Lino Donato is serving his second term as Mayor of Poteet, NM. He's also currently facing three counts of indecency with a child.
According to at least one website, the Mayor is allowed to hold his position until he is convicted of a felony or resigns.
What really makes me curious is that the first charge is for something that happened tens years ago... and the last one almost six years ago. While it's not unusual for children to remain silent for that long, it does raise questions on the possibility of other victims. And of course, questions as to why such a great amount of time has went by between when the acts occurred and when the acts were reported.
I'll keep an eye on this one, and update with any new information that may be found. If you're from the area and have any thoughts regarding this... feel free to pass them along.
Atascosa County Sheriff Tommy Williams said Donato was released after posting a $70,000 bond.
[...]
Although authorities continued to be tight-lipped today regarding the details of the allegations, court records show the mayor is accused of exposing himself to two girls for his gratification. The first incident occurred nearly 10 years ago on Dec. 1, 1996. The second was Nov. 26, 2000.
Donato also is accused of improperly touching one of the girls on Feb. 1, 1997, when she was 6.
According to at least one website, the Mayor is allowed to hold his position until he is convicted of a felony or resigns.
What really makes me curious is that the first charge is for something that happened tens years ago... and the last one almost six years ago. While it's not unusual for children to remain silent for that long, it does raise questions on the possibility of other victims. And of course, questions as to why such a great amount of time has went by between when the acts occurred and when the acts were reported.
I'll keep an eye on this one, and update with any new information that may be found. If you're from the area and have any thoughts regarding this... feel free to pass them along.