Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Man Convicted Of Abusing Grandchildren During Hike
On August 28, 2011, rangers responded to the Bright Angel Trailhead to contact a man hiking with three children. Upon making contact with the party, the children informed rangers that their grandfather, C.C., had been depriving them of food and water and physically and verbally abusing them along the hike. Rangers learned that C.C. had taken his three grandchildren to the Colorado River and back that day, a 20-mile hike. Recorded temperatures in the shade reached 107 degrees.
Rangers requested the assistance of special agents with the Investigative Services Branch. A cooperative investigation between ISB and rangers was begun and C.C. was arrested. ISB continued the investigation, working collaboratively with rangers and the United States Attorney's Office.
A trial spanning three weeks began on February 15th in the US
District Court in Phoenix. On Wednesday, February 29th, the jury found
Christopher C.C. guilty of three counts of felony child abuse.
C.C. remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing in June.
[Submitted by Investigative Services Branch]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Investigation Leads To Child Porn Conviction
A joint investigation by several law enforcement agencies, including the National Park Service, has resulted in the arrest and conviction of a man for possession of child pornography.
In 2010, the Division of Criminal Investigation of the Montana Department of Justice began looking into an individual who was downloading child pornography. That led them to 57-year-old J.H.D., a concession employee who worked in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park and in Grand Canyon National Park. The subsequent joint investigation by Montana authorities, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service led to J.H.D.'s arrest at Old Faithful in October 2011.
The forensic analysis of J.H.D.'s computers revealed he was in possession of hundreds of images of child pornography that included images of children engaged in sadistic or masochistic abuse or other depictions of violence.
J.H.D. was tried and convicted on federal charges of possession of
child pornography. On March 15th, he was sentenced in the U.S.
District Court for the District of Wyoming to ten years in prison,
followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
[Submitted by Public
Affairs, Yellowstone NP]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Sarah Davis Named Chief Ranger
Sarah Davis has been selected as the chief ranger for Natchez Trace Parkway, replacing Mike Foster, who retired in January.
Davis will be responsible for managing all public safety, resource protection, and fire management operations within the 55,000-acre, 444-mile corridor. The parkway traverses three states and 41 county and municipal jurisdictions and has over 1,000 miles of boundary, 65 miles of national scenic trail, and 3,000 private property owners adjacent to its boundary.
As chief ranger, Davis will manage approximately 50 law enforcement rangers, firefighters, and support staff along with a divisional operating budget of $3.5 million.
"Sarah has an impressive range of experiences and qualifications and we're looking forward to her being a part of the great team here," said superintendent Cam Sholly.
Davis has served as the branch chief for the Branch of Law Enforcement Operations in Washington for the past three years and also served on detail as the deputy chief of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security, and Emergency Services (operations and policy) in 2011. Her field experience includes assignments as deputy chief ranger and acting chief ranger at Harpers Ferry NHP and a wide range of other park assignments, including Manassas NBP, Independence NHP, Assateague Island NS, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Davis has a bachelor's degree in history from Denison University and is scheduled to attend the FBI National Academy in 2013. She will assume duties as chief ranger this May.
[Submitted by Tom Berryhill]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
GL-0025-9 Protection Ranger (Lateral)
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is recruiting for candidates for a lateral to a GL-9 protection ranger position.
Rangers at Lake Mead provide the full spectrum of resource and visitor protection functions in a diverse setting that includes land and water based operations. The protection division manages a high volume of law enforcement incidents, numerous motor vehicle and boat accidents, medical and trauma emergencies, structural fire incidents and a variety of search and rescue incidents, and numerous special events.
The ranger selected will have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of park partners and numerous surrounding local, county, state, and federal agencies. The rangers selected for this position will be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Lake Mead NRA is looking for candidates with NPS law enforcement commissions (Level I preferred) who have drug screening clearance. Certifications that are desirable but are optional include DOI MOCC certification, NPS certified structural firefighter, acceptable fitness (PEB) score according to NPS standards, and NREMT-B certification or higher.
This is a permanent full time position, duty stationed at Katherine's Landing. It is a required occupant position. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be authorized. The ranger assigned to this position will work an alternate work schedule (5-4-9).
Katherine's Landing is located at the very southern end of Lake Mohave within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It receives an average of a million visitors per year. The temperatures in the summer average about 115+ degrees. The temperatures in the winter can dip into the 20's, but average around 50 to 55 degrees. Katherine's Landing is immediately adjacent to Bullhead City, Arizona, and Laughlin, Nevada. Bullhead City is a town of approximately 50,000 residents. It has multiple schools ranging from K-12 to a community college. Bullhead City also has multiple shopping and healthcare options. Laughlin has multiple entertainment options, including casinos and movie theaters and an outlet mall. Area information for Bullhead City can be found at www.bullheadcity.com. Area information on Laughlin can be found at www.visitlaughlin.com.
If you are interested, please submit the following information electronically to Gloria Dunbar (Gloria_Dunbar@nps.gov) by April 11th:
- An OF-612, Optional Application for Federal Employment, or a resume/application.
- A copy of your Level I or Level II law enforcement commission and copies of the following certifications: wildland fire IQCS Red Card, DOIMOCC or U.S. Coast Guard certification, and/or standard first aid, CPR, EMT certification, and any other related certifications.
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal.
- A current SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, documenting permanent competitive civil service status.
For more information on the position, contact Brandon Marsmaker, supervisory park ranger, at 928-754-5606.
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.