A doctor at a private Christian boarding school in Southwest Missouri already mired in abuse accusations from former students is wanted by police for allegedly sodomizing and sexually assaulting children under the age of 15.
David Earl Smock, 57, has been the longtime physician at Agape Boarding School, a program for about 150 boys with 'bad behavior or failing academics,' according to the institution's website.
On Thursday, he was charged with second-degree statutory sodomy, third-degree child molestation of a child less than 14 years of age and enticement or attempted enticement of a child less than 15 years of age, court records show
But as of 4:30 pm on Friday, Smock is not yet in police custody, according to Greene County Jail's inmate tracker.
Smock is considered 'a danger to the crime victim, the community or another person,' and Greene County Court wrote in online court documents that it 'finds reasonable grounds to believe [he] will not appear on summons.'
David Earl Smock, 57, a longtime physician at Agape Boarding School, was charged with second-degree statutory sodomy, third-degree child molestation of a child less than 14 years of age and enticement or attempted enticement of a child less than 15 years of age on Thursday
Agape Boarding School in MIssouri, where David Earl Smock served as a longtime resident physician, remains under scrutiny after five staffers were charged in September a collective 13 third-degree felony assault counts
The probable cause statement, which would detail the evidence that led to the doctor's conviction, was not immediately available Friday because the court was closed for the holiday.
The Greene County Court could not immediately be reached by DailyMail.com for comment.
Agape, which costs $48,000 per year to attend, remains under scrutiny after five staffers were charged in September a collective 13 third-degree felony assault counts. One of the defendants is Smock´s son-in-law, Seth Duncan.
Oftentimes, the abuse would take place in a padded room where staff members would punch and kick students for perceived transgressions, according to the Kansas City Star.
The Star previously interviewed 16 men who had previously attended the school, who described harrowing years of physical abuse, berating, mind games and cruel punishments like withheld food and water.
Smock is a prominent physician in the Ozarks region, running the Stockton-Lee Walk-In clinic in Cedar County. He also holds medical licenses in Arizona and California
Dozens of former students at the school have begun to reveal their experiences, some anonymously through groups like Exposing Agape, and more then 1,200 have signed a change.org petition to close the school for good.
When The Star ran a piece detailing the 16 men's stories, many questioned whether the doctor and his staff knew about the abuse they underwent, or if they took the word of staff members who beat them and attributed their injuries to sports.
Smock is featured prominently on Agape´s website, supporting the school´s model and encouraging parents to send their troubled boys there.
On the site, he has said that he works with the school to wean boys off medications for behavioral issues.
Smock is a prominent physician in the Ozarks region, running the Stockton-Lee Walk-In clinic in Cedar County and volunteers at a Springfield ministry for the homeless.
Former students at Agape, interviewed about their physical abuse at the hands of staff members, questioned whether Doctor David Smock (left) and his staff were truly unaware that they were being assaulted
On the Facebook page for his practice, members of the community have praised his level of care.
'I have known Dr. Smock for nearly 20 years and from the moment I met him he makes you feel welcomed,' Jonathan Petrie, the clinic’s manager, wrote on Facebook this year on Smock’s birthday.
'Love his heart to help the homeless and make sure they have someone to talk to, pray with and still get medical education.'
He has active medical licenses in California and Arizona in addition to Missouri, but neither of those states indicate that the doctor has had any disciplinary action.
Smock has a number of other ties to the school. One of his sons is married to the late Agape founder´s granddaughter. She is the daughter of Robert Graves, a Cedar County Sheriff’s deputy who has been a key Agape staffer as well as a former student, according to The Star.
Smock also owns an 11-bedroom mansion that a former Agape staff leader uses to operate another Christian boarding school, called Legacy Academy Adventures.
Just last month, Smock was honored for his military service during a service at Agape Baptist Church. The physician wore his U.S. Navy uniform, and Agape students were in attendance.
On Twitter, users considered the doctor's charges another black mark against the already-scrutinized institution.
On Twitter, users considered the doctor's charges another black mark against the already-scrutinized institution
'It is outrageous that Agape Boarding School is allowed to remain open,' wrote one user. '@MOGov & @Eric_Schmitt should shut this program down IMMEDIATELY, prosecuting any and all staff engaged in illegal activity to the fullest extent of the law.'
Another user called the school 'incorrigible' and called for all abusers there to be charged.
'Missouri needs to pay attention to another #CodeOfTheHills problem,' wrote @wrap02. 'Close these inhumane, closely-held operations.'
Another user called the school 'incorrigible' and called for all abusers there to be charged
'The Code of the Hills' refers to a novel by Nancy Allen, in which an investigator struggles to expose a father sexually abusing his children amid the close-knit, tight-lipped nature of a Missouri Ozarks community.
roomNo attorney is listed for Smock in online court records, and he couldn't be reached at his clinic, which was closed on Friday.
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