TEACHER DENIED BAIL IN RAPE CASE

MARY JO TIERNEY

The Miami Herald

Circuit Court Judge Royce Lewis Friday refused to allow school teacher Laurence Jacobsen, accused of raping his adopted daughter, to bond out of jail or to visit the 8-year-old girl.

Lewis made the ruling after reading an affidavit, signed by Port St. Lucie police officer Larry Lawson, which said Jacobsen had been deported to the United States from Costa Rica for molesting a nine-year-old girl. Lawson said the incident occurred within the past five years.

Jacobsen, a teacher at Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, also is accused of molesting at least five other girls and a boy when he lived in other parts of Florida.

The affidavit said Jacobsen had written and published pamphlets promoting sex with children under the age of 12 which he tried to sell in adult book stores.

According to the affidavit, Jacobsen had discussed bribing the mother of a Port St. Lucie girl, who said that Jacobsen had sex with the girl he adopted from the Dominican Republic and tried to molest her Port St. Lucie friend.

The woman reported the incident to police and an investigation led to his arrest.

The affidavit gave specific details of how his adopted daughter was made to perform sexual intercourse and oral sex on the 43-year-old man. Police confiscated pornographic books and pictures of young girls after searching Jacobsen's home at 1475 Grapeland Ave.

Besides bribing the mother who filed the complaint, Jacobsen said he wanted to "pay off someone to get the charges of his back," and that if he had a chance of getting out of jail he would "skip to South America," the affidavit said.

Since Jacobsen is charged with four capital offenses of raping a child under the age of 11, he should not be entitled to bond while awaiting trial, said Assistant State Attorney Jim Midelis.

The judge agreed and said no bond will be set in the case. Jacobsen's attorney, Mark Orr, said even if Jacobsen must remain in jail, he is entitled to have "monitored" visits with his adopted daughter.

Pam Baker, a supervisor with the state department of Health and Rehabilitititve Services, disagreed. She said in similar cases, people charged with a crime often try to use "undue influence" with children to get them "to change their story."

Lewis ruled that under no condition should Jacobsen be allowed to see the girl until the case is completed. Lewis said it would be "improper, cruel, unfair, and unjust" for Jacobsen to have any contact with the girl.

According to the affidavit, the girl, who is in a foster home, often screams in her sleep "no, daddy, no." She also has complained of being hurt in the vaginal area by some of the things Jacobsen did to her. A physician has examined the girl and found that she may have been sexually abused, the affidavit said.

Jacobsen has been held in county jail since his arrest in September. A date for his trial has not been set.