July 13, 2001|By Jennifer McMenamin | Jennifer McMenamin,SUN STAFF
A Carroll County grand jury indicted a longtime Taneytown Elementary School teacher yesterday on 31 counts of sexually abusing six young boys, including one who has stepped forward since the teacher was arrested last month.
Harold W. Fair Jr., 49, who has taught math at Taneytown Elementary and Northwest Middle schools for 27 years, is charged with two second-degree sex offenses. He also is charged with 20 counts of child abuse, four third-degree sex offenses, four fourth-degree sex offenses and one count of sodomy. A conviction on each count could carry a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.
Police have identified one additional victim - now 20 years old - since Fair was arrested June 7 and charged with 14 counts of child abuse and sex crimes.
Carroll County Deputy State's Attorney Tracy A. Gilmore said the additional charges stem from separating the scenes where the incidents are alleged to have occurred. Fair is accused of abusing some boys at the elementary school and at his Taneytown residence. The indictments reflect a separate charge for fondling that police say occurred in both places.
Fair's attorney, Thomas C. Morrow, said yesterday that he had not seen the indictments and declined to say much about the case.
"What I have seen ... of the charges would suggest to me that the case is defensible, and we intend to vigorously contest the allegations," Morrow said.
