4 weeks ago
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(NewsNation) — Ashley Bell is recounting her experiences successful the Stoughton, Massachusetts, Police Department Explorers program, led by ex-Deputy Chief Robert Devine, wherever she alleged determination were blurred lines betwixt mentorship and inappropriate behavior.
Bell joined "Banfield" connected Thursday to sermon her experiences successful the program, which is wherever Sandra Birchmore met her mentors and aboriginal abusers.
Birchmore was recovered hanging from a doorway handle successful her Canton, Massachusetts, flat successful February 2021. She was 23 years aged and 10 weeks large astatine the time. Birchmore's decease was ruled a suicide, but her origin of decease was aboriginal changed to homicide.
Former Stoughton bull Matthew Farwell is present charged with sidesplitting some Sandra and her unborn son. Farwell was Sandra’s longtime fellow portion helium was joined to idiosyncratic else. Prosecutors accidental Farwell began having enactment with her astatine property 15 portion she was a subordinate of the constabulary “Explorers” programme for kids.
From interior constabulary investigations, 2 different Stoughton officers had “inappropriate relations” with Birchmore: Farwell’s duplicate brother, William, and Devine, who oversaw the younker program.
Birchmore met each of them astatine 13. A authorities constabulary oversight committee recovered that Devine had enactment with Birchmore for the past clip astir 8 to 10 weeks earlier her death.
Devine was besides investigated for an matter with a pistillate named Tiffany, which ended successful a flurry of restraining orders, harassment charges and Devine’s suspension arsenic lawman chief.
Devine said helium did not person a narration with Bell and "she was obsessed" with him to the constituent helium was "uncomfortable." Bell, present successful her mid-30s, says determination was a clip that she and Devine were alone, when helium was a 30-year-old bull and she was a smitten 12-year-old girl.
Bell says she was ne'er sexually assaulted, but alleged that Devine led her into a gym closet and kissed her connected the forehead aft she became upset upon realizing Devine was engaged.
"He gave maine a large aged hug, and I was 12 years old, and helium looked maine dormant successful the eye, and helium said that I was a knockout," Bell said.
"Now helium remembers saying we got a large property gap... [but] helium doesn't retrieve calling maine a knockout and that erstwhile I'm 18, I request to travel find him, due to the fact that he's going to instrumentality maine out. That's what helium told maine astatine 12 years old, sitting connected a desk," Bell alleged.
