ESPN Report: AAU CEO Accused of Child Sex Abuse
- Posted on December 10, 2011 at 5:55pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(The Blaze/AP) — Two former basketball players have accused Amateur Athletic Union president Robert “Bobby” Dodd of molesting them as children, according to an ESPN report.
The network reported Friday that the AAU is investigating the claims, which date from the 1980s. One of the players, 43-year-old Ralph West, told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” he was assaulted in Memphis in 1984.
Both West and a second unidentified man said news reports about the Penn State child sex abuse case prompted them to independently confront Dodd in November. The player who spoke to ESPN on the condition of anonymity said he called Dodd on Nov. 11 and that Dodd apologized for the alleged abuse. ESPN confirmed an 8-minute call to Dodd by examining telephone records.
Memphis police said in a statement that it had been contacted by the AAU and was looking into the allegations.
“The Memphis Police Department takes allegations of child sexual abuse very seriously,” Memphis Police Director Toney Armstrong said. “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.”
The AAU did not immediately return a call to its Orlando, Fla., headquarters seeking comment. The AAU told ESPN the 63-year-old Dodd has colon cancer and will not return to his post. AAU first vice president Louis Stout will serve as interim president.
Both accusers said they never went to police and only recently told their families.
West said Dodd fondled him, tried to fondle him or masturbated in front of him at Dodd’s home in Memphis, the AAU Junior Olympics in South Bend, Ind., and tournaments in Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee.
He told ESPN there were a half-dozen times from 1983-85 in which Dodd either molested or attempted to molest him and that in each incident Dodd would sneak into his room “in the middle of the night and you don’t hear anything … and he’s trying to reach his hand in your underwear, basically.”
Dodd did not respond to ESPN’s requests for comments. His assistant told the network in an email that he had cancer and had retired from the AAU on Nov. 29 for health reasons.
Robin Brown-Beamon, national chairwoman for the AAU athletics executive committee, was surprised by the allegations.
“That‘s the first I’ve heard of any of it,” Brown-Beamon told ESPN.
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Oraclevoiceofreason
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 12:21pm- molesters are everywhere in every profession. politicians molest interns, priest molest alterboys, scout leaders molest their scouts, computer software people download child porn… abuse is abuse and it is everywhere not unqiue to any religion or profession. All 5 of my children participated in sports, AAU track and field, AAU basketball, Jr Olympics track and field and NCAA level basketball and track – one of my sons is an All American in his sport and has compted on the world level. So we have dealth with coaches for many many years. sexual abuse is not about the sex it is a power and control thing – One son had a football coach in Jr high who molested several of his 13 year old athletes at team sleep overs. He went to prison. Another son had a well known college track coach molest his teen ( 16-18 yrs old) employees ( who were athletes) at his Alaskan fishing lodge – he was manipulative and controlling and would threaten them with loss of future scholarship opportunities etc. He was arrested after many many years of this – found quilty but killed himself. Ironically I was always more worried about my Daughter being assaulted when clearly the boys were exposed to more perv behavior. The greatest tool of prevention is to teach your sons and daughters to not be weak and to have appropriate boundaries so if something is out of line with the relationship – they will tell. If they are storng indiviudals – they actually won’t be sought out as potential victims.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 12:19pmThese perverts always build their careers around children, coaches , priests, arcade workers….. Its not something they do, its something they ARE…. there is only one cure , a bullett in the head…
Report Post »Harvey
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 11:21amWhat makes a Coach special,what reason can there be that these young men dont tell what these perverts are doing.These Coaches and anyone else that does these sickening thing to young boys or girls are criminals and they deserve to be treated as such.
Report Post »Not only are more and more of these sickening acts going unreported, our own Government,our President and a large portion of Congress is fighting to make these acts legal.Already Congress has passed a bill that makes sodomy and beastality legal in the Military.What is wrong with these idiots.Can one group of perverts votes be so important,so critical to these people in Congress to hold on to power that they pass laws makeing it leagal for a member of our Military to molest a child somewhere. California is even passing laws to teach these sickening acts in Public Schools.Thats when my Children and Grand Children come out of the Public Schools.
Our Nation cannot,will not survive when our Government and the people of this Nation turn their back on everything that is moral and embraces immorality.This Nation will become a cesspool of sick ,immoral people that will do anything and call it legal
Molesting anyone in an unnatural way,legal or not is one of the most sickening things one person can possibly do to another of the same sex.It is sickening, and that person that was molested carrys that memory with them the rest of their life,getting sick to their stomach every time something happens to remind them of the incident
lukerw
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 11:52pmThis has been going on throughout recorded Human History… but you would think that we would get smarter about Detecting & Reporting it. Maybe, just maybe… the Liberal PC Police could stop defending Gays for a minute… and start reporting upon Gay Crimes!
Report Post »Arthur Spooner
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 12:19am^^^ This ^^^
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 10:37pmSin is part and parcel of the human condition. We all confront our own sins when we are led to them. It is sad that so much time has come and gone, so much pain has been endured and no one was there for those who suffered. I cannot believe those who have sinned have not sufddered too, especially if they understood the gravity of the sin. Now is the time to begin to atone, may they all find the way to do so. My heart is sore for those who suffer, God help them all.
Report Post »A Conservatarian
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 3:14amYou were not born a sinner; John Calvin had his head firmly implanted up his behind.
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 10:32pmPut his wee wee in a microwave and turn it on for fifteen minutes.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
SurhanSurhan
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 10:34pm@ GARBAGECANLOGIC- You’re another example of a perverted transgressor.
Report Post »SurhanSurhan
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 9:57pmAnother example of Christian perversion. These good Christian men are out of control! Christian women, listen up…if you don’t want your children exposed to these perverted transgressors then marry a Muslim. You’ve got gay marriage in Christianity. Now, bestiality is allowed in Christianity. Now we see that more Christian men are having sex with boys. You will not find any of this stuff in Islam.
jbinnout
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 10:14pmSarcasm is a beautiful thing. Burkas for all the little boys!
Report Post »SurhanSurhan
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 10:18pm@ JBINNOUT- If that’s what it takes to keep these little guys safe from Christian predators.
Report Post »Quasimofo
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:32amDon’t you have a Bacha bazi to attend?
Report Post »Suanne
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 3:30pmSodomy is the rule in Afghanistan where little boys are routinely sodomized. Our troops are told to ignore the behavior. Women are hated and have their noses cut off in homosexual societies. Ancient Greece glorified man/boy sex–all pagan societies did–the Samurai, etc. Judeo/Christianity Ethics put pagan homosexuality/pederasty in the closet by calling it sin, but it couldn’t end that evil of Satan. Satan infiltrates everything–even the Catholic Church, which still calls sodomy a sin. True Christian Churches never call sodomy “good”. Pedophilia is not a sin in the Koran–it is endorsed, and they practice sodomy–they just don’t believe in “homosexual marriage”–Sodomy is their recreation–but women are necessary for breeding (and sodomy) and for the little boys. The 72 virgins are probably boys. Homosexual behavior is learned through culture and being abused.
Report Post »oldschoolgreen
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:46pmHold on to folks this is just the tip of the iceberg. Now that these people are allowed to serve openly in the military it will only be a matter of time before people start coming forward with stories about individuals in their chain of command abusing them. Remember some of our service personnel are as young as 17. You would be aghast at the military rape rates. Homosexuality is a psychosis, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And thats okay, because with treatment psychotics can get better.
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:42pmThose that can… play sports. Those that can‘t or don’t it seems… play with the players.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:24pmI don’t see the point of allegations that are greater than a quarter a century (26 years old)?
How can you prove or disprove them?
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:28pmWell, if they taped the call (if it is legal in that state), then they have something.
Report Post »Patriot of My America
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:22pmWhat the hell is it with these coaches any way, I am sick thinking about these mental Sub minded pervs. It is time that men is positions of leadership over youth be entirely vetted. No more nasty little secrets. I have always said that homosexual behavior is Learned and not genetic. And it is all the Chester Molesters out there that are Teaching the youth the ways of perversion.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 6:27pmSo we have to vet teachers, coaches, priests, & day care workers. Is that all? If it is that many how about everyone?
Report Post »