Biden announces 471-count indictment of Earl Bradley
Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
Attorney General Beau Biden announced from the headquarters of the DelawareChild Predator Task Force that the Sussex County Grand Jury today indicted Lewes Pediatrician
Earl Bradley for the rape and sexual assault of more than 100 child victims between 1998 and
2009. The 471-count indictment contains charges of Rape 1
st Degree, Rape 2nd Degree, SexualExploitation of a Child, Unlawful Sexual Contact 1
st Degree, Unlawful Sexual Contact 2nd Degree,Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, Assault 2
nd Degree, Reckless Endangering 1st Degree, andAttempted Rape 1st Degree.
“I know that today’s indictment will reopen painful wounds and open new ones for a
Lewes and Sussex County community that has been deeply traumatized,” Biden said. “As I have
said before, we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. As a prosecutor, I am
bound by certain rules that limit what I can say in the midst of an active investigation. I cannot
say certain things that I am feeling, and I am feeling a great deal. I am determined to see that this
defendant will never, ever be in a position again to hurt another child.”
Today’s indictment is based on video evidence seized by law enforcement during the
execution of search warrants at the defendant’s home and office in December, 2009. The many
video files seized show the defendant in the act of assaulting his victims. The indictment alleges
that 103 individual children were victimized. If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a
mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
This indictment is the result of a year-long investigation. In December, 2008, Delaware
State Police responded to allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Bradley by opening an
investigation, which remained open and active throughout the remainder of 2008 and 2009, until
they arrested him on December 16, 2009 and executed a search warrant at his medical practice.
After Bradley was arrested, search warrants were executed at his home and office that uncovered
the evidence that resulted in today’s indictment.
During the course of the ongoing investigation, the Delaware Department of Justice,
working with the Delaware Child Predator Task Force, Delaware State Police, and other agencies
has reviewed and analyzed the substantial amount of evidence that was seized, including more
than 13 hours of video files, computers, hard drives, and other digital storage media, and more
than 7,000 of the defendant’s individual patient files.
Biden explained that a team of national experts on child sexual abuse has been assembled
to assist parents, victims, and community members, and to assist in the investigation. He also
reiterated the many resources that the Delaware Department of Justice and other agencies are
making available to victims, families, and members of the community. These resources include:
1.) The Delaware Department of Justice continues to provide services for victims and their
families through the Delaware Department of Justice Lewes Community Office, at
(302)645-4010
. Parents can also visit this office onsite at 105 W 4th Street, to request a copy of
their child’s pediatric file, share information about the investigation, and be connected with
counseling and other services that are available. Normal hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, but the office
can accommodate appointments at other times.
2.) The Delaware Department of Justice has recently sent more than 3,000 letters to parents
and/or guardians of Dr. Bradley’s current and former patients. The letters, provided in
both English and Spanish, notify families of the criminal investigation and inform them of
victim services that are available. They also ask families to assist investigators in
identifying victims and to provide photographs of their children from each year they were a
patient of Dr. Bradley.
3.) The Delaware Department of Justice, Delaware State Police, and other agencies are
coordinating specialized services for victims and their families. Concerned parents and
caretakers are urged to contact the Delaware State Police 24-hour Victim Services Hotline
at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or send an e-mail to a specially-arranged Delaware
State Police address –
victim1@delaware.gov. Callers will speak with a Delaware StatePolice victim service advocate qualified to provide important information and make
appropriate referrals. They may also be directed to financial assistance provided for
counseling and other services through state programs, including the Delaware Victims’
Compensation Assistance Program.
Individuals who have information to provide in this case are urged to call Delaware State
Police detectives at (302) 856-5850, ext. 216. Parents of patients or former patients of Dr.
Bradley, regardless of the age or gender of the child, are asked to come forward.
The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an
allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a
jury trial at which the state bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
Attorney General Beau Biden announced from the headquarters of the DelawareChild Predator Task Force that the Sussex County Grand Jury today indicted Lewes Pediatrician
Earl Bradley for the rape and sexual assault of more than 100 child victims between 1998 and
2009. The 471-count indictment contains charges of Rape 1
st Degree, Rape 2nd Degree, SexualExploitation of a Child, Unlawful Sexual Contact 1
st Degree, Unlawful Sexual Contact 2nd Degree,Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, Assault 2
nd Degree, Reckless Endangering 1st Degree, andAttempted Rape 1st Degree.
“I know that today’s indictment will reopen painful wounds and open new ones for a
Lewes and Sussex County community that has been deeply traumatized,” Biden said. “As I have
said before, we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law. As a prosecutor, I am
bound by certain rules that limit what I can say in the midst of an active investigation. I cannot
say certain things that I am feeling, and I am feeling a great deal. I am determined to see that this
defendant will never, ever be in a position again to hurt another child.”
Today’s indictment is based on video evidence seized by law enforcement during the
execution of search warrants at the defendant’s home and office in December, 2009. The many
video files seized show the defendant in the act of assaulting his victims. The indictment alleges
that 103 individual children were victimized. If convicted as charged, the defendant faces a
mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
This indictment is the result of a year-long investigation. In December, 2008, Delaware
State Police responded to allegations of sexual abuse against Dr. Bradley by opening an
investigation, which remained open and active throughout the remainder of 2008 and 2009, until
they arrested him on December 16, 2009 and executed a search warrant at his medical practice.
After Bradley was arrested, search warrants were executed at his home and office that uncovered
the evidence that resulted in today’s indictment.
During the course of the ongoing investigation, the Delaware Department of Justice,
working with the Delaware Child Predator Task Force, Delaware State Police, and other agencies
has reviewed and analyzed the substantial amount of evidence that was seized, including more
than 13 hours of video files, computers, hard drives, and other digital storage media, and more
than 7,000 of the defendant’s individual patient files.
Biden explained that a team of national experts on child sexual abuse has been assembled
to assist parents, victims, and community members, and to assist in the investigation. He also
reiterated the many resources that the Delaware Department of Justice and other agencies are
making available to victims, families, and members of the community. These resources include:
1.) The Delaware Department of Justice continues to provide services for victims and their
families through the Delaware Department of Justice Lewes Community Office, at
(302)645-4010
. Parents can also visit this office onsite at 105 W 4th Street, to request a copy of
their child’s pediatric file, share information about the investigation, and be connected with
counseling and other services that are available. Normal hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays, but the office
can accommodate appointments at other times.
2.) The Delaware Department of Justice has recently sent more than 3,000 letters to parents
and/or guardians of Dr. Bradley’s current and former patients. The letters, provided in
both English and Spanish, notify families of the criminal investigation and inform them of
victim services that are available. They also ask families to assist investigators in
identifying victims and to provide photographs of their children from each year they were a
patient of Dr. Bradley.
3.) The Delaware Department of Justice, Delaware State Police, and other agencies are
coordinating specialized services for victims and their families. Concerned parents and
caretakers are urged to contact the Delaware State Police 24-hour Victim Services Hotline
at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461) or send an e-mail to a specially-arranged Delaware
State Police address –
victim1@delaware.gov. Callers will speak with a Delaware StatePolice victim service advocate qualified to provide important information and make
appropriate referrals. They may also be directed to financial assistance provided for
counseling and other services through state programs, including the Delaware Victims’
Compensation Assistance Program.
Individuals who have information to provide in this case are urged to call Delaware State
Police detectives at (302) 856-5850, ext. 216. Parents of patients or former patients of Dr.
Bradley, regardless of the age or gender of the child, are asked to come forward.
The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an
allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a
jury trial at which the state bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.