Mr. Daniel M. Shields Jr.

• 
  www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a6_1coachsex.6623412oct10, - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/1/2007    Last Visited: 10/10/2008  

  Daniel Shields
  ...
  Daniel Shields shown leaving a Schuylkill County courtroom in May, 2007. (Morning Call file photo)
  
  The Allentown Catholic Diocese and Pottsville Nativity High School have reached a confidential settlement in a lawsuit brought against them by a Schuylkill County girl who was molested and secretly videotaped undressing by the school track coach.
  
  But coach Daniel M. Shields Jr., 64, who the victim -- now a 21-year-old college student -- said never apologized and even sent her a Christmas card from prison, still should be held individually liable for so devastating her life that she tried to commit suicide in December, a county judge ruled Thursday.
  ...
  The diocese and school's May settlement of the 2005 lawsuit was kept confidential at the girl's request but was revealed Thursday in a 90-minute bench trial before Dolbin in which the victim sought compensation from Shields.
  ...
  Shields in March 2007 pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of children, five counts of invasion of privacy and two counts of indecent assault for molesting the victim and secretly videotaping her and two other girls in the school locker room.Prosecutors dropped the most serious charge, aggravated indecent assault.
  
  In May 2007, Shields was sentenced to 11/2 to four years in state prison -- meaning he could be eligible for parole as early as next month.But he'll serve six more years on probation and, as a convicted sex offender, must register his address with state police for 10 years.
  
  He was not at Thursday's trial.Millman said Shields "didn't participate" in the suit and didn't even hire a lawyer.
  ...
  Dolbin previously ruled Shields was liable and held Thursday's trial only to decide how much to award the victim.
  ...
  Shields was a teacher and coach for 35 years at Nativity, including 11 with the girls team.He also was a head football coach at Nativity for many years and an assistant football coach at Pottsville Area High School and Blue Mountain High School near Orwigsburg.
  
  The victim testified she joined the track team as a freshman and that Shields began touching her when she was a junior, continuing until her graduation.
  
  Shields also talked sexually to her and gave her things, including Valentine's Day gifts, she said.She said she tried to ignore the molestation because she thought no one would believe her and everyone had a high regard for Shields -- including her parents, who shared dinner and picnics with him in their St. Clair home and Christmas at his.
  
  She said the molestation continued two or three times a week until she graduated, and would have remained a secret.But two classmates found and removed from Shields' house a videotape of her he secretly made, and showed it to friends, prompting her to go to police.Shields was charged Aug. 18, 2005.

• 
  www.yorkdispatch.com/pennsylvania/ci_5340329 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/2/2007    Last Visited: 3/3/2007  

  Daniel Shields Jr., 62, a former track and football coach at Nativity BVM High School in Pottsville, was charged in 2005 after police received a videotape from two recent graduates who said they had broken into Shields' house to retrieve it.
  
  The video showed three members of the girls track team in various stages of undress.The tape had Shields' handwriting on it, and was labeled with the names of the girls and dated "5/25/05," according to court documents.Two of the girls were 17 and the other was 18 at the time.
  
  At a hearing packed with victims and their families, Shields also admitted he sexually assaulted one of the girls on numerous occasions between January and May of 2005.
  
  The girl had testified at a preliminary hearing that Shields groped her and kissed her as she exercised and molested her at the school and at his home, where he hired her to do
  ...
  Shields, who remains free on bail pending his May 14 sentencing, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of children, indecent assault and other offenses.He declined to comment as he left Schuylkill County Court.
  ...
  Before the guilty plea, Shields had tried to have the videotape evidence excluded from his trial, arguing that it was the product of an unlawful search and seizure.A judge ruled the tape was admissible because the former students who took it were not acting under the direction of police.
  
  Shields had coached track at Nativity for 35 years and was its head football coach for 27 years.He had also served as an assistant coach for Pottsville Area High School's football team and for Blue Mountain High School's football team.
  
  Shields was charged on Aug. 18, 2005, two days after investigators seized DVDs and videotapes at his home.
  
  Print Friendly View Email Article Return to Top

• 
  www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a4_5molestatio - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 10/11/2008    Last Visited: 10/11/2008  

  Former Pottsville Nativity High School track coach Daniel M. Shields Jr. was ordered Thursday to pay $751,257 in compensatory and punitive damages to a Schuylkill County girl he molested and secretly videotaped undressing.
  ...
  Shields in March 2007 pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of children, five counts of invasion of privacy and two counts of indecent assault for molesting the girl and secretly videotaping her and two other girls in the school locker room.Prosecutors dropped the most serious charge, aggravated indecent assault.
  
  In May 2007, Shields was sentenced to 11/2 to four years in state prison -- meaning he could be eligible for parole as early as next month.But he'll serve six more years on probation and, as a convicted sex offender, must register his address with state police for 10 years.

• 
  www.yorkdispatch.com/pennsylvania/ci_5900517 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/15/2007    Last Visited: 5/16/2007  

  Daniel Shields Jr., 62, who had decades of experience coaching track and football at Nativity BVM High School in Pottsville, saw his career come to an abrupt end in 2005 when two recent graduates broke into his house, retrieved a videotape that showed three members of the girls track team in various stages of undress, and gave it to police.
  
  Nearly two years later, Shields took the witness stand at his sentencing hearing and broke down as he apologized for his crimes and asked forgiveness.
  
  "I'm sorry for what I did.I know I did wrong," he said."I made a mistake. ...I betrayed your trust.I've been asking myself why, why?I can't find an answer."
  
  Shields admitted that he videotaped the girls and sexually assaulted one of them on numerous occasions in 2005.He pleaded guilty March 1 to sexual abuse of children,
  ...
  But Schuylkill County Judge D. Michael Stine said Shields had abused his position of trust and authority, and deserved prison.
  ...
  Turning to Shields, she yelled: "How dare you do that to my child!"
  ...
  Shields was ordered to report to prison Monday morning.
  
  Shields and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown still face two civil lawsuits that were placed on hold pending the conclusion of the criminal case.
  
  Shields had long been one of the area's most visible coaches, leading the track team at Nativity for 35 years and its football team for 27 years.He had also served as an assistant coach for Pottsville Area High School's football team and for Blue Mountain High School's football team.
  
  He was charged on Aug. 18, 2005, two days after investigators seized DVDs and videotapes at his home.

• 
  www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-03022007-1307094.ht - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/2/2007    Last Visited: 3/2/2007  

  Daniel Shields Jr., 62, a former track and football coach at Nativity BVM High School in Pottsville, was charged in 2005 after police received a videotape from two recent graduates who said they had broken into Shields' house to retrieve it.
  
  The video showed three members of the girls track team in various stages of undress.The tape had Shields' handwriting on it, and was labeled with the names of the girls and dated "5/25/05," according to court documents.Two of the girls were 17 and the other was 18 at the time.
  
  At a hearing packed with victims and their families, Shields also admitted he sexually assaulted one of the girls on numerous occasions between January and May of 2005.
  
  The girl had testified at a preliminary hearing that Shields groped her and kissed her as she exercised and molested her at the school and at his home, where he hired her to do cleaning.She said she didn't come forward right away because she was scared of being thrown off the track team.
  
  "He was a respected man in Pottsville, and I thought nobody would believe me," she testified.
  ...
  Shields, who remains free on bail pending his May 14 sentencing, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of children, indecent assault and other offenses.He declined to comment as he left Schuylkill County Court.
  ...
  Before the guilty plea, Shields had tried to have the videotape evidence excluded from his trial, arguing that it was the product of an unlawful search and seizure.A judge ruled the tape was admissible because the former students who took it were not acting under the direction of police.
  
  Shields had coached track at Nativity for 35 years and was its head football coach for 27 years.He had also served as an assistant coach for Pottsville Area High School's football team and for Blue Mountain High School's football team.
  
  Shields was charged on Aug. 18, 2005, two days after investigators seized DVDs and videotapes at his home.

• 
  www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/local/16812337 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/1/2007    Last Visited: 3/1/2007  

  Daniel Shields Jr., 62, a former track and football coach at Nativity BVM High School in Pottsville, was charged in 2005 after police received a videotape from two recent graduates who said they had broken into Shields' house to retrieve it.
  
  The video showed three members of the girls track team in various stages of undress.The tape had Shields' handwriting on it, and was labeled with the names of the girls and dated "5/25/05," according to court documents.Two of the girls were 17 and the other was 18 at the time.
  
  At a hearing packed with victims and their families, Shields also admitted he sexually assaulted one of the girls on numerous occasions between January and May of 2005.
  
  The girl had testified at a preliminary hearing that Shields groped her and kissed her as she exercised and molested her at the school and at his home, where he hired her to do cleaning.She said she didn't come forward right away because she was scared of being thrown off the track team.
  
  "He was a respected man in Pottsville, and I thought nobody would believe me," she testified."He told me he could replace me, and whenever he was mad at me he put somebody else in my spot.I was scared because I wanted my spot so bad."
  
  Shields, who remains free on bail pending his May 14 sentencing, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of children, indecent assault and other offenses.He declined to comment as he left Schuylkill County Court.
  ...
  Before the guilty plea, Shields had tried to have the videotape evidence excluded from his trial, arguing that it was the product of an unlawful search and seizure.A judge ruled the tape was admissible because the former students who took it were not acting under the direction of police.
  
  Shields had coached track at Nativity for 35 years and was its head football coach for 27 years.He had also served as an assistant coach for Pottsville Area High School's football team and for Blue Mountain High School's football team.
  
  Shields was charged on Aug. 18, 2005, two days after investigators seized DVDs and videotapes at his home.

• 
  www.mcall.com/news/local/all-sexcoach-may14-cn,0,762400 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 5/14/2007    Last Visited: 5/14/2007  

  Daniel M. Shields Jr., 62, of 30 Bryn Mawr Ave., East Norwegian Township, had pleaded guilty to indecent assault, corruption of minors, indecent conduct, sexual abuse of children and invasion of privacy in a deal in which corruption of minors charges were dropped because prosecutors said the girls didn't know they were taped.
  ...
  Shields, who was dismissed from his position as track and field coach at Nativity BVM High School in Pottsville and assistant football coach at Blue Mountain High School after the charges, was also sentenced to six years probation following his prison term.

• 
  Altoona Mirror - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/14/2006    Last Visited: 12/14/2006  

  ‘‘He was a gym teacher, a track coach and a football coach for many years," attorney Kurt B. Geishauser said, arguing that pretrial publicity would make it difficult for Daniel M. Shields Jr. to receive a fair trial.
  ...
  Shields, 62, a former teacher and football and track coach, was accused of molesting a member of the Nativity BVM High girls track team several times during 2004 and 2005.The girl graduated in 2005.
  
  He was also accused of videotaping the girl and two other female athletes as they undressed in a school locker room from November 2004 to May 2005.
  
  Shields is charged with aggravated indecent assault, sexual abuse of children and related offenses, and Archdiocese of Allentown officials said he was no longer employed at the school.

• 
  Article - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/31/2005    Last Visited: 12/31/2005  

  It's now part, of course, of the Allentown Diocese, stunned by abuse allegations against former Pottsville Nativity teacher/coach Daniel Shields.

• 
  Attorney: Coach accused of videotaping girls... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/15/2006    Last Visited: 12/16/2006  

  Further, the charges against Daniel M. Shields Jr., 62, of 30 Bryn Mawr Ave., East Norwegian Township, should be separated because evidence in the videotaping case would prejudice a jury on the molestation case, attorney Emmanuel H. Dimitriou told Judge John E. Domalakes.
  ...
  Shields is charged with aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors in the case involving the alleged molestation of a former Pottsville Nativity BVM High School track team member at various times, including in his home in December 2004.
  
  He also faces charges of sexual abuse of children, corruption of minors and invasion of privacy for allegedly secretly videotaping the girl who said she was molested and at least two others undressing at the school from November 2004 through May 2005.
  
  Shields coached track at Nativity for 35 years, including 11 with the girls team.A head football coach at Nativity for many years, he also was an assistant coach at Pottsville Area High School and, for the past five years, at Blue Mountain High School near Orwigsburg.
  
  After his arrest last year, Nativity suspended Shields and Blue Mountain fired him.
  
  Dimitriou on Thursday gave Domalakes a stack of articles about the case from several newspapers, saying the publicity would make it impossible for Shields to get a fair trial in Schuylkill.
  ...
  Shields was charged Aug. 18, 2005, after a classmate of the girl, Ryan Majesky, gave Pottsville police the tape of the girl and two other girls undressing at the school.

Page:  1 2 3 4