Harlan, IOWA — Today, 72 year old Lee Nelson of Harlan, Iowa was arrested and charged with Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee (709.15) and Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse (709.11). Nelson is a former teacher of the Harlan Community School District.
On May 30, 2013 the 17 year old female victim and her parents contacted police to report that since October, 2012, Nelson had been saying rude and inappropriate things to the victim, as well as touching her inappropriately. Considering the involved parties and the severity of the accusations, the Harlan Police Department requested the assistance of the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) on June 3, 2013.
Over the last two months DCI Agents and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office worked diligently to interview the victim, witnesses, and the alleged suspect. These efforts resulted in today’s arrest of Mr. Nelson.
Nelson is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail on $7,000 bond.
Nelson was employed with the Harlan Community School District for 35 years, before the school board accepted his resignation on April 22, 2013.
SUBJECT IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
If this is true, there will be others coming forward to say it happened to them as well over the last 35 years. If no one else comes forward, I would doubt the accusation or question this man’s current medical status, but I still wouldn’t believe there would only be one victim or that no one else noticed other mental changes.
A 72 year old man was all this 17 year old girl was looking for. She’s only 17, daddy says she’s too young, but she’s old enough for grandpa!
Yeah….And everyone thought Ed Gein was such a good guy, too.
Behind closed doors, a person (male AND female) is capable of doing terrible things. I truly hope he didn’t, but at the same time I would rather put an innocent man away than to accidentally let a guilty one go.
I have known “Sir” Nelson for a good number of years and find it completely unimaginable that this could possibly be as bad as it sounds. The allegations are quite vague and, as the previous post suggests, there very little protection for our teachers that are accused of these types of things. I have been monitoring FaceBook posts the last 24 hours and there are literally hundreds of students and parents out there rallying behind this man. For 35 years he has given encouragement, taught leadership skills, shared awards, and set the highest examples for our young people. Let us not run with this story until we know ALL the facts, please…. For the sake of a good man. He deserves at least that much.
I think the accuser should step forward. Things like this do happen, I don’t have my head under a rock. I also know that false things or misinterpreted words can get worse the more mouths that pass on the story or add to the story and then confusion reigns. stories change and so do memories. I feel if anyone over the age of 10 wants to ruin someone’s character and career they should adult up.