People Attempting to Undermine Safe Sport

[La-LaPopRider]

To be fair, no one has reported that the admissions hearing for Barisone has been ruled upon this week, either.

All statements made by Barisone will be admitted into evidence and not suppressed, as Bilinkas has requested they should be suppressed. But will not be.

Those statements alone, now that they are criminally admissible will likely weigh heavily in the SafeSport decision to continue his ineligibility, possibly despite the trial’s outcome. These statements as a whole, may be seen as an automatic admission of guilt by SafeSport- as they should be. I also find it curious that “reporters,” like Nancy Jaffer, didn’t feel this gargantuan ruling was “news worthy,” enough to report.

I mean, the ruling was handed down, in writing. I’d be interested to know what SafeSport’s view of these statements made to officers, (now formally ruled into evidence) will be.

I’m also interested in Safesport’s view of statements made by Traurig, MacDonald & George Morris.

[skydy]

@CurrentlyHorseless

I wonder if the criminal charges were the outcome of SS referring the case to the authorities.

Both the police investigation and the Safe Sport suspension happened in October, so there’s no telling which came first.
It’s good to know he isn’t around young people now.

[Jenerationx]

I think if 2 of your close friends are outed as pedophiles, it might be time to rethink your association with them.

[CurrentlyHorseless]

@skydy

@CurrentlyHorseless

I wonder if the criminal charges were the outcome of SS referring the case to the authorities.

Both the police investigation and the Safe Sport suspension happened in October, so there’s no telling which came first.
It’s good to know he isn’t around young people now.

My understanding is that the SS procedure is that when they get a report, if the statute of limitations has not expired so that it is prosecutable, they defer to the criminal justice system, with its higher level of protections for the accused and more serious consequences. If the victims felt more comfortable going to SS rather than the police, and SS turned it over to the police, that’s an important service provided by SS. I think lots of abuse is never reported to the police because the victims are reluctant to approach the criminal justice system.

[Knights_Mom]

I dare to guess that many of the old timers with golden boy Olympioyd status acted just as bad as rock stars do with their own groupies, famed in song and story.

It’s the same dynamics after all.

And especially in horsedom those dynamics are accented with aspiring riders thoughts of being coupled with someone to partner them to Olympic glory (for the adults) or some other rider fame.

And for yet other predators, having the opportunity to excel in cultivating deviate relationships with the young riders who idolize them becomes their natural way of being.

[skydy]

@CurrentlyHorseless

@skydy

@CurrentlyHorseless

I wonder if the criminal charges were the outcome of SS referring the case to the authorities.

Both the police investigation and the Safe Sport suspension happened in October, so there’s no telling which came first.
It’s good to know he isn’t around young people now.

My understanding is that the SS procedure is that when they get a report, if the statute of limitations has not expired so that it is prosecutable, they defer to the criminal justice system, with its higher level of protections for the accused and more serious consequences. If the victims felt more comfortable going to SS rather than the police, and SS turned it over to the police, that’s an important service provided by SS. I think lots of abuse is never reported to the police because the victims are reluctant to approach the criminal justice system.

Safe Sport always defers to the criminal justice system when there is a criminal investigation, and people reporting to Safe Sport are obligated to inform local law enforcement regarding ongoing child abuse.

However, there needn’t be a criminal investigation for Safe Sport to act and (thankfully) they don’t have to consider the legal statute of limitations, since they don’t put people in jail, they kick them out of a sports organization.

[Spartacus]

I doubt it. Everyone’s reaction out here is “Is anyone surprised?”

[skydy]

@Spartacus

I doubt it. Everyone’s reaction out here is “Is anyone surprised?”

What a shame that “everyone’s reaction” is that they are not surprised. Not unusual in some circles, but still upsetting. Glad he’s away from everyone now.

[Spartacus]

Agreed, but he never actually acted out on anyone until recently—as far as anyone knows. He just had a reputation for being odd, something off, kind of icky, nasty. There wasn’t anything to act upon.

[FitzE]

Wow, I’m quite happy to see that bail figure. It certainly suggests that they are taking this very seriously. I have a child quite close to the age of his victim. Absolutely terrifying.

I wonder what Bernie meant when he said, “…protect myself and my family…”. It struck me as alluding to his knowing about his son. But, I guess if they’ve been estranged or distant for a long time, he meant his family immediately around him/dependent upon his income.

I’m with @Night_Flight: if you want to protect yourself, don’t engage in or condone/fail to report abusive behaviour. And with @Jenerationx: if more than one of your close pals is outed as a paedophile, you need to give a great deal of thought to the types of people you associate with and maybe why. The company you keep and all…

[skydy]

@Spartacus

Agreed, but he never actually acted out on anyone until recently—as far as anyone knows. He just had a reputation for being odd, something off, kind of icky, nasty. There wasn’t anything to act upon.

Except to not hire him to teach you or you children, or to train your horses.

[Spartacus]

Why do you think he moved away? That’s exactly what happened. I don’t know who he was working for, but Jessica dumped him a few years ago.

[skydy]

@Spartacus

Why do you think he moved away? That’s exactly what happened. I don’t know who he was working for, but Jessica dumped him a few years ago.

I have no idea why he moved on from each place he worked. I don’t know him and have never seen him.
I believe that 2019, when he allegedly molested a child, was not but a “few years ago.” Hopefully Jessica (I don’t know Jessica) dumped him and reported him to Safe Sport as well.

I took lessons in Topanga Canyon in the distant past (decades.) They weren’t the best, but good for beginner kids. No trainers were there, that "everyone found creepy, pervy "etc…

[Spartacus]

If you don’t know, haven’t met, and have barely heard of him, I guess I’m not sure why you are commenting. As far as I know, Jessica, who owned the training business he worked for and was also his girlfriend of several years, dumped him in 2017 or thereabouts. If you haven’t run into any creepy horse trainers in your time, count yourself lucky.

2019 was three years ago. That’s what the word “several” means. I would say that taking lessons in the distant past probably doesn’t put you in the general vicinity of the trainers we are talking about. I’m really glad you had a good experience. There are a lot of good people in this business. Unfortunately, the bad ones are pretty bad.

[skydy]

I did not say that I have “barely heard of him”.

I have been warned about specific creepy farriers, as an young adult, but no specific creepy horse trainers. I was lucky. When I was 14 my parents were careful “strict” about with whom I was left unattended.

I would have hoped that when so many people have been creeped out and bothered by the behavior of a trainer, especially one that gives lessons to kids, that his behavior would have been made to come to a screeching halt before now.

[skydy]

@Spartacus

If you don’t know, haven’t met, and have barely heard of him, I guess I’m not sure why you are commenting. As far as I know, Jessica, who owned the training business he worked for and was also his girlfriend of several years, dumped him in 2017 or thereabouts. If you haven’t run into any creepy horse trainers in your time, count yourself lucky.

2019 was three years ago. That’s what the word “several” means. I would say that taking lessons in the distant past probably doesn’t put you in the general vicinity of the trainers we are talking about. I’m really glad you had a good experience. There are a lot of good people in this business. Unfortunately, the bad ones are pretty bad.

Yes, the bad ones are pretty bad, especially when they are able to continue to molest children because they are enabled.

People speaking out about their experiences with sexual assault as well as Safe Sport will hopefully will stop this cycle.

[skydy]

@Spartacus

If you haven’t run into any creepy horse trainers in your time, count yourself lucky.

This should not be an acceptable sentence to say to any child, man, or woman who enjoys riding.
We should not be “lucky” not to come into contact with sexual molesting horse people. I understand what you are saying, there are a lot of them, but this attitude needs to change.

Kids shouldn’t need to “count themselves lucky” to not be in contact with creepy trainers, The creepy abusers need to “count themselves lucky” not to be caught and outed.

Hopefully the tide is turning.

[Spartacus]

I did NOT say kids should count themselves lucky. I was speaking only to YOU, an adult. You’re preaching to the choir here. Nobody was enabling MT as a predator or a pedophile—he hadn’t done anything. He was just kind of “off.” There are a lot of weird people in the world who aren’t molesting children, so stop trying to shift the blame of MT’s behavior onto other people. I think everyone is in agreement that the tide needs to turn.

[skydy]

@Spartacus

I did NOT say kids should count themselves lucky. I was speaking only to YOU, an adult. You’re preaching to the choir here. Nobody was enabling MT as a predator or a pedophile—he hadn’t done anything. He was just kind of “off.” There are a lot of weird people in the world who aren’t molesting children, so stop trying to shift the blame of MT’s behavior onto other people. I think everyone is in agreement that the tide needs to turn.

I was speaking to you of my experience at 14 years old (as a kid) and then as a young adult.

Adults need to keep watch and keep “creepy” trainers away from kids. Times, as I believe we all hope, are changing. I am not trying “to shift the blame” from child molesters to other people, I believe that parents, trainers, and intelligent observers, need to be more aware and more proactive than they have been in the past.

[Spartacus]

Then we agree.