A part-time employee at a Hermitage gaming store was arrested last night and is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy.
Jeremy Paul Duffer, 33, of 3417 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, admitted to engaging in various sex acts with the boy, now 13, over a period of a year to 18 months, Metro police said. Duffer works at The Game Keep, a store at 3952 Lebanon Pike that sells role-playing games, collectible card games and figurines.
The incidents are not believed to have happened at the store, police said.
A police interview yesterday evening after Duffer's arrest indicated there might be other victims, detective David Zoccola said. He did not specify how many.
When Duffer appeared in night court about 9 p.m., he asked Commissioner Carolyn Piphus to set bail he could afford on his S9,000-$10,000 annual salary. He told her he had lived in Davidson County almost all of his life and had never been in trouble with the law before. He also said he could arrange not to work on the weekly children's night at the store.
On the store's Web site, Fridays in September are listed as "Young Bloods" night, where "Anyone under the age of 17 is invited to come build armies, paint figures, and play games."
Piphus set Duffer's bail at $300,000 - $50,000 for each of the three counts of child rape and three counts of aggravated sexual battery.
Despite being advised by Piphus that he had the right to remain silent and did not have to say anything before the group of television cameras and reporters, Duffer went on to clarify some explicit details about his relationship with the boy.
He said he wanted to plead to the charges to keep the boy from having to testify if the case went to trial.
"I don't want him to have to go through anything more than he's already gone through," he said.
Zoccola said Duffer had been very cooperative with police.
"He confessed to what the child disclosed had been going on," the detective said.
The case will be sent next to the district attorney general's office for review. As many as 12 additional charges are possible, Zoccola said.
Duffer met the youth about three years ago. The boy would come into the store while his mother did laundry next door, police said. He earned the family's trust and the boy was allowed to visit him and, at times, stay overnight. The relationship later developed into a sexual one, police said.
Most, if not all, of the sexual activity in question took place at Duffer's apartment, police said. Allegations about the abuse were recently reported to police in Smyrna, where the boy now lives, and forwarded to Metro police.
Police urged anyone with information about other potential victims to contact the Sex Crimes Unit at 862-7540.