OSSIPEE — A Carroll County Superior Court judge is deciding whether a former Kennett High School Key Club adviser charged with counts of sexual assault, witness tampering, attempted possession of child abuse images and providing alcohol to minors should be allowed to split his case into several trials.
Malcolm Badger of Jackson, now 29, who volunteered with KHS’ Key Club International chapter, turned himself in Oct. 25, 2024, to Conway police on a warrant regarding a charge of felonious sexual assault.
kAmq2586C’D 2EE@C?6J[ s2G:5 q@3C@H[ 2C8F65 :? 2 yF=J >@E:@? E@ 2==@H q2586C E@ 86E 7:G6 D6A2C2E6 EC:2=D] ~?6 2==6865 G:4E:> H@F=5 92G6 EH@ EC:2=D F?56C q@3C@H’D A=2?]k^Am
kAmq@3C@H’D >@E:@? H2D 962C5 3J yF586 |2C< pEE@CC: @? s64] h] q@3C@H 2?5 q2586C 2AA62C65 3J G:56@ 4@?76C6?46] pEE@CC: D2:5 96 H@F=5 :DDF6 2? @C56C 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6] pD @7 |@?52J[ 96 925 J6E E@ CF=6]k^Am
kAm“|C] q2586C 2=D@ C6:E6C2E6D 9:D G696>6?E 56?:2= @7 2== @7 E96 2==682E:@?D :? E96 :?5:4E>6?ED[” D2:5 q@3C@H :? 9:D >@E:@?] “w6 92D ?@E 56=2J65 E96 AC@4665:?8D :? E9:D >2EE6C :? 2?J 72D9:@? 2?5 :D 2?I:@FD E@ 255C6DD E96D6 2==682E:@?D]”k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE 4@>A=2:?:?8 H:E?6DD 2==6865 76=@?:@FD D6IF2= 2DD2F=E 2?5 288C2G2E65 76=@?:@FD A2EE6C? D6IF2= 2DD2F=E @? E96 A2CE @7 q2586C] %96 D64@?5 4@>A=2:?:?8 H:E?6DD 2==6865 6?52?86C:?8 E96 H6=72C6 @7 2 49:=5 2?5 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8] %96 E9:C5 2==6865 AC@9:3:E65 D2=6D @7 2=4@9@=[ 2?5 E96 7@FCE9 2==6865 A@DD6DD:@? @7 49:=5 23FD6 :>286D 3J q2586C]k^Am
kAmq@3C@H’D >@E:@? C6BF6DED 2 EC:2= 7@C E96 2==682E:@?D D6IF2= 2DD2F=E[ EH@ EC:2=D 7@C 6?52?86C:?8 E96 H6=72C6 @7 2 49:=5 2?5 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8[ 3C@F89E 3J E96 D2>6 4@>A=2:?:?8 H:E?6DD[ 2?5 2?@E96C EC:2= E@ 255C6DD E96 492C86D @7 AC@G:5:?8 2=4@9@= E@ >:?@CD 2?5 A@DD6DD:?8 49:=5 23FD6 :>286D]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2:? A:646[ x 36=:6G6[ :D E96C6’D ?@ H2J E92E H6 42? 92G6 2 D6IF2= 2DD2F=E 42D6 3C@F89E H:E9 E96 @E96CD[” q@3C@H D2:5[ =2E6C 255:?8 E92E =F>A:?8 2== E96D6 42D6D E@86E96C H@F=5 36 AC6;F5:4:2= 2?5 E96 4@F?ED 2C6 F?C6=2E65 E@ @?6 @E96C]k^Am
kAm%96 42D6D :?G@=G6 5:776C6?E :?5:G:5F2=D[ 5:776C6?E 2==682E:@?D 2?5 5:776C6?E 24E:G:E:6D[ q@3C@H D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE s6AFEJ r@F?EJ pEE@C?6J z:> %6DD2C: 2C8F65 E92E 8:G:?8 q2586C D@ >2?J EC:2=D H@F=5?’E 8:G6 E96 ;FC:6D 2 4=62C A:4EFC6 @7 E96 DE2E6’D 42D6] $96 D2:5 E96 4C:>6D H6C6 4@>>:EE65 F?56C 2 “4@>>@? D496>6” 2?5 DEC6DD65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 4@?E6IE]k^Am
kAm“%96 2==682E:@?D 2C6 E92E |C] q2586C H2D :?G@=G65 H:E9 DEF56?ED 2E E96 z6J r=F3 FA :? r@?H2J 2E z6??6EE w:89 $49@@=] w6 H2D 2 >6?E@C] w6 H2D 2 2FE9@C:EJ 7:8FC6 :? E96 z6J r=F3[” D2:5 %6DD2CC:[ 255:?8 E96 E96 2==682E:@? :D “96 E@=5 E96D6 :>AC6DD:@?23=6 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?ED 96 H@F=5 AC@G:56 E96> 2=4@9@= :7 96 C646:G65 46CE2:? E9:?8D 7C@> E96 <:5D] p?5 E92E’D H96? E96 8C@@>:?8 3692G:@C[ :?4=F5:?8 @FC WD6IF2= 2DD2F=EX G:4E:>[ DE2CED]”k^Am
kAm$96 =2E65 25565[ “w6 H2D D2J:?8 E@ E96 <:5D[ :7 J@F D6?5 >6 E96 ?2<65 A9@E@8C2A9D[ x H:== D6?5 J@F E96 2=4@9@=]”k^Am
kAm%9:D “8C@@>:?8” 6G6?EF2==J =65 E@ E96 D6IF2= 2DD2F=E[ %6DD2CC: D2:5] $96 2=D@ D2:5 q2586C 8@E “E:AA65 @77” E@ E96 A@=:46 :?G6DE:82E:@? 2?5 H:A65 9:D A9@?6 367@C6 :E 4@F=5 36 D6:K65] tG:56?46 @7 9:D 4@?5F4E H2D 7@F?5 @? 2 G:4E:>’D A9@?6D 3FE ?@E 9:D[ D96 2==6865]k^Am
kAmx? 2 =6EE6C E@ E96 65:E@C :? yF=J[ z6J r=F3’D =6256CD9:A @>A=2:?65 23@FE E96 $F?’D 7@4FD @? q2586C’D 4@??64E:@? E@ E96 z6J r=F3] “%96 5676?52?E H2D :?G@=G65 :? D6G6C2= DEF56?E 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 8C@FAD 2?5 ‘925 DFAA=:65 E@ 2 =2C86 ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED] *6E J@FC 9625=:?6 D:?8=6D @FE z6J r=F3[ @>:EE:?8 9:D 3C@256C 277:=:2E:@?D 2?5 72:=:?8 E@ 4=2C:7J H96E96C 2?J G:4E:>D H6C6 6G6? >6>36CD @7 @FC 4=F3[” :E D2:5k^Am
kAm%96 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8 492C86 D2JD 96 E@=5 2 >:?@C ?@E E@ D2J 2?JE9:?8 :?4C:>:?2E:?8 E@ A@=:46] $96 D2:5 E96 492C86 96=AD E6== E96 DE@CJ 2?5 D9@HD H9J 46CE2:? 6G:56?46 H@F=5?’E 92G6 366? 7@F?5 @? 9:D A9@?6]k^Am
kAmpEE@CC: 2D<65 H92E q2586C 5:5 7@C E96 z6J r=F3[ 2?5 %6DD2CC: D2:5 96 DFA6CG:D65 E96 4=F3 >6>36CD] w6 H2D ?@E 2 D49@@= 6>A=@J66]k^Am
kAmpEE@CC: 2D<65 H96E96C 2== E96 G:4E:>D H6C6 z6J r=F3 >6>36CD[ 2?5 %6DD2CC: D2:5 D96 36=:6G6D E96 :56?E:7:65 G:4E:>D H6C6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 z6J r=F3 3FE D2:5 q2586C 2=D@ AC@G:5:?8 @E96C DEF56?ED H:E9 2=4@9@=^>2C:;F2?2]k^Am
kAm“%96 2==682E:@?D :D E92E 96 H@F=5 368:? DA62<:?8 H:E9 2 DEF56?E[ 86EE:?8 4=@D6C E@ E96>[ 2D<:?8 E96> 23@FE E96:C D6IF2= 6IA6C:6?46D[ 2?5 E92E ?@E9:?8 H2D @77 =:>:ED[” D96 D2:5] “w6’D E2=<:?8 E@ E96 <:5D 23@FE E96:C D6IF2= AC@4=:G:E:6D[ 2?5 E92E’D 9@H 96 86ED E@ <?@H H9:49 @?6D 2C6 DFD46AE:3=6 E@ E2<:?8 :E 2 DE6A 7FCE96C]”k^Am
kAm$96 25565[ “x? G6CJ 76H 42D6D[ 5@ x 92G6 DF49 2 4=62C >@5FD @A6C2?5: H96C6 H6 42? D66 9:D :?E6?E 2?5 D66 :E A=2J @FE H:E9 E96D6 DEF56?ED]”k^Am
kAm%96 :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ q2586C H2D :?:E:2E65 3J $49@@= #6D@FC46 ~77:46C r@CJ qC2?5@?] qC2?5@? C6A@CE65 E92E 32D65 @? :?7@C>2?ED 2E E96 9:89 D49@@=[ q2586C 925 DFAA=:65 2=4@9@=:4 36G6C286D E@ “2 =2C86 ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED[” A@=:46 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~? y2?] `f[ q2586C H2D :?5:4E65 3J 2 r2CC@== r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE 8C2?5 ;FCJ]k^Am
kAm%96 >@DE D6C:@FD 492C86 :D 2 DA64:2= 76=@?J\=6G6= 4@F?E @7 288C2G2E65 76=@?:@FD D6IF2= 2DD2F=E[ H9:49 42CC:6D 2 AC:D@? D6?E6?46 @7 FA E@ a_ J62CD :? AC:D@? 2?5 2 Sc[___ 7:?6]k^Am
kAm%96 492C86 2==686D E92E 36EH66? y2?F2CJ 2?5 |2J a_ac[ q2586C E@F4965 2 8:C= F?56C `e J62CD @=5 >F=E:A=6 E:>6D] p r=2DD q 76=@?:@FD D6IF2= 2DD2F=E :?5:4E>6?E[ D2JD q2586C E@F4965 E96 D2>6 8:C= H9:=6 96 H2D 2 G@=F?E66C 2E z6??6EE w:89 $49@@= 2?5 D96 H2D 2 DEF56?E]k^Am
kAmp? :?5:4E>6?E 2==68:?8 q2586C 4@>>:EE65 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8 D2JD q2586C E@=5 2?@E96C 76>2=6 DEF56?E E92E 96 H2D F?56C :?G6DE:82E:@? 2?5 “2D<65 96C ?@E E@ D2J 2?JE9:?8 :?4C:>:?2E:?8 E@ E96 A@=:46]” %96 H:E?6DD E2>A6C:?8 :?5:4E>6?E :D 36:?8 492C865 2D 2 r=2DD q 76=@?J 2?5 :D AF?:D923=6 3J FA E@ D6G6? J62CD :? AC:D@?]k^Am
kAmp? :?5:4E>6?E 2==68:?8 2EE6>AE65 A@DD6DD:@? @7 49:=5 A@C?@8C2A9J D2JD E92E q2586C D@=:4:E65 2 `f\J62C\@=5 3@J 7@C 2 A:4EFC6 @7 9:D 86?:E2=D] %9:D :?5:4E>6?E :D 36:?8 492C865 2D 2 r=2DD p 76=@?J AF?:D923=6 3J FA E@ `d J62CD :? AC:D@?]k^Am
kAmq2586C 7246D >:D56>62?@CD 7@C 2==6865=J DFAA=J:?8 >2C:;F2?2 2?5 2=4@9@= E@ >:?@CD]k^Am
kAmq2586C[ H9@ :D 7C66 @? 32:=[ 8C25F2E65 7C@> z6??6EE w:89 $49@@= :? a_`c] w6 D6CG65 2D z6J r=F3 5:DEC:4E 8@G6C?@C 7@C 2== @7 }6H t?8=2?5 2?5 q6C>F52 5FC:?8 9:D D6?:@C J62C 2?5 925 366? 2 z:H2?:D 25G:D6C D:?46 a_a`]k^Am
kAm$p& h $FA6C:?E6?56?E p:>66 uC6496EE6 DE2E65 E92E q2586C H2D ?@E 2? 25G:D6C 9:C65 3J E96 r@?H2J $49@@= q@2C5 3FE H2D 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E96 4=F3 E9C@F89 z:H2?:D]k^Am
kAmq2586C’D 42D6 :D D4965F=65 7@C ;FCJ D6=64E:@? @? |2J c]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.