Polygraph Operator Ronald P. Bae Indicted for Felony Sexual Abuse

[George W. Maschke]

Ronald P. Bae

Polygraph operator and criminal justice professor Ronald Phillip Bae of Cottonwood, Alabama has been indicted by a grand jury on a felony charge of sexual abuse. Bae is a member of the Georgia Polygraph Association and also the Florida Polygraph Association, where his member profile indicates that he is additionally a member of the American Polygraph Association and the Alabama Polygraph Association.

http://www2.dothaneagle.com/dea/News/crime_courts/article/criminal_justice_professor_indicted/123781/#comments

Troy criminal justice professor indicted
By Matt Elofson
Published: January 19, 2010
Updated: January 19, 2010

A Houston County grand jury recently returned an indictment against a local criminal justice professor, charging him with sex abuse of a 21-year-old female student.

Court records show an indictment was returned Friday, charging Ronald Phillip Bae with felony first-degree sex abuse. Bae, 62, of Cottonwood, was originally arrested by Dothan police detectives in early November 2009. He was released from custody shortly after his arrest after he posted a $15,000 bond. Records show the bond will remain the same for the new indictment charge.

The December 2009 grand jury reported out Friday with an indictment that charged Bae with subjecting a woman to sexual contact by force.

Bae's defense lawyers, John White and Billy Joe Sheffield II, had asked for a preliminary hearing on the sex abuse charge in early December, but District Attorney Doug Valeska said he would not prosecute the charge against Bae and there was no hearing. In December Valeska said he still planned to present the case to a grand jury, and only declined to prosecute Bae in December to prevent the victim of the alleged crime from having to repeatedly tell her story of what happened.

Troy University Dothan officials earlier confirmed the victim was a student at the university. Bae had been placed on paid administrative leave. He has worked at Troy for more than 20 years.

Police said the alleged crime happened at Bae's business, Bae Polygraph & Hypnosis Center, located on North Oates Street near downtown Dothan. Court records show the alleged offense happened on Oct. 29, 2009.

If convicted of the class C felony charge, first-degree sex abuse, he faces one to 10 years in prison.

Court records show Bae was also charged with misdemeanor harassment in 2006, during which a woman alleged he inappropriately touched her. White represented him on that charge. Records show he was found not guilty.

In 2001, Bae gave a presentation to the Southern Criminal Justice Association titled, "Sex Offender Polygraph Testing, Is it Necessary? – You Decide!"

[yankeedog]

In 2001, Bae gave a presentation to the Southern Criminal Justice Association titled, "Sex Offender Polygraph Testing, Is it Necessary? – You Decide!"

George,

If the charges in the indictment are true, then I guess that would indeed make Bae a subject matter expert, would it not?

[NextOnDeck]

I don't believe these allegations at all.  I know Ronald Bae personally.  He was my advisor and a professor for several of my classes when I was in school at Troy.  While he may occasionally say things that some would term "inappropriate", I have never heard anyone say anything untoward about him at all.  I've been alone with him several times in his office on and off campus.  Never did anything inappropriate at all. 

[Waterloo]

I have investigated many cases of women filing fraudulent accusations against men for such motives as revenge, money, etc.  I fully support polygraph of these people who are prone to lie.

[stefano]

I have investigated many cases of women filing fraudulent accusations against men for such motives as revenge, money, etc.I fully support polygraph of these people who are prone to lie. 

My initial gut reaction is to sympathize with this position. However, in the human population, you have some ogres who are very abusive to women, and then again, you have vicious shrews who will use measures designed to protect women as a means of exploitation. Depending on a controversial "test" to sort them out may just make matters worse.

[George W. Maschke]

I've just learned the outcome of the case against Alabama polygraph examiner Ronald P. Bae, who was indicted on a felony sexual abuse charge in 2010. In 2012, a jury found Bae not guilty:

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/former-criminal-justice-professor-acquitted-of-sex-abuse/article_223bfff5-d121-5bb1-989b-fa9b7013f293.html


Former criminal justice professor acquitted of sex abuse

Posted: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 7:04 pm

Matt Elofson

A Houston County jury found a former Dothan criminal justice professor not guilty of molesting one of his students.

Attorney Billy Joe Sheffield II said his client Ronald Phillip Bae, 65, of Cottonwood, was acquitted of his felony first-degree sex abuse charge. Sheffield said the jury deliberated less than 20 minutes before returning their verdict late Wednesday afternoon in front of Circuit Court Judge Kevin Moulton.

Dothan police arrested Bae on Nov. 4, 2009, less than a week after the alleged sex offense happened.

Police charged him with felony first-degree sex abuse of a 21-year-old female student at Troy University Dothan where he formerly worked as a professor. Sheffield said Bae retired after the accusation came out. Bae had worked at the university for more than 20 years. Attorney John White also represented Bae at trial.

Police said the alleged crime happened at Bae's business, Bae Polygraph & Hypnosis Center, located on North Oates Street near downtown Dothan. Court records show the offense is alleged to have happened on Oct. 29, 2009.
If convicted of the class C felony charge of first-degree sex abuse, Bae faced one to 10 years in prison.

Court records show Bae was also charged with misdemeanor harassment in 2006, during which a woman alleged he had inappropriately touched her. White represented him on that charge, and he was later acquitted of that charge.

Sheffield said he questioned the alleged victim's timing in reporting the offense to the police, and why she waited four days to report it.

"He performed a polygraph test on her, but all the accusations she said were unfounded," Sheffield said. "She indicated Dr. Bae told her to take off her shirt, but our witness that was in the office said that never occurred."

Sheffield said after his client was acquitted of a similar offense several years earlier his client started a policy to never do a polygraph test at his office alone. Sheffield said his client's wife was supposed to be there that day in 2009, but instead the parent of another student was there in another nearby room.

Sheffield said his client planned to reopen his polygraph business in Dothan.
"When you're running a business it's always best to have a witness there to protect you. In this case it's her word against his except for the fact Dr. Bae had somebody else in the office," Sheffield said. "We're a hundred percent in agreement with the verdict, and we're just glad it's all over with."

Assistant Houston County District Attorney Patrick Amason questioned why Bae didn't do the polygraph test at the school where there would be more people around.

"This is a student teacher relationship. She trusted him and he was her instructor. There's no evidence whatsoever she fabricated her story," Amason said. "The defense pulls out a magic witness two and a half years later that now claims he was there when this happened, yet he never went to the police."

Amason said these types of cases are "very" tough because it's often the victim's word against the defendant's word.

"It came down to the fact this girl stood up for what was right. She had the courage to stand up and do what's right and follow it through all the way to court with the hope they would hear her story so this wouldn't happen to anybody else," Amason said. "Unfortunately the jury didn't see it that way. She's very upset about the outcome, but she understands how the judicial system works. She can hold her head up high knowing she did the right thing by coming forward."

[Aunty Agony]

...after [Dr. Bae] was acquitted of a similar offense several years earlier [he] started a policy to never do a polygraph test at his office alone.

If true, this was a good idea.

This is another good reason to videotape all polygraph sessions.  In fact it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a camera in the reception room too.

Of course the tapes would be subject to subpoena, but at least everyone would be protected against false accusations.

-Aunty.

[Wandersmann]

This is another good reason to videotape all polygraph sessions.  In fact it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a camera in the reception room too.

Of course the tapes would be subject to subpoena, but at least everyone would be protected against false accusations.

Good idea Aunty, but I doubt most polygraph examiners would go for it.  The shoddy, inaccurate reporting of many of them might be exposed.