'FATHER OF YEAR' ACCUSED IN ABUSE OF 11 ADOPTEES
'FATHER OF YEAR' ACCUSED IN ABUSE OF 11 ADOPTEES
Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - Monday, October 28, 1991
Author: SAMUEL MAULL ASSOCIATED PRESS
A former Columbus resident once voted "father of the year" and two of his adopted children were accused of sexually abusing 11 of his other children by an indictment last week.
Kodzo Dobosu , 51, arrested May 21 after a slightly retarded adopted daughter said he fondled her, denied the sex abuse and child endangerment charges and said he has been through "five months of hell."
While the 14-year-old girl's charges were investigated, a Family Court judge ordered all children under 18 out of Dobosu 's home in Harlem.
Kaufmann issued the order on Aug. 14 after hearing testimony about beatings, homosexual sex between Dobosu and his sons, forced sex between the older children and filthy living conditions.
Dobosu , who says he has raised 44 children, had 18 children in his house at the time. "I love my children," he said. "I have not abused them sexually, physically or emotionally. I miss them a great deal."
The sex abuse counts in the indictment relate to the 14-year-old girl and a boy, also 14, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said. He said the child endangerment counts allege that Dobosu mistreated 11 minor adopted children, all of whom are now in foster care.
Harry Kresky, Dobosu 's lawyer, said, "We are witnessing a very vicious process here, something more like the Salem witch trials than anything our Constitution or our democracy intends."
The grand jury also indicted Kwaku Dobosu , 27, an adopted son, and Kianga Dobosu , 20, an adopted daughter, on 11 counts of endangering a child's welfare. Kwaku was also charged with one count of sex abuse.
The three defendants face 2 to seven years in prison if convicted of the sex abuse counts.
Meanwhile, Morgenthau said, he has started investigating how Dobosu spent huge sums of public money he received to care for the children.
Dobosu , for a while an adoption official in Ohio, won a "father of the year" award in 1983 from the National Father's Day Committee. He was cited for his willingness to care for kids with physical and emotional problems.
Morgenthau said some of the alleged abuse occurred while Dobosu was still in Ohio.
Edition: FINAL
Section: STATE & REGION
Page: 4C
Index Terms: ADOPTION ; SEX CRIMES
Dateline: NEW YORK
Record Number: 06301056
Copyright 1991, 2002 The Plain Dealer. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.