School crossing guard charged in sex assaults

updated 3:09 p.m. ET June 20, 2007

BERWICK, Pa. - A school crossing guard accused of molesting seven children has been charged with more than 1,000 counts of sexual assault.

Dale Hutchings was arrested Tuesday and charged with 305 counts of raping a child, 356 counts of aggravated indecent assault against a child under 13, and 356 counts of indecent assault against a child under 13.

The assaults took place between 1998 and 2007, and all of the victims were under 13 when the attacks began, police said.

Hutchings, of Berwick, worked as a crossing guard near Orange Street Elementary School. He also worked for the Berwick Area Ambulance Association and was a high school band booster.

He was sent to Columbia County Prison on $300,000 bail.

Police began investigating Hutchings on Monday when an 11-year-old girl accused him of putting his hand down her pants as she made breakfast at his house toward the end of the school year, according to court documents. Police were led to other victims who also said they were molested.

One teenager, now 18, told police Hutchings molested her more than 300 times between the ages of 12 and 15, according to court documents.

Police said they found homemade videos when they searched his house late Tuesday.

Berwick is a town of about 11,000 in northeastern Pennsylvania.

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