Mentor Man Accused Of Luring Children Into The Woods, Undressing In Front Of One

A Mentor man is accused of trying to lure a group of children into the woods and threatening to sexually assault one of them Wednesday afternoon, Mentor Police Lt. Tim Allen said.

Four children, ranging in age from six to 10, were washing a car on Noble Court in the Western Reserve condos at about 2:45 p.m. When they were finished they started playing near a wooded area.

Kevin Gallagher, 53, was in the woods. He told the children he was looking for his cell phone and asked for their help, Allen said.

The kids agreed. Then Gallagher suggested they split up to cover more ground. He took one 8-year-old boy with him while the other kids looked elsewhere.

The boy urinated while in the woods and Gallagher watched him, Allen said. Then Gallagher took off his shirt and began to take off his pants.

The boy later told police that Gallagher threatened to rape him, Allen said. However, Gallagher told police that he told the child he wasn't going to rape him.

Meanwhile, the mother of two of the children noticed the kids had left the hose on. She went outside and called for the kids, including the 8-year-old boy.

They all ran back to the woman and told her what had happened. She called police who later found Gallagher at a friend's nearby house.

Gallagher was charged with three counts of criminal child enticement and one count of aggravated menacing. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in .

Gallagher was arrested and charged with two counts of gross sexual imposition in 1993, Allen said. However, he ultimately pleaded to assault and not any sex crimes.