Fourth of July in Franklin
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Spotted at the Cityfolk Festival
Blackberry device inspected as part of sex harassment case
Thursday, April 17, 2008
COLUMBUS — Internal investigators had trouble accessing the hard-drive of Anthony Gutierrez' state-issued Blackberry and some information might have been lost.
"They believe nothing or almost nothing was lost," said Ted Hart, spokesman for Attorney General Marc Dann.
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Hart said Executive Assistant Attorney General Ben Espy, who is conducting an internal investigation into allegations that Gutierrez sexually harassed two junior staff members, asked the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to examine the Blackberry.
A Blackberry is a cell phone that also sends and receives e-mails and keeps appointments and phone numbers. Gutierrez was issued one as part of his $87,500-a-year job running the mail room, maintenance and purchasing operations for Dann's office.
Hart said examination of the Blackberry continues today, with assistance from another government agency and the manufacturer.
"The notion that material was corrupted or lost is not true," Hart said. When asked how they would know nothing was lost, Hart replied, "I don't know but that's what they say."
Gutierrez, who is now on paid administrative leave, is accused of demanding sex and making unwelcome sexual advances to Cindy Stankoski and Vanessa Stout. He is Dann's friend and neighbor and shared an apartment with Dann where some of the harassment allegedly took place in the attorney general's presence.
Dann has refused to comment on the specifics of the investigation or to call on an outside agency to investigate the allegations. The women also filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.
