COVINGTON — A prominent Northern Kentucky charity is reviewing whether it will file theft charges against former employee and alleged pedophile Larry Eugene Howell.

        “During his brief employment, Be Concerned had no knowledge that Mr. Howell may have been stealing or taking items from the store to hurt the very people that Be Concerned has been assisting for 20 years,” according to a prepared statement from the charity. Allegations had surfaced Thursday that Mr. Howell had been trading food aid — possibly from Be Concerned — for sex with underprivileged boys.

        Mr. Howell, charged with nine counts of sodomy, was shot in the groin and the abdomen Nov. 29 by the mother of one of his 30 alleged victims. Mr. Howell's attorney, Dave Bender of Covington, would not comment on the theft allegations. He has maintained his client's innocence on the sodomy charges.

        Mr. Howell's accused assailant, a Covington mother of five, whom The Enquirer is not identifying to protect her child, said Thursday that Mr. Howell lured underprivileged boys — including her own teen-ager — into sex with the promise of food for their families. The woman believed the food came from Mr. Howell's former employer, Be Concerned.

        Covington Police Lt. Dan Miles said police are not investigating the allegations of theft. Commonwealth Attorney Bill Crockett, whose office would prosecute any charges of theft over $300, said he has not been contacted by the charity concerning any allegations of theft by Mr. Howell.

        Charity Director Mary Jennings, who couldn't be reached for comment Friday afternoon, previously has said the charity fired Mr. Howell in August for something unrelated to allegations of child molestation. The charity has not said when it hired Mr. Howell.

        “From all outward appearances, Mr. Howell was a model volunteer and, for that reason, was given an opportunity to work at Be Concerned,” according to the charity's statement.

        Mr. Howell stocked shelves and worked in Be Concerned's warehouse, according to the charity's statement. The charity said Mr. Howell did not have direct interaction with unsupervised children while on the job.

        More than 100 volunteers operate the charity's small store in Covington, which provides food and clothing to needy families. The charity said it annually distributes millions of dollars of goods on a budget of about $150,000.

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