Jury watches video of Modesto girls detailing alleged sex abuse

A jury on Tuesday saw a video recording of investigators questioning two girls who claim a former Modesto Junior College instructor and police officer molested them on separate occasions on his family’s living room couch.

Francisco “Frank” Jose Drumond is on trial, facing two counts of committing lewd acts with a child. He is accused of sexually molesting the two underage girls who were friends of his daughter. They are referred to in court as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.

The defendant resigned from his job as a reserve Ripon police officer days after police showed up at his Modesto home to investigate allegations of lewd acts with the teenage girls. He previously worked as a police officer in Modesto and Patterson.

He was arrested during a staff meeting Aug. 28, 2009, at the MJC East Campus, where he taught criminal justice.

Jane Doe 1 said Drumond molested her in August 2009. She said they were watching a movie when Drumond started massaging her. She testified the touching slowly escalated to Drumond slipping his hand inside her bikini bottoms.

Jane Doe 2 described Drumond as a “touchy-feely type.” She told investigators he was very “huggy” and he would always tell her, “You’re so cute. You’re so adorable. I love you, girl.” She said he would constantly speak to her in this manner, to the point it really annoyed her.

About a week after the alleged incident with Jane Doe 1, the girl joined Drumond and his daughter on a road trip to the Bay Area. They were going to drop off a teenage German exchange student at the airport.

Jane Doe 2 also joined the group on the road trip to the Bay Area. On the drive back to Modesto, she was in the front seat of the sport-utility vehicle when, she says, Drumond started massaging her arms and legs.

She told investigators Drumond’s touching eventually escalated to where he rubbed his hand across the top of her chest. Jane Doe 2 said she squirmed around in her seat, hoping that would make him stop, but it continued in the car ride for more than an hour. She said, “I was like ‘Geez, how long is he going to do this?’”

They arrived at the Drumond home late, and the girls got on the couch. Jane Doe 2 said Drumond’s daughter was asleep on one end of the sectional couch, while she, Jane Doe 1 and Drumond were near the other end.

Jane Doe 2 told investigators Drumond was rubbing her foot while he also was massaging Jane Doe 1’s shoulders. She said the inappropriate touching escalated again.

Drumond and the two awake girls were watching a movie in the living room. Jane Doe 2 told investigators his touching became more “vigorous,” and he was breathing deeply while he did it. He started touching her upper inner thigh, before he started groping her buttocks.

Jane Doe 2 said she was sending text messages to Jane Doe 1, telling her what Drumond was doing while both girls remained on the couch on each side of him. The girls got up and went to the bathroom, where they discussed what was happening.

She told Jane Doe 1, “I feel like I’m being molested,” according to the recorded interview conducted at the Stanislaus Family Justice Center while other investigators watched from another room.

Jane Doe 2 said she and Jane Doe 1 went to the bathroom three times that night to talk about what was happening. She told investigators Drumond also would inexplicably leave the living room, going into the kitchen or laundry room a few times.

The girls returned from the bathroom twice to their spots on the couch next to Drumond, according to Jane Doe 2. During their final trip to the bathroom, Jane Doe 1 told the other girl what she claims Drumond did to her on the same a couch a week earlier.

“I was totally freaking out,” Jane Doe 2 told investigators about how she felt after Jane Doe 1 revealed the alleged molestation a week earlier. The two girls then ran into Drumond’s daughter’s bedroom and locked the door so he couldn’t get in, according to Jane Doe 2.

Drumond never tried to get inside the bedroom. The girls went home the following day and later told their parents about what had happened.

The trial is expected to continue today in Stanislaus Superior Court.

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Jury watches video of Modesto girls detailing alleged sex abuse."