By Todd C. Frankel
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The ice cream man is the pied piper of summer, with his portable palace of ice pops and ice cream cones, and tinkling music announcing his arrival.
But the actions of one ice cream man have rattled some Everett residents.
Twice last month, an ice cream man made sexual comments to children, they say. He even allegedly offered to trade ice cream bars for a peek beneath one young girl’s shirt.
"This is someone who plays music to attract all the little kids," complained one mother, Jennifer Irwin. "That’s why I was concerned."
Police are investigating. A group of parents are upset. And other ice cream truck drivers are worried these alleged incidents will ruin their business.
Sex offenders often seek out positions that put them in close, unsupervised contact with their intended victims, police say. Stories of molesters who were priests, troop leaders or athletic coaches hardly surprise anymore.
But the ice cream man?
It’s happened in Snohomish County before. For two summers in the mid-1990s, David Wrathall of Lynnwood drove an ice cream truck in the area. And in 1995, he was convicted of luring an 8-year-old into his truck with a Popsicle and briefly tying him up in the freezer.
Reports of pedophiles using the cover of ice cream vendors have popped up in other parts of the country, too. The most horrific case comes out of California, when in 1985 a man posed as an ice cream vendor to lure a young girl into his van in California. He raped and killed her.
Mobile food units, which include ice cream trucks, are supposed to be registered with the city of Everett. Background checks are done on those who apply, weeding out anyone who has a criminal history of sexual abuse. Currently, there is only one registered mobile ice cream vendor in Everett. Two more applied last week. But at least five ice cream trucks recently have been spotted by The Herald puttering down city streets.
Jennifer Irwin, 28, was surprised to learn of her daughter’s run-in with one ice cream man last Tuesday.
Julie, 9, told her mom that she and another girl, 11, stopped at a white ice cream truck on Glenwood Avenue near the intersection with Mukilteo Boulevard.
"He gave her and Kayla several ice creams for 50 cents and said that it was a secret," she recalled.
Irwin was alarmed. A secret, she wondered. "I told her to stay away."
But the next day, Julie and three girlfriends chased after the ice cream man as he again drove down Glenwood Avenue. This time, one of Julie’s friends didn’t have any money. The ice cream man started asking personal questions such as her name, age and where she lived, Irwin said.
But the girl only divulged her age, 11. According to what the girls reported to their parents, the two talked some more, and that’s when he made his offer: "I’ll give you three ice creams if you take off your shirt."
No deal. The girls scrammed. And several concerned mothers called police.
Irwin wants police to do something.
"There are a lot of perverts out there, but not all of them have little kids running to them," Irwin said. "If something happened to some little kid, I’d feel totally guilty."
A formal complaint has been filed with police, Sgt. Boyd Bryant said. Everett police’s sexual assault unit is investigating a charge of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
Craig Wells is the only licensed ice cream man in Everett. He is a one-man operation, having taken over for his daughter who, at 17, started the business last summer. The recent allegations have upset him, even though he’s not the target of the complaints.
When he’s on duty, the 45-year-old Wells wears a bright Hawaiian shirt and tools around in a white 1974 DJ series Jeep. It has "Ice Cream" written in red on the front and back. He has a business license, mobile food license and an insurance policy covering ice cream street vending.
And those certifications provide one easy way to cut down on the risks.
"I tell people, ‘Ask to see the permits. Your kids are coming up to strangers,’ " he said. "I see myself out there, and I’m wondering why people don’t ask me for my credentials."
You can reach Herald writer Todd C. Frankel by phone at 425-339-3429 or by e-mail at frankel@heraldnet.com.
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