Opinion
No. 2-915 / 02-1399
Filed November 15, 2002
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Constance Cohen, Associate Juvenile Judge.
A father appeals the termination of his parental rights to his minor children. AFFIRMED.
Susan Stockdale of Roehrick, Hulting, Krull Blumberg, P.C., Des Moines, for appellant.
Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, Tabitha Gardner, Assistant Attorney General, and Corey McClure, Assistant County Attorney, for appellee-State.
Jason Hauser, Des Moines, guardian ad litem for minor child.
Considered by Huitink, P.J., and Mahan and Vaitheswaran, JJ.
A father appeals the termination of his parental rights to his minor children. He claims the State did not engage in reasonable efforts to reunite him with his children. We affirm.
Chris is the father of Nicolas, born in February 1995, and Benjamin, born in October 1999. A no-contact order was entered in June 2001 after allegations arose that Chris had sexually abused the children's stepsister. Nicolas observed at least one incident of sexual abuse. The children were adjudicated to be children in need of assistance pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.2(6)(d) (2001).
Chris was convicted of one count of sexual abuse in the second degree and two counts of sexual abuse in the third degree. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment not to exceed twenty-five years.
The juvenile court terminated Chris's parental rights under sections 232.116(1)(e), (f), (h), and (j) (Supp. 2001). On appeal, Chris claims the children are more traumatized by lack of contact with him than by his admitted sexual abuse of their stepsister. The juvenile court noted:
Throughout the course of this case, the State made reasonable efforts to eliminate the need for removal. . . . Because of Chris 's continuing minimization of the harm done to his children, the no-contact order has been supported by Nicolas's therapist and guardian ad litem. Chris had the opportunity to maintain a relationship with his children but is so vested in his minimization of the harm done to them by his actions that it was contrary to the children's welfare to resume contact with their father.
We agree with the juvenile court's conclusion that the services offered were reasonable under the facts of this case. See In re C.B., 611 N.W.2d 489, 493 (Iowa 2000). We determine Chris's parental rights to Nicolas and Benjamin were properly terminated.
We affirm the decision of the juvenile court.