I went to work at a local barn a while back and of course did a search online about the trainer and the barn. Nothing out of the ordinary popped up. Later on after I was no longer there I found out about the unsavory parts… things that parents really should be able to google and know about.
I think there is still a big disconnect between the courts and the online world.
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My expectation of how the SS investigation should work based on a report of an inappropriate interaction with a minor from XX years ago - is there something about the report, a recent report, or a reasonable expectation that it could still be occurring now? Yes = immediate suspension during the investigation No = further investigation first. I would like to think that SS is not just suspending people based on one specific report that the person had an individual occurrence, but that something in the report leads them to believe that the person could pose a danger (physical/emotional) to minors now.
There are a lot of questions posed about victims from years ago and their “motives” - maybe when they have finally been able to come to terms with what happened to them, they’re just looking to make sure it doesn’t happen to another person. I’d expect they’re struggling with the knowledge that it quite possibly already did…
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It’s possible an anonymous report may corroborate the report of a witness that gave a name. I guess that if the anonymous report contained enough detail, and jived with other reports, it may be given some weight?
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We don’t know what they do or don’t have or how many or if any.
The local school PE teacher and coach I mentioned upthread was charged with 28 counts of inappropriate touching of First grade girls however security camera footage shows potentially many, many more, the DA narrowed it down to those 28 for prosecution. Guy also coached the Y swim teams, they were completely gobsmacked, all the teen girls and their mothers were totally shocked and said they saw no signs of such things. Nicest guy in the world , last person they’d ever imagine so supportive and caring etc. etc. etc.
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Well this clarified things. Thanks for that.
So under NY Law with respect to 3rd degree sodomy, plus with the SafeSport list notation that he was permanently banned because of crimes involving a minor, plus the fact that he was 30 when he was convicted…
he was found guilty of doing one of two things with a minor. So a 30 year old and someone no older than 17. Not ok.
Then he tried to get his name removed from the Virginia sex offender registry in 2011… and that failed. But in 2015, Virginia DID remove his name. And guess what? He’s running a thriving little lesson business that is advertised as “family friendly.” And his farm has now become affiliated with the GMU equestrian team.
I’m curious to see if he gets off the Safe Sport list upon his appeal. If I were a person CURRENTLY affiliated with that barn, I’d definitely want to have a talk and here from him what his side of the story is. He did get removed from the VA registry. It’s all a bit odd.
I know nothing about any of the persons mentioned above. However, as was also stated above, there are a lot of very outdated laws about sodomy on the books in many states. So, is this person gay? If so, this might explain him being prosecuted for something even if it involved two consenting adults who got caught up in laws that no longer have any relevance in today’s society, and why it was subsequently removed. Wouldn’t a 3rd degree conviction be sort of a lesser sentence?
Just something that occurred to me overnight.
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She said she knows 10 of the victims. That is quite different from others who are talking about the accuser being one girl a couple weeks shy of 18.
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Sodomy laws have been disappearing off the books for a few years now. However that doesn’t matter for the trainer in question since it involved a minor.
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I assumed she meant she knows ten victims of sexual assault, not ten of Rob Gage’s victims.
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Did she say she knew 10 victims of that one person? Or 10 people who had been victims of the same kind of abuse? Those are different things.
I don’t know anything about it, other than her Facebook post. Just pointing out the vagueness of the language.
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I wouldn’t assume anything, especially in a case of sexual assault of a minor; it rarely is just one. And we have discussed SafeSport is most likely not going to ban you for life for having sex with a 17 year old when you were 18. If you read some of the other comments, several people have referenced poor choices, immoral adult choices that were made. People stated it was 30, 40 years ago, doing the math, he would have been 26 - 36 years old then.
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Exactly what Denali said about the repeal of sodomy laws. But He was convicted of it in NY when he was 30, and their statutes indicate he was convicted of engaging in one of two activities with someone 17 or under…
I’m curious about what the rules are for the sex offender registry here in VA. And how this whole registry works from state to state when laws are slightly different. In some respects… that’s an argument in favor of Safe Sport lists, as they are national.
The guy here in VA seems to only have been running his own farm and advertising as a coach since late 2016 or early 2017, unless I am mistaken. Prior to that, he was someone else’s farm manager from what I can tell.
It looks like he still has the opportunity to appeal the ban. Curious as to how that ends up.
Keep in mind too, the courts can say you only have to register for X amount of years depending on the plea deal. Jim Giorgio is no longer required to register as a sex offender in Connecticut. His sentence only required him to do so for 10 years.
This is what I really like about SS. You’re on this list despite how much you plead it down.
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I believe third degree sodomy is sex with a minor or mentally handicapped person. Let me look it up.
new York law:
Sodomy in the Third Degree (Class E Felony) Up to 4 Years in Prison:
Ӣ A person engages in deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of
consent by reason or factor other than being less than 17 years old;
Ӣ Being 21 years old or more, engages in deviate sexual intercourse with a person less
than 17 years old.
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It’s an assumption either way since the language is unclear. We already know it’s not just one.
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scroll to the second page for 3rd degree sodomy.
That’s interesting, and good to know. I was unaware someone could be on the list for a limited duration by plea deal. There’s a bit more information on most offender lists than Safe Sport gives, which as a parent, is something I pay attention to.
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And yet people on her post are STILL ripping safesport apart and saying how wrong it is THEY ARE NOT GETTING IT! and/or just being DELIBERATELY OBTUSE! I found it to be a very well thought out piece of heartfelt writing…the best one someone has written, and STILL people are trashing and arguing with her…sigh…just shows, no matter what, things will never change in some people’s minds…they will ALWAYS victim blame! I hope to God, names never come out because I cannot imagine the hell some of those people will put victims through, and THAT is the real travesty!
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Kristin hit the nail on the head when she said many people lack the ability for perspective.
They had positive experiences with the accused, therefore the accused must be innocent.
They know someone who had a rough time with a SafeSport accusation, therefore the system is a failure.
They write angry posts and blogs about how people (like me) think SafeSport is a flawless paradigm just because they show support for it.
Very few things are ever black & white. Yet it is common for many individuals to lack the flexibility to accept that truth. And unfortunately, those tend to be the individuals making the most noise.
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I read that to mean she knows 10 victims of sexual assault in the horse industry, not several victims of Rob Gage. There were others that rode in that era too, that have a different account of events, time frames and ages. Once again it is a he said, she said account. I still believe banning Rob Gage had nothing to do with protection, but everything to do with punishment, which IMHO does nothing to protect minors from sexual misconduct and assault.
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