Original Article Molester took advantage of ex-cop status Intimidated victims, reassured parents Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic Aug. 20, 2005 12:00 AM Kraig Robert Clark was a cunning sexual predator who used his status as a former police officer as a double-edged weapon: on one hand, to intimidate his young victims; on the other, to lull their parents into a false sense of security. That weapon was effective enough for him to prey on boys for more than 10 years despite at least two police investigations. When Clark finally confessed to crimes that included murdering and dismembering a 13-year-old Apache Junction boy, it gave investigators chilling insights into the ways of a clever criminal and provided a warning to families to be alert for signs a molester has targeted their children. In fact, it wasn't until a West Valley mother stepped forward that police were able to bring Clark to justice. Clark is now in an Arizona prison for life. "It was a rare peek into the mind of a criminal," says Terje Boe, a Phoenix police sex-crimes detective who assisted Surprise police in investigating Clark. "Usually, you don't get this kind of closure in a criminal case." Clark was working as a law enforcement officer himself in the early 1990s when he came under suspicion of sexually abusing minors, first using his status as a Tempe police officer and later as a Mohave County sheriff's deputy to meet vulnerable boys. He left the Tempe force after prosecutors concluded the evidence against him was insufficient. As a deputy, he was arrested and faced trial on sex charges. But the primary witness against him, a young boy, died in a boating accident, severely undermining the case. Clark agreed to surrender his certification as a law officer, meaning he could no longer work in law enforcement in Arizona. But once again, he had escaped prison. He later returned to the Valley and became a paintball coach, which permitted him to meet still more victims, showering them with gifts of paintball equipment and money. When parents became worried about how much time children were spending with him, Clark would reassure them, saying there was no cause for concern because he was a former lawman. Michael Jarosik, father of the boy slain by Clark, said last week that he met Clark before his son disappeared, but there didn't seem to be any cause for alarm. "I checked him out," Jarosik said. "He said he was a Tempe cop, and I thought, 'How could you go wrong with that?' " Killer's confession Even as he was reassuring parents, Clark would tell boys that thanks to his background, he would quickly learn if any of them dared to tell police of his activities. He warned them that he had killed before and would do so again. After one of her sons told her he had been threatened, the West Valley mother told police that Clark "often implied to my children, by being an ex-police officer, he is well connected and has other law enforcement assisting him in his life of criminal activities," court records show. Thanks to an investigation launched by the mother's complaint, Clark was arrested last year after attempting to flee into Canada and was tried and convicted this year of sex charges involving three children. Shortly before sentencing on those charges, Clark expressed remorse and offered to help police hone their skills in tracking down pedophiles like himself. He first told investigators he had actually molested at least 10 boys over a 14-year period. Then, a bombshell: He admitted killing Jamie Jarosik. Investigators had long suspected foul play in the Apache Junction boy's disappearance. But Jamie was a suspected runaway, and there was never any solid evidence of a crime until the West Valley woman, who feared that Clark was sexually abusing her sons, went to the Surprise police in August 2004 and told them of Clark's death threats. In light of those threats, Jamie's name surfaced as a possible murder victim. But nothing could be found to establish what might have happened to the missing boy. Clark's confession this year finally provided the answers. Clark said that he met Jamie at an Apache Junction skate park in early 2004. He admitted molesting the boy before strangling him Feb. 19, 2004, at Clark's apartment in Surprise after the boy threatened to report him to police, said Boe, the Phoenix detective. Clark told detectives he cut up the body, then burned and buried it near 219th Avenue and Sun Valley Parkway in the far West Valley. Due to new vegetation, Clark was unable to find the grave site when police escorted him there July 5. Even without the body found, Clark pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. On July 15, the 39-year-old was sentenced to life in prison. He also received 162 years for his sex crimes. "From a moral sense, he realizes the things he has done in his life are wrong," said his lawyer, Daniel Patterson, a deputy Maricopa County public defender. "He wanted to come clean about his past." Crime experts say that sexual exploitation of children is largely unrecognized and underreported. Less than 35 percent of cases are reported to authorities, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, based in Alexandria, Va. 11,000 offenders Arizona has about 11,000 registered sex offenders, people from all walks of life, including those convicted of sex crimes against children, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Experts say parents should closely monitor their children's activities and associates and not be afraid to press for answers about suspicious behavior. 'Be involved' "The lesson here is for parents to be involved with their kids and ask questions about what they are doing," Boe said. Tragically, sometimes even asking questions isn't enough. Jamie's father, Michael, said that with Clark's confession and sentencing, he is only now coming to grips with the fact that memories are all that remain of his son. He bitterly regrets that he, like other parents, was deceived by Clark's reassurances. His voice choked with emotion, Michael Jarosik said, "If I only knew." Reporter Lars Jacoby contributed to this article. Reach the reporter at brent .whiting@arizonarepublic.com.