Crime

Sick Twist: One of Syracuse Coach’s Accusers Admits to Molesting a Teen Boy

Bernie Fine Accuser Zach Tomaselli Admits to Molesting a Teen Boy

Zach Tomaselli accused former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molestation (AP)

PORTLAND, Maine (The Blaze/AP) — A man who accused former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting him admitted Monday that he sexually abused a boy in Maine — a startling revelation that adds a sick twist into an already bizarre situation.

Zach Tomaselli, of Lewiston, told The Associated Press that he sexually abused the boy when the victim was 13 and 14 years old. Tomaselli said he knew the boy and worked as a counselor at a camp the boy attended.

Now that he’s getting counseling, Tomaselli said he understands that he was subconsciously grooming the boy for a relationship, as is often the case with pedophiles. He said he’s glad that he was caught before the abuse became worse, so that he can get help.

Bernie Fine Accuser Zach Tomaselli Admits to Molesting a Teen Boy

Bernie Fine (right) is the man at the center of the Syracuse University allegations (AP)

Tomaselli, 23, became the third man to level sexual abuse allegations against Fine when he told police in Syracuse that Fine first molested him in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2002. He said Fine – who has denied any wrongdoing but was fired by the university – showed him porn, fondled him and watched him shower naked.

“The only thing that transpired was the same stuff that happened to me,” Tomaselli said of his relationship with the teenage boy in Maine. “This kid has been through a lot because of the way I controlled him and abused him.”

Tomaselli has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges including gross sexual assault, tampering with a victim and unlawful sexual contact.

But he said he anticipates that he’ll plead guilty in Superior Court and that a plea bargain is in the works. The plea bargain calls for him to serve three years, or perhaps less, in prison and to register as a sex offender for life, he said.

“I don’t really see any other way at this point,” he said.

Tomaselli’s lawyer went to court last week seeking to suppress his confession to police. Defense lawyer Justin Leary said the confession was coerced by a detective after a lengthy interview, and the judge hadn’t ruled on the motion as of Monday.

On Monday, Tomaselli said he was “sick of hiding behind my attorney.”

Leary declined comment Monday evening on his client’s comments to the AP.

Bernie Fine Accuser Zach Tomaselli Admits to Molesting a Teen Boy

Tomaselli also has said that he was abused by his father, Fred Tomaselli, and that he went to police about it in June in upstate New York. No charges were filed, and Fred Tomaselli said the allegations were “totally unfounded.”

On Monday, Zach Tomaselli said he‘s taking responsibility and doesn’t want to blame Fine or his father for his actions in Lewiston, where he lives with his grandmother.

Tomaselli said he and the victim disagree on some details but most of the accusations were true. He said he fondled the boy once when the boy was 13 and a couple more times when he was 14.

“Pretty much everything he said is absolutely right,” Tomaselli said.

Tomaselli said the relationship was consensual and there were no threats.

He acknowledged, however, that he created a fake Facebook account to manipulate the victim and that he even allowed the victim to believe the Facebook friend died of cancer. He said his judgment was hampered by a powerful narcotic, Oxycodone, which he said he was taking for severe headaches.

“It’s unreal the stuff I did,” Tomaselli said. “I’m going to get better from this. I’m going to get counseling.”

Comments (39)

  • ladybug26
    Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:14am

    two face sob the people like this should have the you know what cute off and put in a mixer and they should be beating they are someones babys how can they do this to a kid

    Report Post »  
  • Cottoneyed77
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:51pm

    Lets just say it! Isn‘t it every homosexual’s fantasy to be with a young boy? I mean there is a NAMBLA isn’t there……given the opportunity everyone of em’ would jump at the chance. It’s our young boys who are now the most vulnerable. What a society the left has given us…sick, sick, sick…..

    Report Post »  
  • Platonician
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:01pm

    This is just a gay trying to blame his father for his own crimes, he is manipulating the media. Like all homosexuals he is a pedophile period.

    Report Post » Platonician  
  • Mainer forever
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 3:50pm

    What the H3LL is WRONG with people? Why do people hurt kids?

    Report Post » Mainer forever  
  • alwayshappy
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 2:03pm

    Adults who molest children is unaceptable. No exceptions! So where are the parents in all of this? Do they talk to their children? Are children that estranged from their parents in this regard? And is going on all over the country and too many folks who have knwoledge or suspicion are saying ro doing nothing. So what’s their excuse?

    Report Post »  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 3:43pm

      “I’m going to get better from this. I’m going to get counseling.”

      What about the kid you molested? Does he now suffer the same fate you inflicted on him while you knew it was wrong as it was done also to you. Just because you were a victim does not make it any better for you that you in turn did the same to another. Society must hold you to the same level of accountability or else everything done to anyone can be an excuse to break the laws of man and God.

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • 4XGrace
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 1:11pm

    This is why pedophiles have to be terminated when discovered! They perpetuate the abuse. Pedophiles are the worst kind of predator and shouldn’t be granted the space to live.

    Report Post » 4XGrace  
  • EqualJustice
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:56pm

    Better NEVER touch any member of MY family or they will be singing SOPRANO!

    Report Post » EqualJustice  
  • shroom
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:27pm

    Do you think he could come up with any more rationalizations for his actions. I guess personal responsibilty is truly dead in this world, and I am quite certain he will walk away from this too. This world is disgusting, there is no doubt that it is ending soon. It has too…If you don’t think that the age of consentual sex will not be lowered to young children in this world, you are very naive. I thank God that I never had any children in these days. I feel for you parents….

    Report Post »  
    • wilber93
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:53pm

      Well, he is taking responsibility now. It is not unusual for someone abused to repeat the cycle…what is unusual is for someone to fess up and admit their problem. I know from a situation with a kid I went to school with, he was abused and then continued the abuse forward to younger children. It becomes ingrained in them that it is normal behavior. I have a lot of respect for this young man to go out and admit his problem and get help. I hope the other boy gets help as well. There is a ton of this stuff going on and you MUST protect your kids…and others as well!

      Report Post » wilber93  
  • ZengaPA65
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:31am

    Public execution.

    Report Post » ZengaPA65  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:46am

      What better place to ‘hide” in plain sight than the locker rooms of child athletes? I’d bet you hard cold cash that a considerable percentage of “staff” are in fact, at the very least, voyeuristic pedophiles.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • HippoNips
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:29am

    Pedophilia creates homosexuality , Homosexuality creates pedophilia

    Or did the chicken come before the egg?

    Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:13pm

      The guy said it himself, the only thing that happened was the same thing that happened to me.

      It’s a disease. A mental disease. Thinking errors and (very) poor self control. Which “IS” a symptom of insanity. (http://www.ourcivilisation.com/moral2/test.htm)

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • Dominofrost
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:37pm

      There are people born with 2 sets of DNA. There are people born with both sexes. There are people who were abused violently as children and abuse others violently because of it. There are people who are drunks like their parents before them. Sometimes the nature vs. nurture argument has to be seen with ALL the evidence. Gay people aren’t all evil. Pedophilia is about control. A large percent of pedophiles are ‘married.’ I am just saying that it is sad that when a case comes out like this, it is looked at like ALL gay people are evil, and that is not true. If 2 consenting adults love each other, then one of them shouldn’t have to get a sex change operation to get married.

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 1:32pm

      Say you meet people thru a hobby & one day you are hanging around wondering what you are going to do for entertainment, when someone suggest watching porn videos. They check out a few & the 1st one they want to play is “Girls of the A team” with Ron Jeremy. RUN AWAY! You are being groomed by the gaybites!

      Report Post »  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:14am

    And this folks is why pedophilia is so rampant.. you take one young man and rape him when he is young and really has no sexual identity as of yet.. It messes up their head that really don’t know what is right, then they go out and do the same behavior. Its easy for us all to sit here in judgement of this young man.. but who ever gave him a chance.. who was there to protect him from Bernie Fine?? Personally, I am glad this young man is getting the help he needs.. I hope that he can heal and that the boy he did the very same thing can get help also.. but realize people that this very thing probably happened to Bernie Fine also.. if anything these people need us to understand how they got to where they are today.. walk a mile any any of their shoes or put yourself in their position.. No its not right, but it is a wake up call to all of us on how these people are created and what motivates them.. And I think deep seated anger is one of them.. how would any of us deal with this if it were to happen to us! God help us!

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
    • Iron_Man
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 1:02pm

      See if you would be so Altruistic if it was you or your kid.

      Report Post » Iron_Man  
  • smokey888x2
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:46am

    I wonder if those Catholics who left the church because of gay problems or whatever the term is for this …. will they ALSO leave football?!!!! Ha, this should be interesting.

    Report Post » smokey888x2  
    • sWampy
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:06am

      This is first hand evidence of how gays reproduce, why would this shock anyone?

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:24am

      swampy

      As we get rid of child molestation thru better societal policing, I wonder how big of percentage of the gay population disappears. There are multiple causes as to why some people are gay. Molestation is one of them. Case in point the first gay activists, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, was molested by his riding instructor.

      See how many Urnings take issue with this.

      Yearning of the Urning

      Report Post »  
  • lightfollowsdarkness
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:12am

    Your comment made me angry beyond belief. I am not racist by any means, but that was the most arrogant, hateful statement I have read in a while. People like you complain all the time about white people being racist, white people this, white people that, then I read statements like this. I hate to take it to this level, but pedophiles, rapists, aren’t just white. Half the time, it is the other way around. Watch the news next time before you make a statement like that.

    Report Post » lightfollowsdarkness  
    • Katydidnt
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:19pm

      Lightfollowsdarkness sorry for your being upset the post I was replying to was deleted. The person was complaining about white people always molesting little boys. My comment was a direct reply to him and his racist comment. They should have deleted the whole thing.
      I think regardless of race that people leaving their kids and not taking responsiblity for them is a contributing factor. Most of those at-risk kids at Second Mile wouldn’t be there if both parents took responsibility for raising them.

      Report Post »  
  • Mike Festus
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 9:45am

    I bet Fine’s defense attorney is salivating at the opportunity to cross examine this doofus.

    Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 9:26am

    .
    These child rapist’s need to taken out to the woods, kneeled down in front of a hole, two to the back of the head, covered up and forgotten……….

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • rose-ellen
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 9:34am

      Americanism-the religion of lying gay pedophiles and seeped with other forms of child abuse.

      Report Post »  
    • MooseyStuff
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:42am

      @ROSE-ELLEN How dare you. That is a disgusting insult to claim “Americanism” can be summed up as a “religion of lying gay pedophiles and seeped with other forms of child abuse.” That is a disgusting insult to every decent law-abiding American, and every Soldier who has ever fought for your freedom to such such a thing. If you have such a problem with being an American and see it as a vile stain on the planet, then MOVE and I am certain you will find your “religion of lying gay pedophiles, seeped with other forms of child abuse” anywhere you go. God d@mn you for saying such a thing, I’m proud to be an American.

      Report Post »  
    • UlyssesP
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:57am

      Hey sl U t, don’t you forget the land of rose-ellen abuse!

      Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • Katydidnt
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:43am

    Whats up with black fathers leaving their kids for their mothers and strangers to raise? It leaves them especially vulnerable.

    Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:17am

    This is not something these people DO… this is something these people ARE… thats why it cant be fixed…. And they dont see anything wrong with it….

    Report Post »  
    • demint.disciple
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 9:16am

      Ok I was molested as a young boy and I NEVER molested anyone EVER !!! The very thought sickens me.. This guy is using the “well I was molested that is why I molest other children.. It’s a load of crap, this guy likes young boys, period. He should be charged just like the man he is accusing..

      Report Post » demint.disciple  
    • 912network
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 11:30am

      Wrong. Boys who are molested by homosexual men are far more likely to be homosexual, and to molest another generation of boys, in return. Obviously, not all who are molested are afflicted by homosexual addictions, and the attractions that kick off those addictions, but it‘s the best way for homosexuals to ’recruit,’ since homosexual sodomy is a wholly unnatural addiction.

      Educate yourself here, if you’re interested in the truth:

      http://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/08a/born_gay_hoax/TheBornGayHoax.pdf

      Remember, the truth has no agenda!

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 12:42pm

      “Karl-Heinrich Ulrichs is seen today as the pioneer of the modern gay rights movement.

      His first homosexual experience was in 1839 at the age of fourteen, in the course of a brief affair with his riding instructor.” -wiki

      Was it an affair or molestation?

      Dawkins consider meme (”an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”) to be to culture what genes are to evolution.

      Are we seeing gayness spread before our very eyes?

      Report Post »  
  • Iron_Man
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:00am

    I’ll give him credit for coming clean. I too was an abused as a pre-teen by a 20 something. I can tell you it messes with your self-esteem. When you get older and you figure out you had sex with a man. Then the whole question of your sexuality comes into question. All that said I made a point not to molest children. I went the complete other way I despise them with the heat of a thousand suns. So I say two merciful slugs to the back of the head. For all child molesters and let the crows feast. However since he came forward we will let the family burry him. Just one survivor’s opinion

    Report Post » Iron_Man  
    • biohazard23
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:10am

      Wow. Just…. wow. God bless you.

      Report Post » biohazard23  
    • robert
      Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:32am

      “He said he’s glad that he was caught before the abuse became worse, so that he can get help.On Monday, Tomaselli said he was “sick of hiding behind my attorney.”

      In spite of what this man says, Fine’s molestations against him definitely were responsible for the molestation concerning the charges facing him now. Psychiatrists confirm that a very large percentage of homosexual predators were abused themselves. Perversions lead to perversions, especially in the young. Only the exceptionally strong will not be affected, like the above poster. Good for him.

      This also illustrates that homosexuality is a learned trait and very rarely the case where a person is “born that way,“ rather than ”made that way.”

      Homosexuals like to pretend they have no control over their fall into perversions in order to depict themselves as victims of a condition over which they have no control. But homosexuality is no different than other addictions, like alcohol or drugs. The perpetrator can stop and be cured, but he doesn’t want to, because of the immense amount of will power involved. Too, many are too weak to do so.

      Homosexuals also like to pretend homosexual pedophiles are different than those who seek out adults. That too is false. Same gender sex is desired by them. They choose boys only because they’re easier to seduce.

      http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,840542,00.html

      Admitting his problem and desiring to be cured is the first step.

      Report Post »  
  • TEARS FOR AMERICA
    Posted on December 6, 2011 at 6:55am

    Sick, and it ain’t just white people…it is Sodom and Gommorah all over again and it is world wide. God will judge those who thumb their nose at Him and destroy children. These adults infect the children to spread their evil to others and like any generational sin, it is passed on .

    Report Post » TEARS FOR AMERICA  

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