Children's Church Ministries Volunteer Charged With 9 Counts Of Sex Assault Of Child
MESQUITE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Mesquite Police have charged Daniel Wayne Meshell, 74 of Terrell, with nine counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Police said the alleged crimes happened between 1991 and 1998 against three victims. The victims have usually been girls between 2-8 years of age.
Police said Meshell has had access to children through a family member's in-home day care service since 1968.
"Those victims had a very similar story to our first complainant. So as we speak Mr. Meshell is in the Dallas County Jail," said Lt. Brian Parrish of Mesquite PD.
Meshell has also been a volunteer in children's church ministries at two different churches, St. Pius X in Dallas from 1978 to 1996 and St. John the Apostle in Terrell from 1999 to the present.
Meshell briefly drove a school bus for Terrell ISD in 2011 to 2012..
Police said so far, no victims have been identified in Terrell ISD or at either church and the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and Terrell ISD "have been very cooperative in this investigation."
Wednesday evening, the Diocese issued the following statement on the matter:
As the Mesquite Police news release states, there have been no victims identified at any churches in the Diocese of Dallas in relation to Daniel Meshell. However, both parishes that he attended will issue advisories this coming weekend informing parishioners of the charges and asking anyone with information about any additional offenses to contact police.
Due to Meshell's level of access to children over the course of 50 years, investigators believe that there may be additional victims.
Investigators encourage anyone with information on additional crimes involving Meshell, to contact investigator Rountree at 972-329-8303 or MPD dispatch at 972-285-6336.
Meshell's bond totals $900,000.