By THOMAS M. Di-STASIO
Allegedly, the as yet unidentified varsity players sexually assaulted three junior-varsity squad members with a broomstick, pine cones and golf balls during a one-week football camp in Preston Park, Pa., in August.
Last week the three alleged assailants were charged as juveniles. Charges against them included involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, terroristic threats, criminal coercion, simple assault, reckless endangerment, ethnic intimidation and multiple counts of criminal conspiracy.
Zimmer said he reached his decision to seek adult charges against the three alleged assailants based on interviews with victims' parents, Pennsylvania probation department officials, attorneys for the accused and information from Bellmore-Merrick officials.
The D.A. said he was seeking adult charges because:
¥The attacks were allegedly horrific.
¥All three defendants are over 14. Under New York State law, two of the three were adults at the time of the alleged offenses, and all three are now adults.
¥The outrageousness of the alleged perpetrators' conduct exhibited a degree of criminal sophistication.
¥The attacks were not isolated, but were carried out over several days.
¥The crimes heavily impacted the victims, their families and the Mepham community.
¥And at least two of the three players were team leaders.
After the D.A.'s announcement, Robert Kelly, Michael Rubin and David Woycik Jr., attorneys for the three victims, released the following statement on behalf of their clients:
"We would like to express our full support for the decision made and express our complete confidence in the judgment of Mr. Zimmer's office in making this decision.
"We are pleased that these investigations are going forward and look toward the day when we can begin to try to put this horrible event behind us.
"We are deeply saddened and disappointed that these events were allowed to take place at all. We also feel that the time is right for the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District to shoulder their responsibility in this matter. The principal and coaches who had an opportunity to prevent this attack should acknowledge their responsibility."
Zimmer said a hearing will be held before Wayne County Judge Robert Conway, who will determine whether the accused should be tried as adults. At press time, a date and time for the hearing had not been set.
Zimmer said he expects two of the three suspects to travel to Wayne County in the next few days to surrender to juvenile authorities. He added said that he might reconsider filing charges if any of the suspects decide to cooperate with authorities. He also did not rule out the possibility of additional charges being filed.
Because the suspects are now charged as juveniles, their names cannot be released, according to Pennsylvania law.
The father of one of the suspects died at home over the weekend. Nassau County Police Sgt. Anthony Repalone said officers were called at about 10 a.m. on Sunday to a North Merrick home, where they found a 40-year-old man dead in his bed. An autopsy was being performed, but Repalone noted that the results of toxicology tests could take up to three weeks to determine a cause of death.
ÒHe is the father of one of the suspectsÓ in the alleged sex-abuse attacks, Repalone said.
Sixty Mepham players and five coaches attended the football camp. Officials said the coaches slept in a different cabin from students and were unaware of the alleged attacks until a parent complained.
Mepham suspended three players from school following the allegations. And the Bellmore-Merrick Central District Board of Education voted to cancel the football team's season, saying many squad members knew of the attacks but failed to report them, a violation of the district's conduct code.
