Former City Employee Sought In Sex Offense

BY MATTHEW WINTER AND MARK WINEKA
SALISBURY POST

Police have issued warrants on a fired city maintenance worker charged with having improper sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl at Miller Recreation Center.

Police are looking for Kenneth R. Huffman, 60 or 62, of 1408 S. Fulton St. The Salisbury Parks and Recreation Department fired him Dec. 4 for absenteeism. The city hired Huffman as a building and grounds maintenance worker for the recreation department on Aug. 28, 1995.

Huffman is charged with two counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor and one count of statutory sex offense. His family, unaware of allegations against him, had reported Huffman missing Dec. 2.

The allegations involving the 15-year-old girl first surfaced Dec. 1.

Police have not been able to find Huffman or question him. They do not know whether he remains in the city or has left the area, Capt. Mark Wilhelm said this morning.

A family member of the 15-year-old girl apparently alerted recreation officials to the allegations and set a police investigation in motion. Police have talked with the girl, city recreation employees and family.

The charges against Huffman stem from three separate encounters occurring in August and November at Miller Recreation Center on West Bank Street, reports said. Huffman is accused of improperly touching the girl, though Wilhelm said the pair apparently did not have sexual intercourse.

Wilhelm added that he was not sure where on the center property the alleged activity occurred.

At some point during the encounters, Huffman gave the girl money, Wilhelm said. But police do not view the alleged crimes as prostitution.

Court records show that Huffman was found not guilty in October 1992 of assault on a child under 12.

But he was found guilty at the same time of assault on a female. A judge gave him a six-month suspended jail sentence and two years of unsupervised probation.

City Manager David Treme said the city, as is its routine, made a background check on Huffman at the time of his hiring.

"At that time, there was no indication of any prior offense," Treme said.

Treme said Huffman's work took him to several recreational facilities throughout the city, including the Miller Center.

The city has started its own administrative review of the charges. Treme said the review involves the parks and recreation and human resources staffs and himself.

"Of course, this is separate from the police investigation," Treme said.

Treme stressed that Huffman was fired for violating the city's policy on absenteeism. Failure to report to work for three consecutive days without calling represents grounds for dismissal.

"That was the reason for his termination," Treme said.