Elderly Man Who Had Access to Home Day Care Sexually Assaulted Girls for Years, Mesquite Police Say

A Terrell man has been charged with multiple counts of sexually assaulting children after Mesquite police say he attacked young girls two decades ago — and authorities believe there could be more victims.Daniel Wayne Meshell, 74, faces nine counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was being held Wednesday at the Dallas County Jail, with bail set at $900,000.Police said the three victims in these cases were ages 2 to 8 when the assaults occurred from 1991 to 1998.Meshell has had access to children since 1968 through a relative's in-home day-care service, police said. He also volunteered in children's ministries at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Dallas from 1978 to 1996 and St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Terrell since 1999, and he was a bus driver for Terrell ISD in 2011 and 2012. Police said no victims have been identified at either church or the school district. But they believe that because of his continued contact with children for 50 years, there could be additional victims.Anyone with information about other offenses is asked to call Detective Rountree at 972-329-8303 or Mesquite police at 972-285-6336.  Continue reading...