Case vs. Ward suffers a setback

Key conversation wasn't recorded The Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney's case against Marketing Professor Scott Ward suffered a setback during a preliminary hearing held Monday in Ardmore. District Judge Caroline Stine questioned one of the two cases brought against Ward after it was discovered that a microphone – supposedly recording a key conversation between Ward and an undercover state trooper posing as a minor – did not work properly. Stine postponed sending the case to the Court of Common Pleas. However, Stein did send a second case against Ward to the Court of Common Pleas. That case involves a 17-year-old boy's claim that he had sexual contact with Ward for two years from the time he was 13-years-old and had oral sex with the 50-year-old professor between 50 and 100 times. In the case which Stein postponed forwarding, Ward allegedly solicited sex for money from Sean McMahon, an undercover state trooper posing as a 15-year-old boy. Ward was arrested the same night. But the alleged conversation between Ward and the undercover trooper was never recorded by the surveillance microphone McMahon was wearing. Officials in the Montgomery County's Detectives office said the microphone malfunctioned. Jean Green, Ward's attorney, said during the hearing that Ward never specifically asked McMahon for sex and the conversation that took place did not imply solicitation. McMahon was posing as a boy who was not yet 16 years old. Green suggested during the hearing that Ward was questioning the undercover trooper about possible sexual relations following his 16th birthday, the age of consent in the state. Ward, who has maintained his innocence throughout the process, repeated his position last night. "I think as [the trial] proceeds and I can tell my end [of the story]," he said last night, "then I will be vindicated." As part of the second case against Ward, the victim testified that he and Ward originally met in Kensington, when Ward gave him $20 and his phone number. The youth said he called Ward a few days later when he needed money. Ward picked up the then-13-year-old and took him to a hotel on City Avenue, where the youth performed sexual favors for Ward in return for $40. The boy started attending the Sleighton School, a Delaware County school for delinquent youths. Ward allegedly arranged for the boy to visit him every other weekend where the boy said they continued to have oral sex for more than a year before he broke off the visits. Ward was originally arrested on October 1 following a six-week sting operation into alleged prostitution and pedophiliac activities. He was charged with various sex crimes and released on $50,000 bail. A week later, the 17-year-old male came forward claiming he had sexual contact with Ward. After the DA's office located this witness, Ward surrendered to police on October 12 and was charged with an additional six sex crimes. Bail was set at $30,000 but Ward was released under his own recognizance. The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this story.