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Former NYC Basketball Coach Faces Sex Abuse Charges
By
Ellen Burke
Published Mar 26, 2010
Modified Mar 26, 2010
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By
Ellen Burke
Published Mar 26, 2010
Modified Mar 26, 2010
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Bob Oliva coached the likes of Lamar Odom and Jayson Williams in his more than 30 years at Queens' Christ the King Regional High School, but stepped down last year in the face of allegations that he sexually abused students. Now he's been charged in a Massachusetts court for raping a fourteen year old boy during a field trip to Boston in 1976 and giving pornography to a minor.
According to the Daily News, New York prosecutors would have had a difficult time bringing a case against Oliva because of statutes of limitations. But Massachusetts law doesn't have a statute of limitations if the suspect leaves the state. The case doesn't name the victim, but a man named Jimmy Carlino told the News last year that Oliva had abused him for several years. Carlino's lawyer (who represented many of the sex abuse victims of Catholic priests) says the case "is the beginning of the healing process for my client. Mr. Carlino is ready to proceed and testify at trial." The allegations have been, unsurprisingly, very divisive within the Christ the King community.
The Post says Oliva was for years one of the most highly regarded coaches in the city, and retired with a 549-131 record. He said he was stepping down last year because of heart problems caused by the allegations, and his lawyer says he expects his client to be acquitted.
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Bob Oliva
Christ the King
high school basketball
scandal
sex abuse
Ellen Burke
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