Yet another sports child abuse sex scandal is breaking and whether it turns out to be valid or not, it’s clear sports officials will face very hesistant parents in the future and that organizations will start to put a bunch of safeguards in place. This time the allegations are coming via ESPN from Memphis. CNN reports:
The Memphis police and the Amateur Athletic Union have launched an investigation after two players alleged that the leader of a local youth sports organization molested them decades ago.
The two players were interviewed by the ESPN’s show “Outside the Lines” and the story is scheduled to be aired at 10 a.m. Sunday.
A story on ESPN.com said the players allege that Robert “Bobby” Dodd inappropriately touched them and abused them sexually while they slept in hotel rooms during tournaments.
CNN could not reach Dodd for comment despite repeated attempts. ESPN also could not immediately get a comment from Dodd.
Readers of this story should also be aware that this story contains sexually graphic content.
The athletic union released a statement saying the allegations against Dodd dated back several decades.
“The AAU has opened an independent investigation into these matters and also has contacted local law enforcement in Memphis, where the activities allegedly occurred. We will actively cooperate with any and all authorities to determine the facts and the truth.”
Dodd is dealing with colon cancer and would not be returning as president and chief executive officer of the youth organization, the statement said.
Memphis authorities said they take “allegations of child sexual abuse very seriously. Although this case has its challenges due to the amount of time that has passed, it will be thoroughly examined; and if the investigation reveals the law was violated, the person responsible will be held accountable.”
Go the link to read more details.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.