Hanna Boys Center clinical director arrested for sex crimes

Longtime employee Kevin Thorpe jailed on allegations of ‘lewd and lascivious acts with a minor’|

A 14-year employee of Hanna Boys Center was arrested over the weekend on sex crime charges by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, based on reports from the alleged victim that the school counselor had assaulted him on numerous occasions during a five-year period from 2006 to 2011.

Kevin Scott Thorpe, 39, was arrested at his home on Saturday, June 10. Thorpe, of Rohnert Park, is identified on the Hanna Boys Center website as clinical director, a post he assumed in January of this year. His previous role with the residential treatment center was as a youth counselor working in one of the residential cottages, “providing youth with guidance, care and role modeling,” according to the website.

The victim, a Sonoma County resident who is now 23 years old, reported directly to the Sheriff’s Office on June 1, saying he was sexually assaulted throughout the period he was resident at Hanna, from the time he was 13 to age 18. The assaults allegedly occurred at both Thorpe’s Sonoma Valley home and on the Hanna Boys Center campus, according to the Sheriff’s Office press officer, Sgt. Spencer Crum.

“The victim was in fear of getting in trouble and being kicked out of the Sonoma group home if he told anyone so he kept this private until now, as he fears of ongoing sexual abuse with other minors,” Crum stated in a press release.

Detectives from the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit investigated the claims and thought there was sufficient evidence to make the arrest.

At Hanna, a school for the rehabilitation of young men who have suffered adversity and trauma in childhood, Chief Development Officer Chris Jones described the staff as “shocked and saddened” by the news of his arrest. “Nobody was more surprised and shocked than we were. This is a very upstanding guy,” said Jones. “It’s just an arrest and an allegation, but we’re really shocked by it. Everybody here is just stunned.”

Added Jones: “Beyond that, the care and safely of our students is our top priority. We’re really interested in cooperating and getting to the bottom of it.”

Jones said Thorpe had been placed on unpaid administrative leave “until this is resolved.”

According to the Hanna website, Thorpe holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University, and a master’s in counseling from Sonoma State University. He is married with two young children.

As clinical director, Thorpe guides the treatment plans for all students, oversees staff therapists, and provides supervision and guidance to interns who are working toward becoming licensed counselors.

Sheriff’s detectives obtained a warrant and arrested Thorpe on Saturday, June 10 at his Rohnert Park home. Thorpe was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and sexual assault of a minor. He is being held on $250,000 bail.

Detectives also believe there may be additional victims either at Hanna Boys Center or in the community where Thorpe volunteers in a youth ministry program for teens, which was not identified. Additional victims or anyone with information should contact the Sheriff’s Office at 565-4300.

Email christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.

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