Hunter
09/03/24
An administrative law judge has ruled that a former University of Iowa Athletics IT director is entitled to unemployment benefits, despite his being put on administrative leave in January for allegedly enticing a teen for sex.
Iowa City Police say 64-year-old Mark Sevcik of Cedar Rapids began communicating with a female he believed to be under the age of 16, using the pseudonym “Groot.” Between August of last year and January 3rd, Sevcik reportedly sent hundreds of texts to the person as well as dozens of pornographic videos, memes and photographs. Many of the texts reportedly explained he wanted to do to the recipient what was being depicted in the images.
Sevcik eventually suggested meeting in person, while pursuing a separate relationship with another undercover officer also posing as a teenage girl. He allegedly bought women’s underwear for the girl and sent her an Amazon.com confirmation including his real name and address.
Police say Sevcik later told the recipient to delete all communications with him and that he would bring her underwear. A search warrant executed on Sevcik’s vehicle reportedly turned up the underwear, condoms and personal lubricant. He was arrested January 29th and pleaded not guilty in March to two counts of Enticing a Minor for Sexual Purpose and three counts of Telephone Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Minor.
The Gazette reports the firing on March 11th was not a result of the charges but because he transferred his complimentary women’s basketball tickets to his son, who then sold them to a third-party ticket site. The judge ruled that University policy expressly forbids sale to third party websites, with violators subject to loss of ticket privileges. However, nowhere in the policy is there anything about an employment related consequence.
Determining Sevcik’s actions did not amount to disqualifying misconduct, the judge ruled that he is entitled to unemployment benefits.
A Case Management Conference on the criminal charges is scheduled for October 28th. If convicted on all charges, Sevcik could be sentenced to up to 16 years in prison.