Dan Whitehead, Ex-Brophy Teacher, Arrested for Alleged Sexual Abuse of Students in ’80s

By Matthew Hendley Mon

blogs.phoenixnewtimes

Dan Whitehead, the former Brophy College Preparatory instructor who was fired from the Jesuit school in November for alleged sexual misconduct with students, was arrested this weekend on sexual-assault and sexual-abuse charges.

Whitehead, 71, was canned after two ex-students told school officials that Whitehead had molested them in the ’80s, but those men said they didn’t want to be involved in a police investigation.

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According to court documents obtained by New Times, Phoenix police found several former students to come forward and tell detectives about their encounters with Whitehead.

The first alleged victim a 1989 Brophy graduate, told police that he was 17 when Whitehead asked him and some of his classmates if they would stay at his house while he was away.

However, Whitehead said the boys would have to go through some “training” for this task, which included drinking alcohol and watching porno, according to the documents.

When one boy got sick from drinking, Whitehead said he ought to take off his clothes so he didn’t vomit all over them. He did that, barfed, and went to bed.

The alleged victim told police that Whitehead then came into the bedroom and stroked his hair,  then brushed his hand against his penis. When the boy yelled, one of his classmates came in the room, which marked the end of that incident.

Another student who talked to police — a 1983 graduate — said Whitehead used to tutor him at Whitehead’s home.

He also said Whitehead offered him beer, and said Whitehead told him he needed to sleep at his house because he had too much to drink. The boy did so, but told police that when he woke up, Whitehead was next to him in bed and “pressing his body” against him, according to the documents.

The other student who spoke to police — a 1989 graduate — told police a similar story. He was 17, and agreed to watch Whitehead’s house. He went to Whitehead’s house, drank alcohol, and fell asleep in a guest bedroom.

This former student also told police Whitehead got in bed with him, but said that Whitehead started to “fondle his anus and scrotum with pressure,” according to the documents.

He told police he didn’t know what to do, as he said Whitehead was saying “soothing” words to him, but the alleged victim just wondered when it would stop.

He said that Whitehead eventually left the room, but he was scared that Whitehead would “come after him” if he left, so he waited until the morning before getting out of there, and never had any contact with Whitehead again.

Police attempted to interview Whitehead, but court documents state that he refused, and asked for a lawyer.

Whitehead faces several charges, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, giving obscene material to minors, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bond was set at $50,000.

Whitehead was a math instructor at Brophy, and had been there since 1967.

This article was written by Matthew Hendley Mon  and originally published on blogs.phoenixnewtimes