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Foster Care Supervisor Is Charged in Sexual Abuse of His Children

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Foster Care Supervisor Is Charged in Sexual Abuse of His Children

November 26, 1998

KEVIN FLYNN

The New York Times

A foster care supervisor for the New York City Administration for Children's Services was arrested yesterday on charges that he groped two of his adult adopted sons, officials said. In addition, his wife was charged with endangering the welfare of a 6-year-old foster child in their care.

The supervisor, George Alex Allen, 51, was also charged with assaulting another of his adopted sons, a 13-year-old, who the police said had originally called officers to the family's Brooklyn apartment on Tuesday night to report that his father had beaten him for skipping school.

During interviews with the family, according to the police, officers began hearing about other problems in the household, including accusations that Mr. Allen had sexually abused his older adopted sons, who are 21 and 24 years old. The incidents happened, in one case, several months ago, and in another case, two years ago, the police said. The police did not release the names of the two adopted sons.

Later during the interviews, according to the police, the 13-year-old adopted son told officers that he himself had groped a 6-year-old boy, a foster child the city had placed with the family.

City officials immediately suspended Mr. Allen, who is paid $34,400 a year to supervise foster care caseworkers at the agency's Brooklyn office on Lawrence Street. Officials said Mr. Allen, a 12-year-veteran of the agency, had no criminal record and had a satisfactory work record without any disciplinary problems.

In the last year, the city had placed two foster care children, the 6-year-old and a 16-year-old boy, with the family, which lives in a large apartment at 235 Bainbridge Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

''Preliminary indications are that there was no reason to suspect abuse in the home,'' said Jennifer Falk, a spokeswoman for the city agency, ''but the investigation is continuing.''

Officials said that, in addition to the two foster children, the Allens had five adopted children and two children by birth, a 23-year-old son and a 27-year-old daughter. All five of the adopted children, ages 13, 18, 21, 22 and 24, were brought to this country from Mr. Allen's native Belize, where he had adopted them, officials said.

The two foster care children were removed from the house and are being relocated by children's services. Mr. Allen's wife, Lilia, 46, was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor after the 6-year-old boy told investigators he had complained to Mrs. Allen about the groping and she had not done anything about it, the authorities said.

If convicted, Mr. Allen faces up to a year in prison on the assault and sexual abuse charges, which are both misdemeanors.

1998 Nov 26