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John Mulvey
Amherst County’s economic development director was arrested Thursday and charged with inappropriate contact with a child, authorities said.
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John Mulvey, 48, of Amherst, was suspended without pay on April 15, according to police and county officials. He is charged with attempted aggravated sexual battery against a child under age 13, a felony, police said.
Mulvey turned himself in Thursday afternoon and was booked at the Amherst County Jail, where he was being held without bond.
Mulvey has no criminal record, other than traffic citations, according to police. He has been the county’s economic development director since December 2008 and his annual salary was approximately $60,000. He had held a similar post in Washington County in eastern North Carolina.
A family member of the child reported the allegation to police on March 30, and a patrol officer met with the girl, who lives in Amherst, said Amherst Police Chief Kenneth Watts. The investigation, which Watts termed “lengthy and difficult,” began immediately and involved the Amherst County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office.
Mulvey’s attorney, Tom Shrader, and David Proffitt, the interim county administrator, did not comment on the arrest Thursday.
Because Mulvey is a county employee, Watts informed then-county administrator Rodney Taylor of the probe on April 1, Watts said. Taylor later briefed the Board of Supervisors about the investigation.
The Board of Supervisors earlier this month authorized an investigation into an apparent leak of confidential information regarding a county employee; Watts said on Thursday that the leak involved the investigation into the charge against Mulvey.
Taylor has said that turmoil over the leak led to his forced resignation as county administrator on April 23. Supervisors have said that Taylor accused a board member of leaking information and have stood by their decision to ask for his resignation.
Watts said on Thursday that the debate has not affected the case.
“We have focused on the investigation of the case and the rights of the victim and the accused were our priority, and not any political debate that may exist,” he said.
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Reader Reactions
I remember an article that said Kidd was represented by Shrader.
I don’t remember one that said whether he had only recently retained him, or whether the representation involved this issue vs. some other business.
But again, maybe I’m missing something. I don’t get to read the paper everyday.
I think Mr.R1ck 0’Shay that it is probably not a good idea to put words in Chief Watts’ mouth. Saying “the debate” hasn’t effected the case isn’t saying what the extent of the case is.
Did you miss this part of the article? —“Watts said on Thursday that the leak involved the investigation into the charge against Mulvey.“— He didn’t say that it was inconsequential, imaginary or not a crime. Then again Mr. Kidd did immediately procure the services of the same Lawyer Mr. Mulvey did. Or, was that reported in error?
Since Mr. Taylor is the ONLY one who has asked that EVERYTHING be made public and the Supervisors have refused, I think we can safely assume at least Mr. Taylor feels he has nothing to hide.
Mr. Taylor was “employed” by the people of Amherst County and paid with THEIR money. If he felt, or even suspected that wrongdoing was taking place it was his duty to bring it to the attention of his immediate superiors. Not to do so would have, clearly, been wrong.
Since that time and over the past two months the public has been treated to one “different” story after another by the members of the Board who, to date, can’t seem to get their stories straight.
Perhaps, we will never know what actually happened. My objection is, this is exactly the kind of nonsense one sees when government is conducted primarily behind closed doors. We all deserve better.
Watts: “The debate has not affected the case.“
So you mean, there was no obstruction of justice? I guess he would know; it’s his investigation.
But wait ... I thought suggesting a supervisor actually committed a criminal act, that is, “obstruction,“ was what prompted the board to demand Taylor’s resignation.
Maybe I’m missing something, but if nothing else, this development seems to mean that the “leak,“ if it occurred at all, was inconsequential, and certainly did not constitute a crime.
And of course it goes without saying, falsely accusing one’s employer of a crime is not the wisest move.
Here is what the interesting thing is “Hammer”, and I am talking to you. You address me personally and any way you can, but you hide. You tell me I have rights to an opinion, but you clearly don’t like it. You tell me that no one likes my opinions, yet, I have never met one person who thinks the nepotism that exists in Amherst County Government is anything but a disgrace. Not one! Let me tell you who else I haver never met. I have never met a person in Amherst who doesn’t think that government conducted behind closed doors is a good thing. Perhaps you could introduce me to some.
But you asked me what I believe and what I like to do, so I will tell you. I believe I have a right to clean, transparent and efficient government. I believe I am being ripped off when I see jobs “created” for “cronies” that others may not even apply for. I believe that Supervisors that, to date, can’t get their stories straight are not “governing” anything but chaos. I believe I and every other taxpayer deserves better than that.
Now for what I like. I like to think my tax dollars are spent well and wisely for the good of every resident of this beautiful county. What I see tells me that isn’t so and I don’t like it.
Now, if you do, feel free to tell us how nepotism is good. Tell us how people who have lost their jobs and investments and just had their taxes raised should feel happy about the shenanigans that are, and have been, taking place in County Government. Tell us what you are defending “Hammer”. Defend it! Don’t just give me this “everybody thinks you are wrong” baloney. Have you read the previous posts? It appears I’m not the only one fed up.
I will finish with this. The N&A has written Editorials condemning this government. Many letters to the Editor have been printed condemning excessive “closed door” government, none of them by me. In comments I have rarely missed an opportunity to add me voice to the discussion.
NEVER ONCE has any person ever approached me to say I was wrong, addressed any of the accusations I, and others make, or admitted that nepotism was something they wanted for their tax dollars.
You want to be the first “Hammer” you know how to find me.
You know G.P., I really wasn’t talking to you. I was expressing an opinion , much like you do many times each day. Do I not have the same rights that you do? The difference is that I don’t constantly drone on and on about the same old repetitive stuff day in and day out. Don’t get me wrong, that is your right.
Excuse me, “issues.“ There that’s more adult sounding than stuff.
I really wasn’t addressing much of anything that you typically rant and rave about. I really wasn’t asking anybody to take my word. I really don’t care what people want to think or not think. I just came here to be verbally abused, and of course I expected that from you.
Do you really believe all of the nonsense you spout off? Do you just like to hang around blogs and sound like you have a personal chip on your shoulder about everything and an issue with almost everyone?
I can tell you that an awful lot of people think your rants are ridiculous. Many read and never comment, they just laugh. But don’t take my word. Ask them.
And by the way, Poo Poo is really just a cleaner way of calling it what it is. If I really told it like it is, they wouldn’t let me come back to the sandbox and play with you.
And I could drone on some more like you do but unfortunately, unlike you I have things I must do.
I’m through talking Cosmo.
Rarely, if ever, Mr. Hammer have I seen so many words used to say so little.
These guys are bums who do their best work in the dark. Never once can they get their story straight. They never have. They are dedicated to secrecy and nepotism.
—-“ such a fuss and over what is actually nothing at all but political poo poo”—-
What are you 10 years old? “Political poo poo”?
15 out of 19 meetings behind closed doors, creating no work jobs for politicians kids and $72,000,000 in taxpayers money is no joke. Now you expect people to take your word that everything is on the up and up. The word of someone who calls things “poo poo”?
Come back when you grow up.
I am not a county employee, nor is my family, nor am I related to Mr. Taylor or anyone associated with the county. Furthermore, I have no relation to Mr. Shrader.
Now that I have said all of that, I do have some knowledge of facts.
This whole thing has been blown way, way out of proportion and context. I think the political players have all been so determined to destroy each other that everyone has hurt themselves. Every time Mr. Taylor postures for the press for the sake of his own agenda and every time that the board responds for the sake of their own agenda sanity flies right of the window faster than air blows in.
The fact is that there was tension in the political world, a lot of it and it was spread around pretty evenly, ready to blow up well before any fingers were pointed and it was just a matter of time before somebody found some poo to throw at each other.
Well, great work guys, way to go.
Now sit down and be quiet. suck it up, All of the political figures involved created this mess, Now quit trying to outdo each other and let the real issue be addressed by the folks who have investigated the real matter at hand and those that will prosecute the only real matter at hand.
My goodness folks, a child has allegedly been harmed. Is the rest of this nonsense really worthy of such a fuss and over what is actually nothing at all but political poo poo from both sides?
Taylor was toast well before this happened. This was just a convenient way to brown the toast.
What the hell is going on on the Amherst County Board of Supervisors? For shame!
What a dirty little town.
Well, it sure is a good thing I am not one of those “I told you so” kind of people. If I were I would be saying something like—-
—-What do you expect from a bunch that prefers to conduct “the peoples business” in the dark? What do you expect from characters that are far more concerned with secrecy than service? What can you expect from politicians that create useless high pay jobs for the equally useless children of local politicians?
Taylor got the axe for breaking the ONLY rule there seems to be in Amherst County Government. He failed to be a “good-old-boy” and help cover the sins of the rest of the incestuous clan. He dared to point out that there “could be” a real stinker in their midst. His failure was in not realizing that they are ALL stinkers. For that he paid with his job as the rest scrambled for damage control.
I have posted this before and I am going to post it again in the hope that the voters in Amherst County will remember it.
“The appearance of malfeasance is to be AVOIDED just as vehemently as the act of malfeasance itself.“
It’s a good rule. It’s a rule that anyone who ever served in government has heard time and time again. It’s clearly a rule no one in Amherst County Government has any use for. Because of that glaring fact ALL of Amherst County must now pay the piper for the unscrupulous activities of our elected representatives.
I once had an airline pilot tell me that if you sit down in your seat and notice that the fold-down tray in front of you hasn’t been properly cleaned, it’s a good bet that the company doesn’t maintain the engines properly either.
So it is with government. When a government is allowed to OPENLY practice nepotism and secrecy, it’s a good bet they are not doing anything else properly either.
If these characters have ANY integrity they will resign. My advice, don’t hold your breath.
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