Mesa Legend - ARCHIVES - Vol. 38, Issue 14


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Volume 38, Issue 14.
May 8, 2001

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Dismissal motion filed by Dickson

BY JOE WATSON
MESA LEGEND
Submitted May 8, 2001

Bruce Dickson is currently working at the MCCD offices in Tempe.

A Windham County (Vt.) Superior Court judge is considering two motions to dismiss three felony charges–one of aggravated stalking and two of unlawful restraint– against Maricopa Community College District employee Bruce Dickson.

However, new court records released April 26 indicate that Dickson’s Vermont attorney, John C. Mabie, may have trouble winning such a decision in light of alleged comments Dickson made to a 14-year-old girl he met in an Internet chat room.

Judge John P. Wesley is considering Mabie’s motions to dismiss the charges on the grounds that the defense believes the substantive elements of the case have not been met, mainly because no sexual contact has been alleged and the teen-aged girl was a willing participant in "cyber-sex" sessions even after she found out Dickson’s true identity.

Upon their first contact, Dickson, 44, allegedly wrote to the girl that he was a 16-year-old boy.

"There is no evidence the defendant was harassing the alleged victim," Mabie wrote in his motion, according to The Associated Press.

Windham County prosecutors have since filed a response to Mabie’s motions, and Wesley should return with a decision any day.

The Associated Press also reported that recently revealed court records say that Dickson told the girl from Dummerston, Vt., through e-mails and actual visits last year that he wanted to "take her far, far away," possibly to Arizona, and that the two could "disappear and never be found."

Neither Dickson, who is currently working at the MCCD office in Tempe on "special assignment" as a business manager, nor Mabie have responded to the Mesa Legend’s repeated attempts for comment.

Last October, Dickson was arrested while staying in a Vermont hotel room for allegedly stalking and harassing the 14-year-old through e-mails and in-person.

Upon the arrest, Windham County sheriff’s deputies, working in conjunction with the Vermont State Police and the FBI, confiscated a small, brown teddy bear intended as a gift for the girl, a blue velveteen box with a heart-shaped charm necklace, and a compact disk with the song "Beauty and the Beast," the couple’s supposed "special song," from Dickson’s rented Hyundai Sonata.

Then, on Nov. 2 and 3 Chandler Police detectives served two search warrants at Dickson’s Chandler home and at his office in MCC’s fiscal department.

Between both searches, at least two computer processing units, as well as magnetic tape, disks and e-mail transmissions were seized.

Police also seized travel itineraries and a photo of an unidentified girl from Dickson’s desk at MCC.

Judge Wesley did grant Mabie’s third motion April 26, which required the prosecution to be in possession of all evidence by May 4.

Chief Deputy Henry Farnum of the Windham County Sheriff’s Office said in a telephone interview that there was a substantial amount of evidence from the Chandler Police searches that he had yet to obtain because of the department’s ongoing investigation of Dickson.

"I do hope that we can receive that evidence in time," Farnum said, "but by no means is our case against Mr. Dickson contingent upon that evidence.

"We have enough information here, and we have a very willing, very mature witness (in the alleged victim)."

At press time, it was unknown whether Farnum had received the awaited evidence, nor whether Judge Wesley had ruled on the motions to dismiss.

Farnum added that six Arizona law enforcement officers have received subpoenas to appear for Dickson’s jury trial, if and when that occurs.

According to a Chandler Police spokesman, their investigation has ended and all evidence has been turned over to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

If convicted, Dickson could receive up to 15 years in prison.