exposing the dark side of adoption
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Retired academy prof charged with rape

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Allegations involve daughter in mid '90s

By HEATHER RAWLYK

A retired longtime Naval Academy professor was charged Sunday with raping and molesting his then-12-year-old adopted daughter more than a decade ago at their Annapolis home.

A warrant was issued last week charging Patrick Ryan Harrison, 66, with three counts of second-degree rape, five counts of second-degree sex offense, and third- and fourth-degree sex offenses, according to electronic court documents.

Harrison, who now resides in Hot Springs Village, Ark., turned himself in to county police on Sunday, said Sgt. John Gilmer, a county police spokesman. He was released on his own recognizance following a bail-review hearing Monday, court records show.

Harrison taught at the Naval Academy from 1976 until his retirement in 2003, said Jennifer Erickson, an academy spokeswoman. Erickson would not comment on the case, but confirmed Harrison was a computer science professor in 1994 and 1995, when the rapes and sexual assaults allegedly took place.

The Capital archives show Harrison was honored as a newly designated professor emeriti during the academy's Dedication Parade in May 2004. He served as chairman of the computer science department at the end of his academy career, Internet records show.

In December, Harrison's adopted daughter, now 27, told county police she had been sexually abused by her father from age 12 to 14 at their home on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard in Annapolis.

The Capital does not name victims of sexual abuse.

The woman told officers she moved in with her mother, her biological sister and "soon-to-be father" Harrison in 1994, according to charging documents. She said Harrison, who formally adopted her 1995, began to sexually abuse her immediately after she moved into the home.

The woman said Harrison sexually abused her for two years, with the abuse progressing over time, according to court documents. The woman told police the abuse dwindled when she entered ninth grade "due to making herself scarce."

On Thursday, a Howard County District Court judge granted the woman a temporary restraining order against her father, according to court records.

Harrison's attorney, Thomas Pavlinic, whose law practice represents those "falsely accused" of child sexual abuse, said the allegations are fabricated.

"These allegations come out of the blue without any explanation as to why an adult woman reportedly waits 15 years to do this," Pavlinic said.

He said he and Harrison are themselves searching for answers, noting the charging documents did not cite independent evidence, just accusations.

Pavlinic said he defends child-sex-abuse cases nationwide and often uncovers false accusations.

"There are a lot of dysfunctional people who throw out allegations of sex abuse that is either imagined or fantasized," he said.

He said Harrison has an "impeccable record" and an impressive work history.

"You can see what a decent human being he is," he said.

Harrison has no criminal record, according to court documents.

"There is nothing indicating he (Harrison) is involved in any other incidents," Gilmer said.

According to ZoomInfo.com, Harrison taught at Hope College in Holland, Mich., prior to his employment with the Naval Academy.

He has published widely in the field of artificial intelligence, according to the Web site. He has written a Prentice-Hall book on artificial intelligence and published numerous chapters in collected readings. According to the Web site, Harrison has been the primary researcher on various research grants that have run since 1972.

It also credits Harrison as having been project manager at the Naval Academy Research Laboratory, a consultant to government for more than 30 years and a designer of several software applications.

2009 Mar 18