodin pills, according to the charges.
"We were just hit from behind with this," Nielson said. "We all thought he was happily married, somewhat religious and devoted to his wife."
A boy came to Nielsen saying Oakes had inappropriately touched him. While Nielson and his staff had a difficult time believing the accusation, he said he called the Division of Child and Family Services for advice, and had a police detective investigate. As the questioning started, a second boy came forward. Eventually Oakes admitted to some of the abuse, charging documents state.
He was fired Nov. 30.
School officials had no complaints about Oakes in the past, but several boys came forward with complaints spanning the past few months at the school that charges $6,500 per month in tuition, Nielson said.
He said he talked with all 40 of the current boys and girls at the school, and contacted the school's alumni. He said they all responded with shock at the news and that no one had any past encounters with Oakes.
