Accused Child Molester Was A Foster Parent Licensed By The State of Idaho

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Accused Child Molester Was A Foster Parent Licensed By The State of Idaho

By Mike Keckler

BOISE - Authorities call Daniel Joseph Bell a predator who targeted young boys. But for three and a half years, the State of Idaho placed three kids in his care as a licensed foster parent. Despite that, The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare defends their system. "No system is perfect, I think we use the best practices in our system for approving foster families," says Spokesman Tom Shanahan.

Health and Welfare conducts criminal background checks on all perspective foster parents which includes fingerprinting. They also do regular one on one interviews with foster children. Shanahan says none of the children in Bells care raised any red flags. But last January, Bell's license was revoked and the department won't say why. "There was no criminal activity involved and it wasn't related to the present situation," said Shanahan. But authorities say there were allegations. "There were allegations of physical abuse and we do know that he lost his license," said Ada County Undersheriff Gary Raney who says he does not know if any of Bell's foster children are among his alleged victims.

Investigators claim to have found more than 40 pictures of young boys in Bell's home - some in what they call sadistic positions. Besides his stint as a foster parent, he also volunteered at a navy young group and worked at a local boys home. "All of these things are coming together to show what I think could be a pattern of trying to target young boys," Raney said. When Bell's arrest was announced, authorities claimed Bell enticed boys to go camping with him where he would molest them. Since the story broke, Raney says they've gotten 13 new leads including one from a neighbor who claims Bell used to stand by the back fence and stare into their children's bedroom window.

A Meridian-based social worker is critical of a system that put troubled children in Bell's care. "The system doesn't work very well at protecting these kids," says Brenda Harper, a licensed clinical social worker who also says that when it comes to picking foster parents, there's only so much the system can do. "They are overworked and overburdened and someone comes along and says you know, I'll take care of these kids and they don't have a past history - beggars can't be choosers. We don't have that many people," Harper said.

[Mears]

The system is overburdened and will never be perfect.

The failure of the parents is the reason that these poor kids get involved in the foster-care system in the first place.

Every time something like this happens the system is blamed but you never see any criticism of the parents.

[GulliverSwift]

Another poster boy for gay adoption.

[Myrddin]

My wife sent her officers with a warrant to arrest an individual. Upon reaching the door, there was a muffled gunshot. The guy committed suicide. Inside the house was lots of kiddie porn. The back window of the house had a view of the nearby elementary school playground and binoculars were on the table next to the window. Another scumbag off the streets and voluntarily as well.