Brownie Leader Indicted for Abusing Five Girls

(Massena, New York) Feeling disgusted today? If not, read this. You will.

A former Brownie leader who was arrested in October after she allegedly abused five members of her troop was indicted Friday by a St. Lawrence County grand jury.

Marlene M. Herne, 39, of 113 Main St., Massena, was charged in a 28-count indictment with 11 felony counts of first-degree sexual abuse, five counts of forcible touching, nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child and three counts of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse. The charges stemmed from an investigation by Massena village police.

The indictment charges Mrs. Herne of repeated acts of abuse against five different girls, ages 7 through 9, from 2003 to 2005.

Actions alleged in the indictment range from placing bars of soap and shampoo in the girls' mouths and forcing them to drink hot sauce, to spankings, using hands and a wooden paddle, on the bare buttocks. Some of the spankings were inflicted by Mrs. Herne, who also forced the girls to spank her, according to the indictment.

The indictment also alleges Mrs. Herne committed other sex acts while using a medicine dropper and a baster.

There have been instances where overzealous social workers have made cases against adults by badgering youngsters into describing circumstances that never actually happened. I'd like to think that's the case here. However, based on the number of charges filed, it appears that substantive evidence was put before the grand jury.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 09/27/06]

Herne sentenced.