Former GCCS custodian pleads guilty to molesting

By MATT THACKER

A former custodian at Parkview Middle School has pleaded guilty to molesting his three adopted daughters, according to a plea agreement filed in Clark County Circuit Court earlier this month.

Charles Sparks, of Jeffersonville, who was 60 at the time of his arrest in April 2008, initially faced 58 counts of sexually abusing the children. He has pleaded guilty to three counts of class A felony child molesting and is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 26.

If the plea agreement is accepted by Judge Dan Moore at the hearing, Sparks will be sentenced to 20 years in prison with 10 years of probation.

Two of the child molesting counts Sparks pleaded guilty to are from 1997. One is from 2004. He reportedly was involved in intercourse and oral sex.

“He’s accepting responsibility for his criminal offenses for each of his three adopted daughters,” Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Brittany Blau said. “This puts him out of jail when he’s 70 and on probation until he’s 80. We feel this is a good and just resolution.”

Sparks will have to register as a sex offender for life and can have no contact with children under age 18, Blau said.

Blau said they charged Sparks quickly after learning of the allegations because there were concerns with him working at a middle school. She said they have no information that he abused children at the school.

Sparks worked for Greater Clark County Schools from 1988 until April 2008. He began as a bus driver before switching to a custodian in 2005.

The girls — who range in age from late teens to early 20s — were reportedly taken out of their home when they were young because of allegations their natural father was molesting them. They said Sparks began molesting them within a year after they were adopted.

The girls reportedly came forward in 2001, but the case was dismissed. Prosecutors previously stated that two of the girls later wore a hidden tape recorder as Sparks apologized for doing things he knew where wrong.

Jef Fifer, Sparks’ attorney, was not available for comment.