Four women now face child endangerment charges in connection with a sexual abuse and child pornography bust in a Davenport mobile home park.
Police said at least six children were victims of child abuse, child neglect or child pornography that happened at one Davenport home in the Patriot Mobile Home Park and Apartments, in the 4800 block of West Kimberly Road, in Davenport.
Three adults were arrested and charged in connection with the case in early April 2014. Now, four more people are charged.
"I've had a lot of sex abuse cases over the last 20 years, but this is probably the largest sex abuse case with this amount of people involved in it by far" said Lieutenant Bryce Schmidt of the Scott County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation began when a man reported suspicions that three children - ages 2, 4 and 6 at the time - were sexually abused by James Faler and Melvin Lucier. Faler and Lucier were roommates at the time of the alleged abuse.
Lucier was arrested in his trailer at the Patriot Mobile Home Park. Faler remained jailed in Louisville, Kentucky, where he had been previously arrested and allegedly had digital and printed images that showed him sexually abusing children. Jessica Epping was also arrested for allegedly allowing Faler to supervise her six-year-old son.
Police said Wednesday, April 15, 2014, four women who are all from Davenport were also arrested and faced felony charges in connection with the case. The women are each accused of allowing children to be supervised by Faler and/or Lucier:
Jenni Jenkins, 29, was charged with one count of child endangerment with bodily injury. She was held in the Scott County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash-only bond.
Sherry Ann Oats, 48, was charged with four counts of child endangerment plus one count of child endangerment with bodily injury. She was held in the Scott County Jail in lieu of $30,000 cash-only bond.
Sarah Melissa McConnell, 34, was charged with one count of child endangerment plus three counts of child endangerment with bodily injury. She was held without bond in the Scott County Jail.
Shaneka Posey, 23, was charged with two counts of child endangerment with bodily injury. She was held in the Scott County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash-only bond.
"At one point or another, they had custody of children, and they allowed those children to go to a sex offender's residence," said Schmidt, "Unfortunately in some of those incidents, there were some sexual acts that did take place during those incidents."
"That's something you do not do. You warn your kids, you tell your kids, you don't send them into the lion's den," said Michelle Taylor who lives in the Patriot Homes Mobile Park.
Records show on multiple occasions kids reported being sexually assaulted by either James Faler or Melvin Lucier.
According to affidavits, some of the women are accused of letting their own kids spend the night with the two men.
One mom allegedly sent her kids to the home Faler and Lucier lived after the child reported sexual abuse and was allegedly present when another child was assaulted.
"Some of the kids are very young, almost too young to talk to, where for them to comprehend. The ones that we were able to successfully interview, I think there were 6 or 8 that were part of the investigation," said Schmidt.
"I sat here when I heard about it thinking, it's happening right across the street, is there something I could have done?" said Taylor.
