Sex assault case stems from teen treatment center

Jen Lawson

Monday, Nov. 3, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.

Metro Police have arrested a former employee of a residential treatment center for troubled teenagers on 27 counts of sexual assault, allegedly involving a 14-year-old girl.

Barry Bergmann, 29, was taken into custody Thursday at his home near Cheyenne Avenue and Rampart Boulevard.

Metro Police believe other girls who received care at the Spring Mountain Treatment Center could have been victimized.

"We've had some other allegations, not all of which we have been able to confirm at this point in the investigation," Lt. Jeff Carlson of Metro's sexual assault unit said.

The 82-bed center at 7000 W. Spring Mountain Road provides psychiatric treatment for boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17, who are placed there by their parents or guardians.

According to the police report obtained by the Sun this morning, detectives began investigating allegations against Bergmann in October. A 14-year-old girl told detectives Bergmann asked her to do a striptease for him.

The girl, who resided at the center from March to August this year, agreed and did the striptease in her room on July 4 while other staff members and residents were watching fireworks.

The girl told a female employee of the center about it, but Bergmann later urged the girl to tell staff members that "it was a story and that she made it up and that it was just a dream," and the girl agreed to do that.

While detectives were interviewing the girl, she revealed that another 14-year-old girl also had sexual encounters with Bergmann.

That girl was a patient at the center from March to October. Police interviewed her and learned that her alleged relationship with Bergmann was more serious.

She told police that after she was released from the center Bergmann would pick her up at a Wal-Mart at Boulder Highway and Lake Mead Drive in Henderson and would drive her to his house, where they allegedly had sex numerous times, the report says.

Police said that while en route to the Clark County Detention Center, Bergmann admitted to having a sexual relationship with the girl, but said it only occurred once.

Darryl Dubroca, chief executive officer for the center, said employees of the center are cooperating with police and declined to comment further.

Bergmann is no longer employed there, he said.