Criminal trial begins for Wharton prof

and Brett Levinson The prosecution and the defense continued to wrangle on Friday over the circumstances surrounding Marketing Professor Scott Ward's relationship with a teenage boy in 1990 and 1991. Because of the boy's age, he is identified in court only by the initials "B.M." The charges against Ward stem from an October 3, 1993 sting operation in which he allegedly offered money for sex to Sean McMahon, an undercover state trooper posing as a 15-year-old boy. On October 12, 1993, Ward turned himself in to authorities on charges he had had sexual contact with B.M. in 1990 and 1991, beginning when the boy was 13. Ward is alleged to have had oral sex with him between 50 and 100 times. Ward is currently being tried for his alleged relationship with B.M. A criminal suit based on his solicitation of McMahon will follow. He also faces a civil suit filed by B.M. In his opening argument on Thursday, Ward's lead attorney, Jean Green, painted his client as an altruistic benefactor who aided B.M. under the auspices of the Rebound Foundation. Ward, who founded Rebound, has claimed that the foundation was comprised of faculty and students at the University, and its goal was to aid school dropouts. He also portrayed B.M. as a manipulator who knew he stood to gain financially by making accusations against Ward. In his opening argument, Montgomery County Deputy District Attorney Mark Miller characterized Ward's relationship with B.M. as one contingent upon sexual favors. He portrayed Ward as the manipulator, claiming that Rebound was merely a front that allowed the professor easy access to B.M. and other young boys under the guise of charity. Miller played for the all-white jury of eight men and four women a videotape seized from Ward's Ardmore mansion depicting young men engaged in oral sex. He also showed them photographs of naked boys holding each other, which had been seized by detectives from Ward's computer. Public social worker Sidney Arnette, who has worked with B.M. in the past, testified on Friday morning. Arnette said in a letter that B.M. was a "world-class manipulator," and that he had falsely accused his stepfather of sexual abuse. Arnette also read from two letters Ward had written to him about B.M. on Rebound Foundation stationery. In a letter dated December 21, 1990, Ward offered his help in the reassimilation of B.M. into a mainstream school. He also offered to assist in his social development through the Rebound Foundation. Ward also said in the letter that he had brought toiletries to B.M. on his visits to the Sleighton School, a Delaware County school for delinquent youths. In a second and longer letter in which he outlined short and long-term goals for the youth's progress, Ward claimed to have a Ph.D. in psychology. B.M. had also spent a weekend at Ward's home over Christmas, the letter stated. Ward's detailed goals for the boy included Ward's continuing visits to Sleighton, scholastic testing, medical care and more home visits for B.M. The defense stated that Ward had helped another girl by financing her general equivalency diploma test through the Rebound Foundation. Miller pointed out, however, that the assistance only amounted to $45. Robert Anderson, director of personal and social services at Sleighton, took the stand Friday afternoon as a witness for the prosecution. He characterized B.M. as trustworthy, and a student who demonstrated marked academic and personal improvement during his first year at the school. During Green's cross-examination, Anderson also read from B.M.'s 12-month progress report at Sleighton, which stated that "Ward has been a positive father role model for [B.M]." He also said B.M. is "a person who manipulated to survive rather than to gain monetary or physical advantage." But Sleighton Residential Recreation Counselor Lynn Marino, who was unable to identify Ward in the courtroom during her testimony, remembered B.M. as a manipulator. "He'd ask kids to borrow money, and tell them he'd repay them when he got more money from Scott," she said. Marino added that Ward periodically gave her money and cartons of cigarettes to give to B.M. Jeffrey Parks, a social worker who worked with B.M. and his family under the auspices of Child Abuse Prevention Efforts, testified that B.M. "had limited skills," and that "he'd probably be able to manipulate people of lesser intelligence, but not someone more intelligent than him. Parks also wrote in the report that B.M. was reportedly seen on a street corner in Kensington known to be frequented by male prostitutes. The trial will likely continue through this week. Ward, who continues his professorial duties throughout the legal proceedings, maintains his innocence.

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