06:49 PM CDT on Friday, May 5, 2006

By TIARA ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News

Frisco police arrested a Carrollton high school junior Friday morning for allegedly fondling a 12-year-old boy Sunday while at a Frisco church, officials said.

Kenneth Alexander Mills, 17, who sometimes goes by “Alex,” is accused of grabbing the boy’s private area during a choir party at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, according to Frisco police reports.

Neither Mr. Mills nor his parents could be reached for comment.

The 12-year-old boy, who is not being identified because of his age and The Dallas Morning News’ policy to not name potential sexual assault victims, ran up to his mother at church Sunday and asked her “if Alex was gay,” according to the probable cause affidavit filed for Mr. Mills’ arrest.

The boy’s mother asked why he would think that. The child said that Mr. Mills had rubbed his legs and grabbed his private area, the report said.

The boy’s mother told police that when she called the church to report the incident Monday, she was told that this was the third such incident with Mr. Mills, according to a police report.

Stonebriar church officials said they were notified that “one of the youth in the choir had been inappropriate with two other members of the youth choir,” and called a meeting Monday to address the issue with the parents of the boys, according to a written statement read by the church’s senior executive director of ministry resources, Carol Spencer, Friday afternoon.

They also called Child Protective Services, she said.

“We are all praying for those families and praying about this situation,” Ms. Spencer said.

Mr. Mills, a junior at R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, turned himself into police Friday morning. He was charged with indecency with a child, a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison, if convicted.

Mr. Mills reported to the Collin County Jail at 11:50 a.m., paid a $5,000 bail, and was released at 2 p.m., said Collin County Sheriff spokesman Lt. John Norton.

The boy told officials at the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center that Mr. Mills started touching him in January or February. At first he thought Mr. Mills was accidentally touching his private area. But he said the teenager continued to touch him even when he told him to stop, according to the police affidavit.

The boy told police that there could be other victims, but he could not name anyone else.

Frisco police are investigating the incident and ask that anyone with information call 972 335-5505.