3rd Child at Presidio Said to Be Infected

Army doctors reported that a third child from the Presidio day-care center has chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, a Presidio official said Friday.

Spokeswoman Kay Couch-Lopez confirmed the finding and said support groups have been set up for parents of children who used the center.

Col. Joseph V. Rafferty, base commander, said the Army next week will send letters to several hundred parents whose children had been cared for there in 1985 and 1986. The letters will suggest that parents be on the lookout for signs that their children may have been sexually abused.

Letter Sent Parents

The letter will go to parents of all children at the center during that time, not just those whose children were looked after by Gary W. Hambright, 33.

Hambright was indicted last December on charges of sexually molesting a 3-year-old boy at the center, but charges were dismissed without prejudice when a federal judge said the boy was too young to be a credible witness. Charges could be refiled if new evidence is found.

According to Rommel Bondoc, Hambright’s attorney, Hambright has been tested for chlamydia. He does not have the disease and never has, Bondoc said.

Hambright was reassigned to a civilian job outside the center after he was charged and has since left Army employment, said Presidio spokesman Bob Mahoney.

70 Children Examined

Presidio officials have said that about 70 children from the day-care center have been examined at Letterman Army Hospital for possible sexual abuse, but declined to say how many are believed to have been abused.

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that attacks the genital tract of men and women and doctors say it can be cleared up by taking the antibiotic tetracycline for a week.

If untreated, chlamydia can cause sterility in men and infertility in women.