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An August trial date has been set for an accused child molester in Kosciusko County.
Jury selection for the trial of Anthony DeMarco, 25, of 205 S. Oak St., Mentone, will begin Aug. 23 at 8:30 a.m. in Kosciusko Superior Court.
DeMarco is accused of molesting three boys under the age of 14 and faces Class A felony child molesting charges. He is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on a $250,000 surety bond.
Kosciusko Superior Court I Judge Duane Huffer issued a gag order in the case March 22 after DeMarco's attorney filed a document to request it, citing media attention surrounding the case and the possibility of tainting the jury pool. Public documents filed regarding the case are still available in the Kosciusko County Justice Building, but officials involved in the case are not allowed to comment.
Since March 7, the Warsaw Police Department and Kosciusko County Child Protective Services have been investigating the case.
DeMarco was suspended from his part-time job at the Kosciusko Community YMCA March 9 after the allegations surfaced. The YMCA then issued a letter to its members and released a statement regarding the incident.
Police believe many of the victims were introduced to DeMarco during his employment at the YMCA and related camps and outings. DeMarco was hired at the Kosciusko Community YMCA as the youth sports coordinator in 2001 and held various positions over the past four years. He was a youth center supervisor, climbing wall supervisor and was involved in various summer camps, Kids' Night Out activities and Kids' Club before- and after-school activities.
DeMarco was a fourth- and fifth-grade basketball coach at the former Burket Elementary School, a substitute teacher in the area and a reserve police officer in Mentone and Silver Lake. He also was employed at Whitley County YMCA.
Police established probable cause for DeMarco's arrest after interviewing children who implicated him for allegedly molesting them. DeMarco allegedly befriended parents, then found ways to be alone with their children, usually young boys.
DeMarco appeared and entered a plea of not guilty in Kosciusko Superior Court I in front of Judge Duane Huffer at an initial hearing March 14.
