Boston Sexual Abuse Lawyer Blog

A Nov. 17 hearing in Westchester (NY) County court will determine if Ernest Lorch, the founder of the Riverside Church basketball program, is competent to stand trial in Massachusetts for an alleged sexual assault that took place more than 30 years ago, as reported by the Daily News.

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan told the News that psychiatrist Alan Tuckman examined Lorch and concluded that the former New York hoops powerbroker is competent to stand trial.

"We believe the evidence is clear that he can understand the proceedings, assist in his defense and be tried fairly here," Sullivan told the Daily News.

An expert who examined Lorch at the request of his defense team has said that Lorch is not competent to stand trial.

Lorch's lawyer Frederick Cohn has been battling extradition ever since his client was indicted on two sex abuse charges by a western Massachusetts grand jury in October 2010. Prosecutors have said the alleged assault occurred when the victim traveled to the University of Massachusetts with Lorch to attend a basketball tournament some time between March 1977 and April 1978.

One of the charges, indecent assault and battery of a person over 14 years old, was dropped because it was not on the books until after the attack allegedly occurred. But Lorch still faces an attempted rape charge.

Lorch's attorney, Frederick Cohn, did not return calls from the Daily News. Cohn has said in court papers that the elderly Lorch, who lives in an assisted living facility in Westchester, is not competent to stand trial because he suffers from dementia and diabetes.

Cohn also claims that the alleged victim reported the crimes to Massachusetts officials decades after they allegedly occurred because he was unsuccessful in extorting money from the longtime basketball coach.

A Western, MA man has pled guilty to child pornography charges, specifically to child exploitation. The story can be found here.

I thought this story from Bakersfield, CA was incredible. Great police and investigative work. Kudos.

A Gardner city police officer was arraigned yesterday on charges that he molested a juvenile, as reported by the Worcester Telegram.

Larry J. Landry, 35, was charged with statutory rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14, and assault to rape a child.

He is being held on $50,000 cash or $500,000 with surety bail in Worcester County Jail.

No formal plea was entered for Landry, and he is due back in court on Oct. 5 for a pretrial hearing.

Assistant District Attorney Brian D'Andrea told the court that Landry was arrested Monday after the juvenile told Gardner police he had been molested by Landry.

The molestation allegedly took place in Winchendon from the time the boy was in kindergarten until he was in the sixth grade.

After learning of the allegations, Landry turned himself in to Gardner police.

He was arrested and placed on paid leave by Chief Neil Erickson.

In arguing for the high bail, D'Andrea said that because of the nature of the charges, Landry is a severe flight risk.

But in seeking lower bail, Martin B. Kallio Jr., Landry's lawyer, said his client is 35, is separated from his wife, and has children ages 16, 11, and 6.

"He has been a police officer for 14 years - all of that honorable - and was acting sergeant for several months,'' he said.

After the hearing, Kallio said his client denies all charges, the Telegram reported.

"These allegations are outrageous,'' he said. "He denies them vociferously.''

A Pawtucket man has been arrested after a Massachusetts teen told her guidance counselor that he arranged for another man to repeatedly rape her when she was 11.

The Providence Journal reports that John Rainey, a relative of the alleged victim, was arrested and charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit child molestation.

The alleged assailant, Warren Prescott of North Attleboro, Mass., was ordered held without bail on charges including three counts of first-degree child molestation.

Pawtucket police say the alleged victim, now 17, told her counselor in May, and police obtained an arrest warrant for Rainey in August.

Police say that Rainey would tell the girl she had to come with him and bring her to Prescott.

The Boston Globe reports that a series of killings of gay men and women by their partners has alarmed advocates, who say the deaths reflect a serious problem of domestic violence in the gay community that draws scant attention from many in law enforcement.

Since 2010, there have been seven killings as a result of domestic violence, a sharp increase from prior years when advocates reported one to three such homicides.

Last month, a 47-year-old man was accused of stabbing his boyfriend then burying his body beneath a porch in Winthrop.

The Globe reports that advocates say many police, prosecutors, and judges lack the sensitivity and training to help gays, lesbians, and transgender people who are victims of abuse. Often, authorities fail to recognize who is the batterer in such relationships and who needs help.

Advocates say there is a deep resistance from some police departments to learn more about the issue. They report dropping off brochures about services for victims only to have officers scoff or discard them.

Good in-depth reporting by Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe about Bob Hewitt, one of the best doubles players of all time.

And shame on John Korff, the director at large of the US Tennis Association, who expressed displeasure at one of the victims coming forward after years of silence.