Former Tampa Day School Principal James Larkin pleads guilty to molestation, sex abuse charges

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla – A former Tampa principal accused of sexually abusing three boys over the course of three decades pleaded guilty Thursday to avoid potentially remaining behind bars for the rest of his life.

James Larkin, 64, of 4612 Ferdinand Avenue South, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation.

Larkin was initially charged with sexual battery which could have put him behind bars for the remainder of his life.  By agreeing to a plea deal and pleading guilty to the lesser charge, he avoided that sentence.

A judge sentenced Larkin to 10 years behind bars with credit for time served.

Once released, he is sentenced to 10 years sex offender probation where he can have no contact with the victims or their families, will have to adhere to a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., cannot live within 1,000 feet of a school or park and he must complete an outpatient sex offender treatment program.

All of the victims declined to comment in court, prosecutors told the judge.

“They just want this to be over,” the prosecutor told Judge Holder.

In April 2014, a 14-year-old boy accused Larkin of molestation.

“It initially started with Mr. Larkin bringing food to the family and gains the family’s trust through that,” said Detective Brian Boswell with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

At the time, Larkin was working as the principal at Tampa Day School in Citrus Park.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say Larkin put his hands down the victim’s pants and touched him inappropriately.

Larkin befriended the boy and his mother some time prior, after the victim’s father passed away, detectives say.

Over time, detectives explained Larkin became a surrogate dad and routinely took the victim to “Dad Club” meetings and other recreational activities.

Larkin babysat the victim while his mother was out of town for the weekend of March 7.

Around 10:15 pm that evening, according to deputies, Larkin entered the victim’s room and laid down beside him.  Larkin reportedly then put his hands down the front of the victim’s pants and began inappropriately touching him. The victim complained and Larkin stopped and left the room.

During the investigation, a recorded call was made between Larkin and the victim. During that call, authorities said Larkin admitted to the allegations and that his actions were inappropriate.

“That he made a mistake, I didn’t mean to do it, you saw me freak out.  I hope I didn’t lose your trust that day,” Boswell read off to the court from transcripts of what Larkin reportedly said to the boy.

In court Wednesday prosecutors presented the judge with text messages Larkin reportedly sent to another under aged boy.  The texts were found by the boy’s mother and she notified police, prosecutors say.

Prosecutors say the texts were sent after Larkin bonded out after his April arrest.

The boy and his mother declined to comment following court Thursday.

SECOND ALLEGATION SURFACES IN AUGUST

In August, Larkin was charged in another sexual battery case dating back to 1980.

“After he saw Mr. Larkin arrested for similar type behavior he felt morally obligated to come forward,” Boswell said.

Detectives say at the time, the alleged victim was in the 5th grade.

Larkin is accused of sexually assaulting the 10-year-old who was staying at his apartment in the Carrollwood area, deputies said. The alleged victim told detectives the encounter occurred on an unknown date in 1980.

“We went and interviewed other witnesses, other people in the timeframe,” Larry McKinnon, Hillsborough County sheriff’s spokesman told ABC Action News at that time. “There were some other evidence that we were able to establish, enough so that we took that information, gave it to the [State Attorney’s Office]. They were satisfied with that amount of evidence and then submitted it to the courts for a warrant.”

The alleged victim, now in his 40s, was supposed to appear in court but had to go out of town for a work related matter.

Detectives say Larkin used the same tactic to get the boy alone.

“He [the boy’s father] was gone quite a bit, so Mr. Larkin offered his babysitting services to the family and so essentially he became a surrogate father,” Boswell said.

The day after the rape, detectives say the boy began complaining of pain at school and Larkin, who was the principal, was sent to help the boy and reportedly  told the boy he ‘ate something bad’ and he’d be fine.

THIRD ALLEGATION SURFACES IN COURT

Boswell told Judge Padgett another alleged victim came forward and stated Larkin sexually abused him in 1976.

The man is now in his 50s.

According to Boswell, the details mirrored the two prior cases, with Larkin reportedly babysitting the boy and bringing him into a bedroom where he sexually abused the boy.

“Mr. Larkin slept in the same bed and immediately began to cuddle with him and in the course of that began fondling him,” Boswell said.