Allegations of sexual abuse and cover up in Dixon, Illinois continue a few weeks after an employee of Viva Performing Arts School was charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
On Thursday, November 21, 2013, Dixon Police issued a warrant for Curtis Schmitt, President of the Board of Directors of Viva!, a performing arts school in Dixon, for failing to notify authorities that a 17-year-old was allegedly being sexually abused by a vocal instructor.
Dixon Police Detectives obtained the arrest warrant against Curtis Schmitt for failure to report abuse or neglect. The charge is a class A misdemeanor. Bond was set at $5,000, but Schmitt had not yet surrendered to police as of Monday, November 25.
The arrest warrant came a few weeks after another employee of Viva!, Timothy Boles, was arrested on November 16, 2013 on a warrant for failure to report abuse or neglect. Boles posted $500 cash bond and was released with a court date of December 18, 2013 at 9:00 a.m., according to the Dixon Police Department.
Both arrest warrants come after Viva’s vocal instructor, Robert Campbell was arrested on three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on November 4, 2013.
In a news release, Dixon Police said during their investigation of Campbell, they learned the male victim Campbell was allegedly abusing had told Boles about the abuse in the spring of 2013. Police say Boles did not contact the Department of Children and Family Services, which is required by law for mandated reporters.
Police did not find out about the alleged abuse until November 3, 2013, when the victim emailed the superintendent of Dixon Public Schools.
WQAD went to the address listed for both Schmitt and Boles, but there was no answer. In a phone interview, Ellen Allen, Vice President of the Board of Directors for Viva! said an attorney advised them not to comment on the ongoing investigation.