BURNSVILLE, Minn. - A Burnsville police detective testified Friday that early in his investigation, he moved quickly to arrest a scoutmaster accused of sexually abusing scouts after learning that he worked for a school bus company.
Peter Stibal II, whose child sex-abuse trial continues Monday in Hastings, was a transportation coordinator for special-needs students at First Student's Burnsville office. He'd drive a bus when the company was short on drivers.
On Friday, Detective Jeff Pfaff, lead investigator in the Stibal case, said that soon after police first spoke to Stibal about allegations that he had assaulted a scout for years, Pfaff learned that Stibal had access to students through his job, so he wanted him quickly arrested.
Stibal, 46, of Burnsville, says he's innocent. Free on $500,000 bail, he's no longer involved in scouts or First Student.
The trial this week involves two counts of first-degree and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving one alleged victim when he was a minor.
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After this trial, Stibal could face prosecution on three more counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving three more alleged victims from Burnsville Troop 650, and on six felony counts of possession of child pornography.
Pfaff said Stibal repeatedly lied to him during a search of his house in October 2009, saying that he did not have a video or stories in a computer that the alleged victim claimed he saw. Police did find the alleged child pornography.
The jurors weren't told that the items were child porn because Stibal isn't on trial for that. The items were described only as a video and stories so as not to prejudice jurors.
Defense attorney Fred Bruno contends that the alleged victim's motives could be for money or revenge against Stibal, who once showered attention and gifts on him as a "favorite" scout. The victim has testified that he wants justice, not money or revenge.
Bruno questioned the 21-year-old and his father about one meeting they had with an attorney more than a year ago. Twin Cities psychotherapist Mic Hunter testified that in January 2010, the scout sought his help in telling his parents he didn't want to sue. The parents came to Hunter's office, where the scout told them that.
Defense arguments begin on Monday.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
