GRAFORD, Texas — A former YMCA camp counselor has been accused of sexually assaulting a child, forcing multiple sheriff's offices to start looking for other victims.
On Friday, the Palo Pinto County Sheriff's Office arrested James Barth on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a minor. Barth was released the same day on a $250,000 bond.
The incident ties back to June 2018 when Barth worked for YMCA's Camp Grady Spruce in Graford, Texas. He started working at the camp in May 2018. Barth is accused of forcing a child under the age of 14 to perform a sexual act on him.
In October of this year, the Palo Pinto Sheriff's Office told the YMCA that a parent reported this alleged incident described by their child. The YMCA said the organization immediately fired Barth after learning about this information.
Neil Rosenbaum is YMCA's district executive director, and he said Barth passed YMCA background screening requirements, and his pre-employment checks were clean. Barth also had no criminal record or disciplinary issues before the YMCA hired him, officials said.
Rosenbaum sent out a letter to parents after firing Barth, saying in part:
"Child safety is the foundation of our youth development programs. We do not tolerate any violation of our child protection standards. We are committed to providing safe places for children to learn, grow and thrive."
After working for Camp Grady Spruce in 2018, he transitioned to Collin County Adventure Camp in 2019. The reason for this change was to give him more flexible hours to go back to school, according to the YMCA.
Since Barth worked at two different camps, both the Palo Pinto County Sheriff's Office and the Collin County Sheriff's Office are looking into any other potential incidents.
If a child brings up any behavior he or she deems inappropriate, the parents are asked to call the Palo Pinto County Sheriff's Office at 940-659-2085 and the Collin County Sheriff's Office at 972-547-5100.
The YMCA is also offering tips for parents when talking with young children about these topics, which you can find here. You can also reach the YMCA at 214-880-9622.
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