Steubenville authorities now investigating 2nd rape — allegedly by baseball, not football team

The second case is almost certainly the one in which internet conversations between Steubenville baseball players and wrestlers discussed an April attack involving a 14-year-old student. In the wake of those conversations, the girl came forth with her mother to file a report.

New Steubenville cellphone pics show two more undressed girls in basement of rape house; three more players could be charged

Jeff Stone of the International Business Times reports that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has insisted in recent interviews with local media that

“We have offered nothing, made no promises to any witness in this case. … No deals have been cut with anybody,” DeWine said while refusing to make a statement about any evidence. “We're not going to try this case in the media. We're going to present our case in court, and the judge will make a decision.”

     Stone then reasoned that more people may be charged:

The potential involvement of Mark Cole, Evan Westlake, and Anthony Craig - named by Ohio’s Times Leader after an Oct. 12 hearing - has been rumored but largely overlooked because of a rumored immunity from prosecutors.

     This despite the fact that defense attorneys have already told reporters that immunity was granted to friends of Mays and Richmond in exchange for testimony and the citing of correspondence from DeWine in October, in which the attorney general wrote that Cole, Craig and Westlake “may not have conducted himself in a responsible or appropriate manner, his behavior did not rise to the level of any criminal conduct.... Therefore, we will not prosecute your client for his actions on August 11-12, 2012.”
     Prosecutors frequently leave themselves an out in such agreements by  cancelling immunity in the case of an "incomplete" and untruthful statement. Disclosure of more evidence (especially hacked social media documents and pictures) may have provided the attorney general with evidence that the witnesses did more than they admitted.
     Meanwhile Laura Collins of the UK's Daily Mail reports that more cellphone evidence has been either recovered or discovered, including the depiction of two more girls "semi-naked and face down in basement where 16-year-old was 'raped by Ohio school football stars" — on "distinctive" carpet "strikingly similar" to that in a different image which came to light in August.
    MailOnline says it has seen a 300-page transcript of the hearing about what happened the night of the alleged party rape.
     The photographs were stored on a cellphone belonging to a teammate and friend of the Steubenville case accused who is a fellow wrestler and foot player who cannot be named for legal reasons, but who was present on the night in August when the girl was allegedly raped by the two.
     He provided eyewitness testimony at the probable cause hearing last October at which the rape charges were upheld.

     The existence of these earlier photographs, retrieved by forensic analysts, emerged only under cross-examination and the witness repeatedly denied all knowledge of them in spite of their presence on his phone.
     In a tense courtroom exchange Walter Madison, Richmond’s attorney questioned the witness: ‘There is a photograph here of a woman on the same carpet as the carpet in xxxx’s basement. Do you recall that photo on your phone?’
     The witness replied ‘No sir.’ Asked about a second picture the witness claimed, 'I have never seen those pictures in my life.'

     The Mail also reports that a suspect in the case was allowed to go on Californian vacation while under 'house arrest'

    Two of the three teammates who gave testimony in the probable cause hearing admitted to having taken photographs and in one instant filming the alleged assaults. Both deleted the evidence from their cellphones before police seized them.
     In all police seized fifteen cell-phones and two iPods over a period of several days.
     According to Judge Thomas Lipps, the only reason neither of the youths who admitted recording events in this way are facing criminal charges is ‘because we cannot find the photos you took.’
     “Do you understand how lucky you are?’ he added.

Steubenville rape victim's attorney goes on CNN; hackers release gauzy purported photo of town's police chief wearing a thong

In other Steubenville news, hackers attacked the city's new "Facts" damage control website, talked to the Jefferson County Sheriff for almost half an hour, and release an alleged photo (left) of the town's police chief, Bill McCafferty in a state of extreme dishabille.

Steubenville's County Sheriff Abdalla told rape victim she was 'looking for a good time' but threatened poor mom with 15 years for letting kids get sunburned

(To see all posts about the Steubenville Big Red football team's alleged Rape Crew, click here.)
 
Women in Steubenville's Jefferson County have been putting up with official indifference to their exploitation for a long time. Here's what one Steubenville woman posted to Jezebel:

Some years ago, Sheriff Abdalla arrested a young mother for letting her children get sunburned at the county fair--she had forgotten or neglected to apply sunscreen to their faces, and she was also poor, vulnerable, and not very bright. He threatened her with hefty fines and a potential 15-year prison sentence, and actually kept her in jail for 8 days before the bad publicity (and the refusal of the local prosecutor and hospital personnel to support his insane actions) forced him to back down. Before it hit that particular fan, though, Abdalla was all over the local press preening and crowing about his greatness as a lawman and a human being. Ack. This incident made clear that he is a megalomaniacal bully. It is not out of the realm of the possible that he is also deeply corrupt. In any case, Jefferson County Ohio should be on everybody's list of places to avoid.
— "Grandma"

And from Twitter over the weekend came this vote of no confidence in Sheriff Abdalla:

Student seen in drunken Steubenville rant no longer at Ohio State; university mum on his departure

(To see all posts about Steubenville High School's alleged rape crew, click here.)

 Tyler Kingkade reports, via the Huffington Post, "that in a statement last week, OSU said the 'student in question was in attendance at Ohio State only through Dec. 12,' the last day of the univer­sity's fall semester final examinations. OSU's official Twitter account on Monday tweeted 'Michael Nodianos is no longer a student at The Ohio State University.'
    The Huffington Post sought to clarify whether Nodianos left on his own accord or if he was expelled. OSU spokesperson Gayle Saunders would only comment that 'the individual is no longer a student at The Ohio State University. As it relates to your specific question, the university is not at liberty to comment due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.'

Winston Ross

In his piece, Steubenville Rape Case Splits Town Between Big Red and Guy Fawkes, published today by The Daily Beast, Winston Ross quoted embattled Jefferson County (which includes Stubenville) Sheriff Fred Abdalla at  Saturday’s rally, as saying that while he found the below video “disgusting,” it wasn’t criminal.

     “You can’t arrest somebody for being stupid,” Abdalla said, a teal ribbon signifying his support for victims of rape pinned to his uniform.
     Lawyers have a saying: "Any good prosecutor could get an indictment on a ham sandwich."
     When he wants to, Abdalla has shown that he is perfectly willing to try to imprison someone on the flimsiest of pretexts.

National Public Radio: Steubenville rape allegations spread through social media

(To see all posts about Steubenville High School's alleged rape crew, click here.)

Kent State closely watching Steubenville 'rape crew' case and incoming freshman, Charlie Keenan, Jr., son of embattled prosecutor, Jane Hanlin

Jefferson County, Ohio prosecutor Jane Hanlin
and son Charlie Keenan, Jr.

(To see all posts about Steubenville High School's alleged rape crew, click here.)
  
Anonymous has charged that "...one of the parties to which the unconscious victim of this horrible crime was dragged to took place at the Hanlin house."
     That, if true, would be the home of Charlie Keenan, Jr., (star Steubenville High School football athlete and Kent State wrestling scholarship recipient) and his mother, Jefferson County prosecutor Jane Hanlin, whom the hactivists have accused of discouraging the filing of rape charges before she recused herself from the case.
     A petition at change.org is calling for her disbarment.

From the Kent Patch:

     Kent State University is reviewing the status of an incoming freshman athlete because he was a member of the Steubenville, OH high school football team, two members of which have been charged in connection with a notorious rape case.      Kent State officials are closely watching the case, in which two Steubenville football players are set to go to trial next month on charges of raping a 16-year-old girl in August 2012.
     Of interest to Kent State is whether the case expands to charges against other members of the Steubenville Big Red football team.
     "This is a top priority," Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield said by phone Sunday from Mobile, AL, where he is with members of the university's football team and Kent State Athletics staff for the Golden Flashes' appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
     ...Kent State officials posted a statement on the university's Facebook page Saturday following allegations made online about another Steubenville high school athlete who has been accepted to Kent State on a wrestling scholarship...     "We understand the severity and the seriousness of the allegations, and as we collect more information we will take appropriate steps as warranted," he said. "We are now following the developments from Steubenville very closely."
     The student whose status is under review is Charlie Keenan, a senior at Steubenville High School who has been a star athlete on the football field and wrestling mat.
     Keenan has not been charged or identified as being directly involved by authorities investigating the sexual assault case.
     ...Mansfield stressed that Keenan officially is not yet a student and is still considered an applicant by the university.

NBC Nightly News covers spreading Steubenville, Ohio high school athlete scandal

(To see all posts about Steubenville High School's alleged rape crew, click here.)  

Blog Talk Radio: Who is embattled Steubenville area prosecutor accused of "Rape Crew" coverup?

(To see all posts about the Steubenville Big Red football team's alleged Rape Crew, click here.)


A petition has been started on Change.org to get Hamlin disbarred for her alleged behavior. Below is the summary accompanying Joey Ortega's show, much of which is devoted to responding to criticisms of listeners and faultfinding of various others who have commented on the case. Skip to the 42-minute-mark if you get bored. 

Licensed to practice law in 2001. Practicing Law for both the public and private sectors for 10 years before being named Jefferson County Prosecutor. A fast track career that includes being named partner of a well known local law firm (Bruzzese and Calabria), head of Stuebenville School Board, Assisant Procescutor with an apparent 100% prosecution rate. Now stepping in to the shoes of outgoing Thomas Straus after a very short notice and almost sudden retirement, she has become a polarizing figure in these gang rape cases and the community itself. Some say she was a hero to work the case for the time she did before recusing herself due to close relationships with many people suspected and assure that all the evidence needed was collected for the replacement prosecutors while others say the 2 weeks she stayed on the case was long enough for her to compromise the case enough to determine its fate to benefit her personal interests before having no choice but to turn it over to her replacements. She is the first we examine in our efforts to understand Steubenville's key players, the county's social and political structure and why there may be such profound admiration from some yet profound apprehension from others. Jane has been invited to join in this critical and objective analysis and a chance to clear the record before an election that will cement her new found position that some say is a part of her fast track to a seat on the county's judges bench. Let's hope she will respond and join us in what can be an intriging and informative discussion.

A petition on change.org to disbar prosecutor involved in alleged Steubenville rape crew coverup

Here's the petition verbiage:

To:
The OH State House
Judge Patrick F. Fischer, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (President)
Jonathan Hollingsworth, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (President-Elect)
Carol Seubert Marx, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (Immediate Past President)
Denny L. Ramey, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (Executive Director)
Charles H. Bean, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (District 15 (2015)) (Jefferson County)
Brandi M. Stewart, OH Bar Association - Board of Governors (At-Large Appointee (2015)) (Jefferson County)
Colleen Evans, OH Bar Association - Director of Membership Services

Disbar Jane Hanlin for Prosecutorial Misconduct.

The Honorable Jane Hanlin is a Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County and the mother of Big Red football player Charlie Keenan, who is suspected of being a member of “The Rape Crew”. Jane Hanlin represented Edward “Eddie” Lulla in a civil legal matter this summer (spending a great deal of time with him). Mr. Lulla is an agent for the BCI who was sent by the State of Ohio to lend oversight to the rape investigation in Steubenville. Not surprisingly, the State of Ohio found everything to be going smoothly. In addition, “Eddie” Lulla’s son was recently chosen to join Steubenville Police Department out of a pool of three candidates. When ranked, his son was not the first candidate. It is crystal clear why Mr. Lulla was unable to find anything wrong with the current investigation (which is being conducted by SPD) into this horrible crime.

When the family of the victim went to file the charges, Jane Hanlin was present. She strongly discouraged them from filing. Hanlin frightened not only the victim, but the parents as well. Telling them that her name was going to be dragged through the mud, she will be in and out of court for well over two years, the press wouldn’t leave any of the family alone once the crime was made public. Scared out of their wits, the parents said they didn’t want that and Hanlin then said not to worry just leave it up to her and the detectives on the case.

It appears that Prosecutor Hanlin doesn’t just cover for her own son, either. In May of 2012, Ed Wilson a Steubenville Big Red football player and two other unknown individuals shot out the windows of 14 vehicles in Steubenville. Despite being arrested, and confessing to the crime – he was never sentenced or made to pay restitution. The case was handled by Jane Hanlin’s office. Prosecutor Hanlin also testified as a character witness for Branko Busick, a former SHS football player. Specific charges were armed robbery and he was charged in Morgantown, WV. Busick was essentially an “enforcer” for the team, usually employed to collect on illegal drug debts. Hanlin claimed she was testifying as a private citizen but several references were made to both her position and her husband’s in the Steubenville PD. One of the Big Red football players by the last name of Redman, whose position on the team is running back – lists his official address on his school records as the Hanlin residence. Does this player live with the Hanlins? Or is he actually an out of town student who is lying so he can play on the team?

Prosecutor Hanlin also remained on the Steubenville City School Board even after receiving notice from the Attorney General’s office this is improper.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Steubenville's county sheriff, Fred Abdalla, said he was coming after Anonymous; the next day he took the stage at an Occupy Steubenville rally

(To see all posts about the Steubenville Big Red football team's alleged Rape Crew, click here.)

It seems like the sheriff has spent at least as much time getting the goods on Anonymous as he has ferreting out accused rapists on the Big Red football squad (supposedly four, not just the two charged). Small wonder Abdalla doesn't like Anonymous  —  this is what the hacktivists' document dump said about him:

LocalLeaks has confirmed that Sheriff Abdalla and Head Football Coach Reno A. Saccoccia have breakfast a couple of times a week together at the Spot Bar in Steubenville. Recall that per Sheriff Abdalla’s own admission in the video interview above, it was he who was tasked with retrieving the cell phones and other electronic gear from the football players and other students involved in the gang rape of the young girl. In the process of this operation to retrieve the cell phones, several KEY pieces of video and photographic evidence were “inadvertently” deleted by the Sheriff and his deputies. And finally, Sheriff Abdalla runs the largest illegal gambling operation in Jefferson County – employing bookies who work out of the Spot Bar as well as other establishments in Steubenville. Sheriff Abdulla’s brother is the largest importer of cocaine in Jefferson County. His brother was also a teacher, that is until he was caught having sex with a student and was fired.

If Anonymous' accusations about the sheriff's involvement in gambling and his brother's involvement in drug dealing are true, then one assumes the family must have a lot of tangible assets unexplained by official salaries. That shouldn't be rocket science to determine, should it? Inquiring minds want to know!

WTRF video: Occupy Steubenville saturday rally protests handling of alleged Big Red football team 'rape crew' assault

(To see all posts about the Steubenville Big Red football team's alleged Rape Crew, click here.)

WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

Big Red coach of Steubenville, Ohio HS football team, Reno Saccoccia, may lose his job Monday

(To see all posts about the Steubenville Big Red football team's alleged Rape Crew, click here.)



After an Ohio Blogger and the New York Times (in an article which occupied eight pages on its web site) waded waist-deep into coverage of the so-called "Rape Crew" of the Steubenville High School Football Team, coached by Reno A. Saccoccia (the team, not the rape crew), Anonymous got into the act, publishing purloined emails and its own account of the exploding scandal.
     Two Steubenville athletes have been charged in the rape of a young woman who may have been drugged. Two more athletes or friends, uncharged, are rumored to have also raped her.
     The blogger, Alexandria Goddard, was sued for $25,000 by the parents of party cellphone photographer Cody "I have no sympathy for whores" Saltsman for defaming the reputation of their darling boy. Cody's parents also demanded to know the identities of blog commenters critical of their son. After the ACLU sprang into action, the Saltsmans backed off and their kid apologized for his behavior.

Steubenville High School football coach Reno Saccoccia, who evidently
is too stupid to refrain from threatening a reporter from the most
influential newspaper on the face of the earth.

     Saccoccia, who may lose his coaching job next week, appears to have the same sense of entitlement of which his players are accused. Here is how the New York Times chronicled its encounter with the Big Red Coach:

     Saccoccia, pronounced SOCK-otch, told the principal and school superintendent that the players who posted online photographs and comments about the girl the night of the parties said they did not think they had done anything wrong. Because of that, he said, he had no basis for benching those players...

     Approached in November to be interviewed about the case, Saccoccia said he did not “do the Internet,” so he had not seen the comments and photographs posted online from that night. When asked again about the players involved and why he chose not to discipline them, he became agitated.

      “You made me mad now,” he said, throwing in several expletives as he walked from the high school to his car.

      Nearly nose to nose with a reporter, he growled: “You’re going to get yours. And if you don’t get yours, somebody close to you will.”

     Jennifer Brumby, a special prosecutor assigned to the case, just left the State Attorney General's office — and the state. An adult team booster, Jim Parks, who runs a RollRedRoll fan web site discovered it had been hacked by Anonymous, which then commandeered his email account and published the contents. The group accused him of being the recipient of photographic evidence of the football team's sexual exploits — after it claimed to have discovered several "pornographic" images of "extremely young" women in his email account.
     Parks, on his site, accused the New York Times of "recklessly decided to aid and abet these acts of illegality [hacking his site] and give the terrorists exactly what they wanted by disseminating inaccurate and legally actionable information and accusations [presumably by reporting the story, including what Anonymous did].
     Below is a radio interview with the Anonymous cell which has digitally "occupied" Steubenville: