| Rusk, Texas:
Longtime Rusk ISD drama teacher Harold Earl "Bo" Scallon was indicted by a Federal grand jury in Tyler on Tuesday March 4, 2008 for possession and distribution of child pornography. The FBI raided Harold Scallon's Jacksonville, TX home in July 2007 on a federal warrant based on the ongoing investigations by the Longview, TX police department. The FBI also issued a Search Warrant to seize Scallon's company computer at the Rusk High School. Forensics on his computers' hard drives uncovered massive files storing violent and sexually graphic depictions involving children. Chat room conversations presented at sentencing had Scallon admitting his interest in 8 and 9-year old boys. The Rusk ISD drama coach was sentenced to 6 1/2 years federal prison in June 2008; the distribution charges were dropped as part of his plea agreement.
(Source: Tyler Paper Former Teacher Gets 6 Years for Possessing Child Porn, June 17, 2008)
According to a March 5, 2008 Tyler Paper article, the Rusk ISD superintendent's office refused to acknowledge that Harold "Bo" Scallon was employed in the drama department up until the time he was indicted in federal court. After decades of weekly accounts of the school teacher, local newspapers deliberately refer to the theater coach as "former" and "EX-teacher" even though Harold Scallon never formally stopped working for the Rusk, Texas school district. Scallon had entered retirement in 2002 but continued to work at the Rusk High School under a renewable annual contract. Not to mention Scallon's 30-year stint with the Rusk Lions Club as patron to local politicians and as eager volunteer watching over the kiddie swimming pool. (Source: Cherokeean Herald March 3, 1983)
During her June 2007 graduation speech, Rusk ISD Valedictorian Kinsey Gresham commemorates H.E. Scallon's presence in his students' and fellow faculty members' lives . "Bo" Scallon had worked over 30 years for the Rusk, Texas Independent School District in both the high school and junior high. His wife was a former councilwoman and both were active in the Rusk Chamber of Commerce.
During these 30 years, Bo Scallon was also an active member of the Rusk Lions Club and with parents' blessings, managed the local children's swimming pool. Cherokee County media portray the high school theater teacher's official retirement and contractual obligations to the school district as ending in April 2007, prior to the FBI raid. However, Harold "Bo" Scallon's continual employment with the Rusk ISD was apparent to the FBI because investigators issued Federal Warrants to the principals' and superintendents' offices and came to the Rusk campus in the summer of 2007 to seize Scallon's company computer.
(Source: Tyler Paper Rusk Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Possession, April 9, 2008)
Bo Scallon is reported to have hobnobbed with every single religious, educational and community organization in the county. For decades, he sat on multiple boards overseeing youth activities while he acted out his sick fantasies through child porn. Prior to being caught, how many grand juries had Scallon been called to? How many child molestation trials did this man sit on as the district attorney's favorite jurist? The answer would make your stomach turn. H.E. Scallon is scheduled to be released from the federal penitentiary on November 12, 2013 and will go back to being coddled in Cherokee County, TX as a registered sex offender. (Source: www.bop.gov) |
