Youth Program Director Arrested, Charged With Lewd Acts On Minors

Update 1/29/10 2:30pm

Jason Rampey with the Greenville Police Department says Caples posted bond Thursday night through a bonding company.

Update 1/28/10 5pm
Greenville Police investigators have arrested the director of a youth program and charged him with committing lewd acts on minors.

Police arrested Robert Francis Caples, 29, of 14 Atwood St., Apt. 1, in Greenville, and charged him with two counts of committing a lewd act upon children under the age of 16, criminal sexual misconduct of a minor under age 11 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to a prepared statement from the Police Department, Caples may have sexually assaulted two children from June 2009-September 2009 while they traveled and resided with him.

The report states that at some point, the children went on a trip with Caples to Texas and when they returned, they told their grandmother that while they stayed with Caples at his home and on the trip, they slept in the same bed and bathed with Caples and did not want to do so. In a warrant obtained by the Greenville Police Department, Caples is also accused of inappropriately touching the children in private places.

The report says that Caples was asked to care for them by their mother.

Caples is currently being held at the Greenville County Detention Center on $40,000 bond.

Caples is the director of Greenville-based YouthBASE program according to their website. The YouthBASE website says it is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that "exists for kids who need more intensive support to be successful behaviorally, academically, socially and emotionally."

The organization's website states that children are referred by schools, other after-school programs, their families and are accepted into their program based on a multi-dimensional assessment. It further states that each child comes to YouthBASE five or more days each week, from 2:30-8 pm and are provided with transportation to and from the program. The website says that activities range from reading intervention to therapeutic arts, and are delivered in a family-like setting.

The website states that they are a resource for other community-based organizations interested in enhancing their programs with research-based behavioral and academic intervention strategies.

Caples biography on the organization's website states that he has 10 years of experience in afterschool and community-based education programs and has worked with several Boys and Girls Club organizations, YMCA, The United Way of Greenville County, several Parks and Recreation Departments, faith-based organizations, schools and other community-based organizations as a voluntee, employee, researcher, founder, director and consultant. He works with YouthBASE in providing organizational leadership, as well as program management, training and consultation.

The Board of The Directors of YouthBASE released this statement this evening:

"The Board of Directors of YouthBASE has learned today for the first time of the allegations made against Bobby Caples, Execution Director of YouthBASE.
The Board does not have any specific information regarding the allegations made against Mr. Caples. For that reason, the Board does not have any comment on those allegations.
Due to the nature of these allegations, however, the Board of Direction has immediately suspended Mr. Caples as Executive Director of YouthBASE pending appropriate inquiry. Mr. Caples will not be serving YouthBASE in any capacity during the suspension.
Effective immediately, Jessie McGuire, YouthBASE’s Assistant Director, will serve as acting Director of YouthBASE. Under Ms. McGuire’s direction, we will continue to provide programming to the youth of our community.
Due to the nature of YouthBASE programming and the youth of the participants we serve, YouthBASE respectfully requests that the media respect the privacy of our young participants. No further comment will be made at this time. "