Personal Injury Law

Boston Sexual Assault: Former High School Basketball Coach Faces Criminal Charges for 1976 Rape

By Altman & Altman

Bob Oliva, a former high school boy?s basketball coach has pleaded not guilty to two counts of child rape and one count of disseminating pornography to a minor. Oliva, 65, is charged with raping sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy, who was a family friend, at the Boston Sheraton in 1976.

The alleged victim, Jimmy Carlino, is now 48-years-old. He reported the alleged sex crime to Boston police last year. Massachusetts prosecutors can prosecute Oliva for the 34-year-old sex assault case because the statute of limitations stayed frozen as long as the former coach lived outside the state.

Oliva, considered one of the top high school coaches in New York for almost 30 years, won more than 540 games and five city championships while coaching basketball at a high school in Queens.

Boston Sexual Assault Lawsuits
In addition to reporting a sex crime to the authorities, you may be able to file a Boston sexual assault lawsuit against your assailant or the entity that employed your perpetrator. Sexual assault can consist of rape, inappropriate fondling, molestation, unwelcome kissing, or other sexual acts.

Just last week, a jury awarded Kerry Lewis $1.4 million for the sex abuse he experienced at the hands of Timur Dykes during the 80?s. The 38-year-old former Boy Scout sued the Boy Scouts of America for his personal injuries. The jury will determine next week whether to order the defendant to pay up to $25 million in punitive damages. Dykes admitted to molesting 16 other boy scouts in addition to Lewis.

Sexual assault can be painful, traumatic, and may lead to lasting scars that can impede the victim?s ability to lead a normal, healthy, and happy life. The victim may end up with medical and therapy expenses because of physical, emotional, and psychological injuries brought about by the sex crime. Many instances involving Boston sexual abuse involve attackers that the victim knows or trusts, such as a family friend, a relative, a teacher, a priest, a coach, a doctor, a group leader.

Ex-high school coach pleads not guilty, ESPN, April 13, 2010

Former Christ the King coach Bob Oliva indicted on two counts of child rape by Mass. grand jury, NY Daily News, March 25, 2010
Former Boy Scout Kerry Lewis Wins Sex Abuse Case Against Boy Scouts, Gets $1.4 Million, CBS News, April 14, 2010

Related Web Resources:
U.S. courts allow sex abuse cases against Vatican to proceed in rare legal move, Washington Post, March 27, 2010

Child Sexual Abuse, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Full post as published by Boston Injury Lawyer Blog on April 19, 2010 (boomark / email).