I live for stuff like this.
Two male strippers allegedly performed
criminal sexual acts on at least five teen-age girls during a
surprise birthday party thrown by a foster mother, Visalia
police said Wednesday.
Jake Telamo, 35, of Fresno was arrested Tuesday and
booked into the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility on
charges of performing a lewd act on a child, having
unlawful sex with a minor and sexual battery. Telamo is
being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. Police are searching for
the second male stripper.
The alleged victims were party guests who ranged in age
from 15 to 18, police Sgt. Michele Figueroa said.
Two foster children, ages 15 and 17, have been removed
from the home and placed with Child Protective Services.
The foster children were not victims, Figueroa said.
The foster mother, Rachelle Romano, 24, threw the party
Friday night for the 17-year-old. She gave alcohol to
several teen-age guests and hired the strippers, Figueroa
said.
Romano has been a licensed foster-care parent since
August, said Ken Jensen, deputy director of Child Welfare
Services in Tulare County. Romano, licensed with Tulare
County Health and Human Services, has had "no prior
problems" and passed a background check, Jensen said.
It is not unusual for a foster mother in her early 20s to care
for children in their late teens -- as long as the parent is an
adult, meets certain criteria and passes a background
check, Jensen said.
"If there's a report of abuse, we're going to investigate,"
Jensen said. "We're going to protect the interest of the child
-- that's a given."
Romano, who has not been arrested, likely will face
charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,
police said. If that charge is substantiated, Romano could
lose her foster-care license, Jensen said.
Romano refused to comment.
"I was told not to say anything without my attorney," she
said Wednesday from the front yard of a home in the 1100
block of South County Center Drive in Visalia, where the
party occurred. Romano would not reveal the name of her
attorney.
The party lasted from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., police said.
About 15 guests attended. Roughly half were younger than
18, Figueroa said.
Figueroa said she did not know whether Romano permitted
the alleged sexual acts. One victim left the party and called
police, she said.
Figueroa also said she did not know whether the strippers
run their own business or are affiliated with an
adult-entertainment company.
"It's disgusting that this occurred period," Figueroa said. "A
foster parent or a parent -- period -- to hire strippers for
juveniles and serve alcohol at a party juveniles are attending
is disturbing, criminally and ethically."
