Richard Rucker

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Richard Parnell Rucker Sr. is a former Twin Cities school instructor who was accused, in May 2006, of having sexual contact with two female students. As of May 2006, he is being held in the Washington County Jail.

[edit] Molestation case

In May 2006, at the age of 42, while working at Roseville Area High School, Rucker was arrested and charged with molestation. While running an after-school diversity program in Cottage Grove, Minnesota (ISD #833, he allegedly had sexual contact with two junior high girls sometime in between 2003 and August 2005. A criminal complaint was filed in Washington County, Minnesota against the man. According to the complaint, both girls were younger than 16 when the contact began. Rucker went on paid leave on April 26, 2005, and Roseville Area School District spokeswoman Sally Latimer said that it is "highly unlikely" that the Mr. Rucker will return to the high school. Rucker held a position at a school in South Washington County, working in issues related to racial integration. It was there that the molestation allegedly began. When he moved to Roseville, he passed a background check before being hired. He had previously had low-level sex offenses in Minneapolis, but those reports were expunged from his police record. On Friday, November 3, 2006 Rucker was found guilty of felony first and second-degree criminal sexual conduct according to Sue Harris, the assistant county attorney for Washington County. He faces up to 23 years in prison. On January 19, 2007 he was handed down the maximum 24 year sentence with a parole opportunity as early as 2023.

It was during a Project Alliance program that Rucker met on of the girls. The program at Oltman Junior High School in St. Paul Park helped students with homework and promoted diversity and multicultural education. E-mails, instant messaging (IM), and Myspace.com corespondance were submitted into evidence at the trial. The second girl was met in September of 2003 at Project Alliance at Lake Junior High School in Woodbury, Minnesota.

- It is important to note that at least one media source described Mr. Rucker as a social worker. It is unclear what Mr. Rucker's educational background is or his qualifications for positions held but a review of licensed social workers in Minnesota revealed that Mr. Rucker is NOT a licensed social worker in Minnesota. A check of anyone by that name being registerd as a current of past teacher ( November, 2006) in the Minnesota Department of Education turned up negative.