Catholic Diocese Responds after Student’s Parent Arrested on Child Rape Charges

By Eryn Taylor and Nina Harrelson
News Channel 3
February 21, 2018

http://wreg.com/2018/02/21/investigation-into-childs-behavior-reveals-alleged-sex-abuse-by-moms-ex-boyfriend/

The details are disturbing.

An arrest affidavit shows 31-year-old James “Trey” Bradshaw III admitted to inappropriately touching his then-girlfriend’s son repeatedly sometime between 2015 and 2016.

He also admitted to having the boy perform oral sex on him.

For years, the boy kept it a secret until, police say, he was suspended from school for touching another boy.

That’s when investigators say the boy told them he learned the behavior from his mom’s ex-boyfriend.

Detectives say Bradshaw admitted to sexually abusing the boy.

We spoke to the boy’s family off camera who says Bradshaw had been a close family friend for more than a decade.

They say they never would have expected him to do something like this.

The family tells us the 10-year-old had been acting strange lately and was not being himself.

But they say they’re proud of him for coming forward.

Bradshaw, who had no prior record in Shelby County, is charged with rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery.

Vince Higgins, with the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, confirms James Bradshaw was a parent volunteer coach of a kindergarten basketball team at Holy Rosary as recently as November.

Higgins says he was never alone with children and no additional allegations have surfaced.

The suspect will not be allowed to coach children in light of the charges he’s facing.

The Catholic Diocese of Memphis released the following statement to WREG:

“It has come to our attention that a parent of a Catholic School student was arrested and charged with rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery. These are grave criminal charges. The Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee takes these charges most seriously.

Based on the court affidavit, the alleged crimes did not involve any student of the school or parish, and none of the criminal incidents occurred on the school campus.

While this arrest and criminal investigation remain pending, our Catholic Schools officials stand ready to assist authorities if needed.

In such instances, Catholic Schools policy initiates measures designed to monitor and/or prohibit individuals interaction at parish and school functions when children are present.

These measures are designed to assist in ensuring the safety of our children, our most important priority.

If anyone has information regarding suspicious or criminal activities of anyone on our campuses, please notify local police or law enforcement.”

Another Memphis man was recently arrested in a child rape and child porn case, and police are still looking for a different man wanted on the same charges.

We asked police if those two cases are connected, but they haven’t responded.