By Cass Rains, Staff Writer
A 60-year-old Enid man who was accused of sexually molesting foreign exchange students he hosted in 2006, was convicted of two felony charges.
Stewart Lee Tobias entered an Alford plea to charges for lewd molestation and sexual battery. Under an Alford plea, a defendant offers no admission of guilt but agrees sufficient evidence exists the prosecution could convince a judge or jury to return a guilty verdict.
A second count of sexual battery had been dropped in March, according to court documents. Charges were filed against Tobias Jan. 8.
Records show Tobias was ordered to serve 10 years in prison and complete a sex offender treatment program, with the balance of the sentence to be suspended once the program is completed. A five-year sentence, ordered for the sexual battery conviction, is to run concurrent and also would be suspended once a program is completed.
According to an affidavit in the case, a report was made to Enid police Oct. 26, 2006, of possible abuse toward four boys living in Enid as participants in a student foreign exchange program.
An Enid High School counselor was approached by one of the boys who wanted to know the process for changing his host parents. The boy, 16, told the counselor his host parent, Tobias, had been touching him, according to the affidavit.
Police learned four boys were staying with Tobias through the exchange program and spoke to each at the school. Each of the boys said Tobias would touch them, sleep in the same bed with them and tell them he loved them. One boy told police Tobias once exposed himself and had touched him on more than one occasion.
Tobias denied touching any of the boys in an inappropriate manner but said the boys would give each other back rubs. Tobias told police he got into bed with two of the four boys on separate occasions.
