Sexual assault survivors share their youth sports stories
ahead of virtual awareness event
by: Kerri O'Brien
Posted: Apr 5, 2021 / 06:30 PM EDT
Warning: this story contains firsthand accounts of sexual assault.
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — With the warmer weather, schools reopening and more people getting vaccinated, children are returning to sports. However, two former athletes warn that youth sports can present opportunities for predators.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month and it’s prompting the local women to share their experience in a virtual event later this month. The public is invited to attend a virtual event titled, “When Trust is Exploited in Youth Sports: Healing after Sexual Assault & Abuse,” on April 14.
One of those women is Henrico resident Fatima Smith. She remembers her competitive cheerleading coach walking into her bedroom in her Virginia home when she was sleeping. “I wake up to him touching me,” said Smith.
She was just 12 years old when she says he sexually assaulted her.
The other woman sharing her story is Virginia resident Abbey Philips. She says she just turned 13 when her karate coach in Florida at the time sexually assaulted her. “He took me back to his bedroom, put a chair in the middle of the room, closed the door and locked it and started kissing me down the side of my neck,” said Philips.
Philips told us she was so confused by it. She said, “We trusted him, my parents trusted him.”
Both women say they didn’t speak up about the abuse at first because their coaches had become trusted members of the community.
They also say their coaches made them and their parents feel like they were always looking out for them. So, it was hard to imagine their coaches were hurting them or doing anything wrong.
“There’s a grooming process that also takes place with parents,” Smith said.
Within the last few years, sexual assault in sports has come to light with USA Gymnastics and convicted sex offender Doctor Larry Nassar and U.S. Olympic Coach John Geddert, who killed himself this year, after being charged with turning his gym into a hub for human trafficking and abuse.
Locally former softball coach Cathy Rothgeb (5th story on link) was sentenced in 2019 to nearly 300 years behind bars for sexually assaulting players in Orange and Spotsylvania counties.
The increased reports of abuse combined with their personal stories prompted both Smith and Philips to hold the free virtual event. “Abbey and I are really just trying to raise awareness,” said Smith. “As a survivor, I want other survivors to know they are not alone,” said Philips.
The panel will include survivors, parents and therapists. The event will offer parents resources, prevention tips and some red flags to keep an eye out for. “Look out for person who is going above and beyond. Find out what are the organizations policies,” said Smith.
This event has been organized in collaboration with the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, YWCA of Richmond, Hanover Safe Place, Henrico CASA and FMS Speaks.
FMS Speaks is Smith’s consulting and public education agency that helps individuals and businesses create safer environments to have conversations that are traditionally taboo.
The virtual event is open to the public and free on April 14 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Registration is required and limited to the first 100 attendees. You can register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom
Both women have been working to shape legislation in several (states?) regarding the statute of limitations for child sex abuse crimes. They say crimes are often not reported until the children grow up and feel safe to speak up.
It's unfortunate it has to be limited to 100.
Binghamton man sentenced to 15 years for sexual acts
against child less than 13 years old
Anthony Borrelli
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
A Binghamton man will spend 15 years in prison for sexual acts against a child who was less than 13 years old.
Charles F. Airwyke, 41, was sentenced Friday in Broome County Court for his guilty plea to a felony count of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child. The Broome County District Attorney's Office said Airwyke's crimes took place between 2017 and 2019.
The Binghamton Police Department arrested Airwyke in May 2020, and he was initially charged with rape.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Ganz, who appeared at Friday's sentencing, said the "victim’s childhood was stolen” by the Airwyke.
The 15-year prison term will be followed by 20 years of post-release supervision and in addition, Airwyke will be required to register as a sex offender.
464 cases of child abuse reported last year in Grayson Co., Tx. alone
..
Those are only the ones we know about
By Nina Quatrino
Published: Apr. 6, 2021 at 5:08 PM PDT
SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Tuesday, Grayson County officials proclaimed April as Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention month.
Officials placed blue flags and ribbons along the county court house lawn, to represent the hundreds of child abuse and neglect victims confirmed in Grayson County.
In 2020, there were over one hundred cases of abuse involving children in Sherman, and 464 total within the county -and that’s just cases that were reported. Officials believe there are many, many more.
“Prior to taking this job, I didn’t fully understand some of the child abuse and neglect that happens here in the county” said Child Protective Services Representative Lindsay Willeford. “I grew up here in Grayson County and a lot of the stuff that goes on through the courts, many people in the community do not understand.”
Willeford works in the District Attorneys office. She says child abuse is real and it’s in Grayson County.
“It is absolutely happening here- it’s happening in all of our cities here in Grayson County, all of our schools, and the community just needs to be aware of what’s happening to our kiddos” Willeford said.
Child abuse can look different for all cases.
“Child endangerment, children being abandoned or endangered. Then there’s injury to a child, and then child sex abuse” said District Attorney Brett Smith. “Unfortunately we see way too much child sexual abuse. In fact, we’re trying a continuous sexual abuse of a child case in the 59th district court, upstairs” Smith said.
“Child abuses crosses all social economic standards, all ethnic divides, it crosses all gender divides, it doesn’t matter if you’re rural, if you’re in the city, it happens everywhere,” said Abigail Hill, development and outreach coordinator for the Sherman Child Advocacy Center.
It happens in every city in America and in every county. The numbers are astounding!
Hill says abusers are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“We hear all the time, ‘that person would never hurt a child,’ or ‘I know them, they would never do that,’ but the reality is, more than 90% of the time the people who are abusing kids, are the people we know and trust,” Hill said. “We don’t give strangers access to our kids, if we don’t trust someone we’re not leaving our children with them. So, if your child says something, believe them.”
Hill says the number one sign of abuse to look for in a child, is a sudden change in behavior: whether that be a child becoming shy and closed off, or more talkative and energetic.
For more signs and knowledge of abuse, click here.
To make a report, click here or you can call 1-800-252-5400.
Grayson Co., Tx
Child sex abuse suspect wanted in Notasulga, Ala
By Jonathan Grass |
April 6, 2021 at 3:10 PM CDT
NOTASULGA, Ala. (WSFA) - Notasulga police are searching for a child sex crime suspect.
Police say James Charles Adams, 54, has felony warrants on charges of sexual abuse of a child Less than 12 years old.
Anyone who can help find him is asked to call the Notasulga Police Department at 334-257-3444.
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