MI- Sex suspect found dead in Howard City woods

5-29-2008 Michigan:

Reynolds Township - Police are asking possible victims to come forward after a man charged with child sex crimes was found dead last week in a wooded area near Howard City.

According to Howard City Police Chief Steve DeWitt, police responded to a call of a suspicious situation in a forested area at Newcosta Avenue near Tamarack Road in Reynolds Township at about 5:19 p.m. last Wednesday. Nearby residents had reported a vehicle parked in the woods since the early morning hours.

Upon arrival, police discovered the body of Donald Patrick Bentley, 39, of Hudsonville. Bentley's vehicle was parked nearby and a handgun was found near the dead man.

"Bentley died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," DeWitt said.

Call the Howard City Police Department at (231) 937-4311 for more information. ..News Source.. by Elisabeth Waldon, The Greenville Daily News

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Allegations surround man who killed himself

6-3-2008 Michigan:

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - Donald Bentley killed himself May 21. But the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department is looking into his past involving allegations of sexual assaulting children.

Police began investigating Bentley, 39, after a parent and a 5-year-old boy claimed on May 17 Bentley sexually assaulted the child. Bentley was never charged with anything, but on May 20, the sheriff's department searched his home and took a computer, among other things.

Investigators believe the alleged assaults took place at his home in Hudsonville. The boy is a child of one of Bentley's acquaintances, and they believe other victims may be around.

"There's some statements that potentially could lead to additional victims, and again that's something we're analyzing now," said Lt. Mark Bennett. "It would be too early to say definitely there is because of past experience with these type of cases. There can and often are multiple victims."

Bentley had no criminal record and was unemployed. Previously, he'd been self-employed, and his job did not put him in direct contact with children.

Police found Bentley in his car in Howard City with a self -inflicted gunshot wound.

If you have any information, you're asked to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department. ..News Source.. by Rachael Ruiz

DE- Suspect in sexual assault perishes in fire

5-25-2008 Delaware:

A man died Saturday when a mobile home caught fire after police received a report about a sexual assault there, officials said.

Troopers were on their way to the mobile home near Frederica to investigate the alleged assault when they received word that it was on fire, said Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh, a Delaware State Police spokesman.

Firefighters pulled Derek Hawkins, 36, out of the burning home and took him to Kent General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Whitmarsh said.

Hawkins lived in the High Point Mobile Home Park, near U.S. 113, Whitmarsh said.

Police received word about the assault allegation when the mother of the alleged 16-year-old victim called them at 11:47 a.m.

The girl told her mother Saturday morning that Hawkins had assaulted her within the past several weeks, Whitmarsh said.

After the mother called police, she called Hawkins to say police were on their way to his house, Whitmarsh said.

It was shortly after that call -- just after noon -- that the mobile home caught fire, Whitmarsh said.

The girl and her mother were taken to the state police station in Camden as part of the investigation.

The fire damage was estimated at $30,000, according to the state fire marshal.

There were two operating smoke alarms inside the home, the fire marshal reported.

One other trailer was damaged but the residents of that trailer were able to return to their home, said Michael Chionchio, assistant state fire marshal.

The American Red Cross is assisting the one adult and four children who were displaced, Chionchio said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Chionchio said. So is the investigation into the assault and death, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for today. ..News Source.. by Aaron Nathans




Investigators: Kent man set fire that killed him

6-3-2008 Delaware:

A Kent County area man who died in a fire last month deliberately set the fire himself, state fire officials said today.

Derek N. Hawkins, 36, died in the May 24 fire in the first block of Sycamore Drive in the High Point Mobile Home Park in Little Heaven.

Assistant State Fire Marshal Michael Chinochio said fire investigators found several fires had been started inside the dwelling by Hawkins, trapping him inside the burning home.

He was found by firefighters unconscious in a bathroom.

He was taken to Kent General Hospital, where he died.

Chinochio said Hawkins had been involved in a domestic dispute with family members prior to the fire and became violent.

State troopers were on their way to the mobile home to investigate an alleged sexual assault when they received word that it was on fire, said state police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh.

Police received word about the assault allegation when the mother of the alleged 16-year-old victim called them.

The girl told her mother that Hawkins had assaulted her within the past several weeks, Whitmarsh said.

Chinochio said there were operating smoke alarms inside the trailer, but Hawkins was the only one inside when the fire ignited.

Damage was estimated at $30,000.

Hawkins’ death is the fifth fire fatality in Delaware this year. ..News Source.. by Terri Sanginiti

CHILD ABUSE ACCUSED'S CELL SUICIDE

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NRI accused of having sex with student commits suicide

5-18-2008 United Kingdom:

London, May 17: An NRI teacher, facing charges of sexually abusing a female student, allegedly committed suicide in London by throwing himself in front of a train.

Savraj Powar, 43, a father of two, had been suspended from his post at Lampton School in west London for ‘inappropriate conduct’.

He was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's child abuse unit on Tuesday at his Isleworth home.

Powar later drove to Osterley Tube station, walked onto the platform and was hit and killed by a train.

An inquest into the death was opened at Fulham coroner's court on Friday. ..more.. by Staff

VT- Sex assault suspect found dead in car

5-18-2008 Vermont:

RATTLEBORO -- A Rockingham man who pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of sexual assault and sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult was found unconscious in his idling car Friday morning.

Clifford Lee Jones, 46, was transported to Springfield Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to a press release from the Vermont State Police.

Though the release did not state whether or not Jones committed suicide, it did confirm a note was recovered from the car, which was parked at 51 Hall Bridge Road, his place of residence. The press release also stated the death did not appear suspicious.

A post mortem examination was ordered by Windham County State's Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver.

On May 13, Jones was charged with sexually assaulting a vulnerable adult two times in the weeks leading up to Christmas 2007. Jones was released on conditions that he check in three times a week with the Bellows Falls Police Department and that he not contact or abuse the alleged victim.

In 1991, Jones was sentenced in federal court to 18 years and four months in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to a spokesman with the federal Bureau of Corrections.

He was released from federal custody in 2006 with five years of parole to conclude in 2011. In 1991 he was also charged with sexual assault, a conviction that was later vacated, according to his criminal record. ..more.. by Reformer Staff

Sex offender found dead

5-13-2008 Australia:

A MAN linked by his DNA to three sexual assaults and believed responsible for at least six other attacks has been found dead in a burnt-out car near Gympie in Queensland.

Police said the man's body was found in bushland on April 4 - a day after his wife had reported him missing.

On the same day, detectives had visited his Gympie home seeking a voluntary DNA sample which he refused to provide.

He had been identified as a person of interest following an exhaustive review by police of a series of sex offences between 1995 and 2001 in the Gympie area.

They included the sodomy of a 12-year-old boy in 1995, the rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2000 and the rape and attempted rape of six other women aged from 18 to 42.

Three of the offences were linked by a DNA profile and the other six were strongly linked by method of operation, which involved stalking his victims through darkened streets.

Acting Chief Superintendent Alan Bourke said DNA obtained from the remains and the man's personal belongings had been positively matched to the DNA profile of the linked sexual assaults.

"We can confirm that the person responsible for these attacks is now deceased. Gympie detectives will provide the Coroner with a full report into the death," Supt Bourke said.

He said investigations were continuing in regard to other possible offences.

Police began a review of the "Gympie rapist attacks" in 2006 with the help of an FBI-trained analyst.

During the investigation more than 300 men from the Gympie area provided DNA samples but all were excluded. ..more.. by Robyn Ironside

FL- Man Commits Suicide In Jail, Police Say

5-12-2008 Florida:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla - A Putnam County man awaiting child pornography charges committed suicide in his jail cell on May 10, police said. Matthew Phillip Bowen, 28, of East Palatka, using bed sheets, hanged himself from his cell bars Saturday afternoon. Police found his body shortly before 5 p.m.

Bowen was arrested on May 7 after the Putnam County Sheriff's Office arrived at his home with a search warrant.

An Internet investigation in Martin County identified Bowen's Internet protocol address, and Martin County police alerted the Putnam Sheriff's Office.

When police searched Bowen's home, they seized several compact discs, DVDs, computer hard drives, and two laptops.

Following Bowen's arrest, Putnam County Sheriffs asked for and received an additional 20 counts of possession of photographs depicting a sexual performance by a child after recent examination of seized evidence.

Police said that they have already discovered "several hundred" images, some of children appearing as young as 5.

Bowen was being held without bond when he was served with the additional charges. ..more.. by MSNBC

UK- Dad hanged himself day of sex case

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IL- Ex-Con Bryan Halstead Was Arrested After Allegedly Attemptin Tryst With Teenage Girl

5-7-2008 Illinois:

CREST HILL, Ill. (Naperville Sun) ― Former Naperville resident Bryan E. Halstead was freed from prison a little more than four months ago, after serving a 21-year sentence for raping an Aurora girl in 1985 and brutalizing her family in their home.

Halstead, 44, committed suicide Wednesday morning, less than a day after being arrested for trying to arrange a sexual tryst with a Naperville girl.

Halstead reportedly hanged himself with a bedsheet while in a holding cell at Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill. He had been taken there for violating terms of his parole following his arrest Tuesday afternoon in Naperville.

"We are investigating an apparent suicide of Mr. Halstead from Wednesday morning at Stateville," said Derek Schnapp, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Corrections. Schnapp refused to discuss how Halstead killed himself.

Halstead in 1985 lived on the 1800 block of Princeton Circle in Naperville. He moved to south suburban Chicago Heights after being paroled from prison on Dec. 27.

Naperville police arrested Halstead at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday on a felony charge of indecent solicitation of a child. He had been accused of using the Internet to try to arrange a meeting with a 16-year-old girl from Naperville.

Police Cmdr. Dave Hoffman said the investigation began May 1, after detectives were contacted by the girl's parents. One of the parents, while monitoring the teen's online activities, found evidence of a "disturbing online chat between their child and another individual that was sexual in nature," communications that had been going on "over the course of the last two weeks," Hoffman said in a written statement.

The suspect, quickly identified as Halstead, had lied to the girl, claiming to be a 16-year-old Naperville boy and asking her to send "inappropriate digital photographs" of herself to his MySpace account, Hoffman said. Detectives set up a sting operation and arrested Halstead in a parking lot on the 500 block of South Washington Street in Naperville, where he believed he would be meeting with the girl, Hoffman said.

Aurora police arrested Halstead on Aug. 26, 1985, at a house on the 2400 block of Lakeside Drive, where his estranged wife was living with her parents and two younger sisters.

Records in DuPage County Circuit Court in Wheaton indicated Halstead, then 21, armed himself with a .357 Magnum before invading the home that afternoon.

He fired a shot that missed striking his then-13-year-old sister-in-law, who was home alone at the time. He then raped the girl in her bedroom before tying her up with rope and forcing her into the basement.

Halstead then waited as his estranged wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law and another sister-in-law arrived home one by one through the afternoon, confronting and hog-tying all of them with rope.

He shot his estranged father-in-law in the left arm and left him bleeding for nearly five hours in the basement with the rest of the family. The father-in-law ultimately underwent surgery to have his arm shortened by an inch.

A prosecutor during Halstead's trial said Halstead "systematically, for eight hours, terrorized that family." One of the victims testified they "all joined hands in the basement and prayed together" after becoming convinced it was their "last day on Earth."

Halstead eventually decided to free his captives and call 911, although court records indicated he later told police the confrontation with the family and the shooting had been accidental.

Judge John J. Bowman in June 1986 sentenced Halstead to 45 years in prison after he was convicted of felony charges of home invasion, aggravated criminal sexual assault, armed violence and unlawful restraint.

Halstead served just more than 21 years of that sentence in downstate Danville before being paroled. ..News Source.. By Bill Bird / Naperville Sun

Kolkata- Molester principal commits suicide in South Kolkata

5-6-2008 Kolkata:

Kolkata: A 63-year old principal of a primary school committed suicide in Garia in South Kolkata on Tuesday morning after he allegedly caught red-handed while molesting a seven-year old girl student by her mother.

Biswanath Das, the owner of Children's Academy School, had been running the educational center for over 20 years. Das used to live in the second floor of the double-storied building, which housed the primary school on the ground and first floors. Many local people used to send their children to the school, as it claimed to put "special emphasis" on English language.

Among many of these children attending Children's Academy was little Shipra Ghosh (name changed), a student of class 2, who went to the school to receive education, but remained at the receiving end of the principal's indecent acts.

Das had been molesting Shipra for the past few months, and also threatened to beat her up if she dared gave anyone an inkling of what was happening. A scared Shipra used to silently bear the physical and mental abuse which she was subjected to, before finally, her mother caught the principal in the act.

On Monday, when Shipra's mother went to fetch her from school, she was surprised to find that her daughter was neither in the classroom, nor with the other children. Worried, she went inside the school to look for her daughter, and was stunned to see her alone with the principal in the staff room, with the old man behaving indecently with the little girl.

On confrontation, Das said that he was affectionately caressing the child, and that her mother was reading too much into the matter. However, Shipra's mother refused to buy his explanations, and registered a molestation complaint against him in Regent Park police station in South Kolkata.

Today morning, Das went to Shipra's house, and tried to convince her parents to hush up the matter. But they refused to relent. On returning to the school, Das found a huge mob waiting for him. Fearing that he might be beaten to death by the agitated mob, Das sneaked into his house and hanged himself.

Even after his suicide, angry locals refused to let his body be taken for a post-mortem, and created a huge ruckus in the area. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob, and finally managed to take the body four hours after Das' suicide.

Shipra's mother said, "He had been molesting my child over the past few months, but we were unaware of his deeds. I caught him red-handed yesterday, but he tried to cover up for his faults. He even tried to shut us up, but we did not give in to his pressures. Soon after he had left our place today morning, we heard that he had committed suicide."

SP (South 24 Parganas) Praveen Kumar said, "Primarily we believe that Das committed suicide to save his face. We are investigating into the matter." ..more.. by LOCAL CORRESPONDENT

CA- Body found in Pinnacle Rock area

5-14-2005 California:

CLEARLAKE The Lake County Sheriff's Office has tentatively identified a body found in the Pinnacle Rock area of the Mendocino National Forest as that of Michael Willis, 44, sought by Clearlake Police on a warrant for child molestation. A post-mortem examination of the body has led the sheriff's office to believe that the subject died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The body was found 100 yards north of a rural roadway in the Pinnacle Rock area after deputies secured the area and found evidence, which along with the body, was transported to the mortuary for the post-mortem.

The deputies began investigating the scene because of a report of a suspicious vehicle by U.S. Fire Service ranger Matt Knudson. The vehicle was positively identified as belonging to Willis by the Lake County Sheriff's Department Central Dispatch.

Conclusive identification that the body was Willis' could not be made because of the estimated time lapse between the death and discovery of the body on May 3. In the approximate 30 days before the body was discovered, advanced decomposition had set in and there was apparent animal activity. : by Record-Bee ..more..

TX- Tarpley death ruled as a suicide by authorities - San Antonio resident was reportedly under investigation

5-18-2005 Texas:

Tragedy befell the quiet town of Tarpley two weeks ago. On May 5, Bandera County Sheriff's Office Deputy David McGilvray responded to a 911 call from a ranch on FM 470.

There, McGilvray found Kenneth E. Hendley, 64, of San Antonio, with a reported self-inflicted shotgun wound to his head. Justice of the Precinct 4 Lynn Holt pronounced Hendley dead on the scene at 1:10 p.m., according to Chief Deputy Don Berger.

Records indicate that Hendley was discovered by his son-in-law, Daryl Gillit, who said that Hendley was distraught over personal items in San Antonio. Gillit advised officers that Hendley was under investigation by Child Protective Services for child molestation. ..more.. by Jessica Hawley - Lifestyles Editor

FL- Sex offender wanted for questioning kills self

5-27-2005 Florida:

A sex offender who had been registered to live in Yankeetown killed himself May 20 rather than face an investigation by the Levy County Sheriff's Office into a new allegation of sexual crimes made against him in April. This week Capt. Chuck Bastak, spokesman for Sheriff Johnny Smith, said LCSO got a call last Friday from Marion County authorities informing them that George W. Hummel, 61, had shot himself in his head when a deputy tried to question him at his mother's house in Summerfield.

Bastak said Hummel had been the subject of an investigation initiated April 22 based on a claim that he had fondled a young girl, and sheriff's investigators had made the decision to arrest Hummel on a charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a child under 12 years old. However, officers had not seen Hummel since he didn't show up two weeks ago for a lie detector test they had agreed upon in a prior interview, and they believed he had left his registered address without notifying the sheriff's office as required by law. : by Mike Bowdoin ..more..

UK- BRIDGE SUICIDE OF SEX CLAIMS TEACHER

6-18-2005 United Kingdom:

A SENIOR teacher flung himself to his death after a girl pupil accused him of sex offences Head of English Dr Michael Kellaway, 60, had been sent home from work less than 48 hours before his body was found. And his wife only learned he was being investigated by police and school authorities after she was told of his death. The allegations were made by a fifth-year pupil.

Dr Kellaway,who had taught at Perth Academy for 24 years, had driven his Jaguar to the entrance of the Forth Road Bridge in Fife and thrown himself to his death. [snip] Audrey, head of a private girls school, said: 'We only found out about the investigation after my husband was found on Saturday morning. 'Michael said nothing and as far as we were concerned everything was normal.

'We have since been told the inquiry had been completed and the case had been closed.' : by James Moncur ..more..

IN- Man misses court, found dead

7-7-2005 Indiana:

Brown County police officers, sent to the home of a man who missed a required court date, made a gruesome discovery last week.

The body of David Lee Allen, 39, was found by sheriff’s deputies Rick Followell and Brad Stogsdill in Mr. Allen’s Freeman Ridge Road residence last Wednesday morning, June 29.

Brown County Coroner Earl Piper said Mr. Allen died of self-inflicted lacerations, adding that he may have been dead for several days before being discovered.

According to Sheriff Robert “Buck” Stogsdill, Mr. Allen’s body was badly decomposed. He said the case is still under investigation and that officers are awaiting additional information from the coroner.

Mr. Allen was charged two years ago with child molesting, a Class A felony. He was scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. for a competency hearing to determine his ability to represent himself in the case. When he didn’t show up, Brown Circuit Judge Judith A. Stewart issued a warrant for his arrest.

Officers Stogsdill and Followell made their discovery at around 10:40 a.m.

Mr. Allen also failed to appear at a hearing on Monday, June 20. A warrant was not issued for him at that time because the court was concerned he did not receive proper notice. ..more.. by Rodney Margison Staff writer

ID- Father Who Molested Infant Daughter Takes Own Life

7-25-2005 Idaho:

Police say a 26-year-old Idaho father who was to be sentenced Friday for lewd conduct with his infant daughter has killed himself. Benjamin Nephi Wright had called himself a monster when he confessed to his wife that he had attempted intercourse with their 22-month-old daughter last September.

He was found shot to death in the chest Thursday at his mother's home in Athol, and police closed their investigation Monday, concluding Wright took his own life. Wright was facing punishment of up to life in prison and mandatory registration as a sex offender at Friday's scheduled sentencing hearing in First District Court. ..more.. : by KOIN TV6 Oregon

CA- Cop Facing Sex Assault Charges Commits Suicide

7-25-2005 California:

A San Francisco police inspector who was facing felony sexual assault charges in Solano County fatally shot himself in his Vacaville home last week, Vacaville police said. The Solano County Coroner's Office said Wilfredo Gonzalez Jr., 39, was found dead in his home at 9:07 p.m. June 21. The cause of death was a contact gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said.

Vacaville police said Gonzalez was facing sexual assault charges involving two alleged victims in 2002 and 2004. He was to have appeared in Solano County Superior Court on Thursday. Vacaville police Lt. Craig Courtemanche said another woman came forward about six weeks ago when she saw news articles about the charges against Gonzalez. Courtemanche said Gonzalez met the women on the Internet and arranged for them to come to his home. Police said Gonzalez faced seven charges regarding the alleged sexual assaults. ..more.. : by Bay City News

FL- Can suits exorcise ghost of coach?

Players are suing the estate of a soccer coach who killed himself after he was accused of sexually molesting them.

7-10-2005 Florida:

TAMPA - No one wanted to believe that about William Burton. No one wanted to think the man their kids had looked up to for years had done those things to their boys.

In life, he was a energetic businessman and an enthusiastic soccer coach. But when Burton, 61, committed suicide late last year after allegations surfaced that he had molested several boys on the Black Watch Soccer Club, death cheated the truth. In death, Burton became for some the ghost that will forever haunt their lives.

Now the families of two of Burton's alleged victims have turned to the courts for to quiet that restless spirit. Late last month, parents of two former Black Watch team members filed separate lawsuits in Hillsborough County against Burton's estate alleging that the late Gold Cup Coffee Service executive made sexual advances toward the boys and touched them inappropriately. The lawsuits also contend the soccer coach encouraged some teenage players to have sex with prostitutes during a team trip to Europe last year.

The lawsuits call for unspecified damages. But attorneys for the unnamed teens filed legal claims earlier this year in probate court seeking a total of roughly $1.25-million from Burton's estate.

J. Meredith Wester, an attorney for a 15-year-old Tampa player and his parents, said her clients were reluctant to file their June 22 lawsuit, but felt it was their only remaining avenue to justice.

"I'm convinced that there would have been charges against Bill Burton if he hadn't committed suicide," Wester said. "I think it's real unfortunate. I think there's a lot more victims out there that haven't come forward because of this situation."

Peter Catania, attorney for Richard Coleman, the father of another 15-year-old player, agreed.

"There's no criminal prosecution available,so there's no other alternative than the civil courts," Catania said.

A former Tampa resident, Coleman moved with his son to Massachusetts before filing the June 16 lawsuit, which also names the Black Watch Soccer Club as a defendant.

"He relocated with his son because he thought it would be best for his son to get a fresh start where no one was aware of the allegations," Catania said.

The lawsuits come seven months after a Gold Cup employee found Burton dead in a company minivan near his office on the morning of Dec. 17. Investigators found a gas generator and a suicide note in the vehicle. Burton's death followed a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into allegations that he and three other Black Watch coaches were involved in sexual misconduct.

No charges were filed and the FDLE closed the inquiry in March. But during the course of the investigation, teen after teen told FDLE agents about Burton's sexual advances.

The trouble always seemed to start when the team traveled for out-of-town tournaments. During a team trip to Dallas a boy woke in the middle of the night to find Burton rubbing his back and the soccer coach's hand sliding down his boxer shorts, according to investigative reports. Other boys reported similar encounters with Burton during a trip to Seminole County. Another boy also reported seeing Burton masturbating in a hotel bathroom during one of the trips, records show.

The allegations against Burton became more complicated after several team members reported that Burton and assistant coach Eddie Rodriguez allowed the boys to visit Amsterdam's famous red light district. One team member told investigators Burton gave another teenager 50 euros to pay a prostitute to perform oral sex on the boy.

Parents of the boys reported the allegations to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office last July. The FDLE took over the case because the alleged sexual misconduct had occurred in several different places outside the county.

The charges shocked many in the community who knew Burton as the ultra-fit coach of Jesuit High School's junior varsity soccer program and longtime youth soccer booster. Before taking over his family's beverage service business in Tampa, Burton spent 17 years working his way up to the top rungs of the Marriott Corp. The allegations were a blot on his otherwise stellar reputation.

When FDLE investigators interviewed Burton last summer, he told them he knew he was in serious trouble. He said he wanted to talk about what had happened, but he'd been advised by his attorney not to say more. His death four months later left parents of the players wondering about the man they had entrusted with their sons.

"The father's upset that his son was a victim of Burton," Catania said of his client. "I think most people would be upset if their kids were a victim of something like that."

Con Foley, the personal representative for Burton's estate, said he was aware of the lawsuits but did not want to comment until he had consulted with his attorney.

Black Watch attorney Colleen Fitzgerald declined to discuss the lawsuit pending further consultation with team leadership. But she pointed out that the allegations have been costly for all involved.

Wester says her client has suffered considerably since the allegations against Burton were made public. The teenager has trouble sleeping and has lost some of his hair, she said.

"These boys are like hand picked for this team when they're 5 and 6 years old and Burton was their coach for all that time," Wester said. "That's what makes it so traumatic for the victims because the victims have known him for so many years."

The events of the past year have also damaged relations between team members, Wester said. After her client told his parents about what happened, he had few friends left from Black Watch. He now plays soccer for a different team.

"Some of those boys blame him for what happened to Burton," Wester said. "You can tell them there's nothing you did wrong, this man was sick, but when you're 14 and 15 years old, it's hard to believe that."

Researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Candace Rondeaux can be reached at 813 226-3337 or rondeaux@sptimes.com ..more.. by CANDACE RONDEAUX