by thoughtographer » Sat Feb 04, 2006 12:12 pm
Children's home settles<br>Masonic Home for Children was named in abuse suit<br><br>Jessica Rocha, Staff Writer<br><br>When the 12-year-old girl was sent to an Oxford orphanage by her adoptive parents in 2001, she met a man who seemed to be a generous and loving volunteer and benefactor.<br><br>James McDaniel-Webb, 49, of Fuquay-Varina saw himself as a "Bill Gates Jr.," a computer wizard who apparently made a bundle when he developed a computer software tool he sold to a major software company.<br><br>In 2001, McDaniel-Webb, a divorcee with no other children, sought and received custody of the girl, lavishing her with gifts such as jewelry with real diamonds, and horses.<br><br>Two years later, he was charged with federal and state sex crimes.<br><br>Now he's in a federal prison serving a sentence related to Internet pornography, lawyers familiar with the case said. After that, he'll come back to North Carolina to serve a state sentence for sexually abusing the girl over the two years she lived with him.<br><br>The girl and her guardian also are suing McDaniel-Webb in Orange County Superior Civil Court.<br><br>The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford settled its part of the civil lawsuit Monday that accused the home of contributing to the circumstances leading to McDaniel-Webb's relationship with the girl.<br><br>The settlement was sealed in Orange County Superior Court. Attorneys would not discuss how much money the children's home agreed to pay the girl.<br><br>When filed in 2004, the suit alleged that the Masonic home permitted McDaniel-Webb to host overnight visits with the girl even though he already had a criminal record. As a teenager he was convicted of aiding and abetting an escaped prisoner -- his father.<br><br>Jerry Oliver, an attorney for the children's home, said unsupervised off-site visits have been halted.<br><br>-- <br><br>From: <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/712/story/386731.html">www.newsobserver.com/712/...86731.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
