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  22-Year-Old Accused of Sexually Abusing 2 Boys
The Incidents Include Videotaping the Abuse, Police Say. The Suspect Began to Work with a Youth Ministry at a Catholic Church

By Chris Tisch
St. Petersburg Times [Largo FL]
November 13, 2004

LARGO - A Largo man has been arrested on charges he sexually abused two young boys.

James Timothy Fulmer, 22, is accused of abusing one of the boys over a two-year period and the other boy over the past several months, Largo police said. Both children were younger than 12 when the abuse occurred, investigators said.

Fulmer is facing four counts of sexual battery, two counts of lewd battery and one count each of sexual performance by a child and showing obscene material to a minor. All are felonies.

Fulmer was being held at the Pinellas County Jail on Friday evening without bail.

Arrest reports indicate Fulmer sexually abused the boys and directed the boys to engage in sexual acts with each other while he watched. He videotaped some of the abuse and showed the children the video, the reports state.

Largo police Detective Tara Hansen said police learned of the abuse after one of the children committed a lewd act on a sibling. When confronted, the child told about Fulmer, Hansen said.

Fulmer admitted to the acts, arrest reports state.

Fulmer was first arrested last month by Pinellas sheriff's detectives because one case of abuse was reported to have occurred in county jurisdiction. Fulmer was released on $50,000 bail as Largo detectives investigated the incidents that were reported to have occurred within the city.

Police said those incidents were reported to have occurred at Fulmer's residence on Karen Avenue in Largo.

Pinellas sheriff's officials said they are continuing to investigate Fulmer.

"We have looked at this guy in cases, and we will continue to investigate him," spokesman Mac McMullen said.

Before his first arrest, Fulmer was working with a teen youth ministry at his church, St. Jerome Catholic Church. Fulmer was considering whether to become part of a team that works with youths and had been involved with the group only a few months, said the Rev. Gary Dowsey.

The Rev. Dowsey said Fulmer was never in charge of children or, to his knowledge, alone with them. He said Fulmer decided not to get involved with the ministry when the accusations arose.

The Rev. Dowsey said he has no reason to believe any children at his church have been harmed. He said Fulmer has been a member for about 10 years.

"No one has ever brought any allegations or said anything but very positive things about him," the Rev. Dowsey said. "He was considered a very outstanding man in our parish community.

"This has obviously been news to us as well," he added. "And obviously we're all shocked about it."

Hansen said Fulmer worked at a McDonald's, which is how he came in contact with a family member of one of the boys. He befriended the family member and eventually began to spend time with the boy and one of his friends, police said.

Fulmer's arrest report indicates he is now unemployed.

 
 

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