4 years ago my son was convicted of rape here in Ohio. My son is still in the Correctional Facility, if this helps at all.
I want to share the full story with you and to do so involves alot of players so I will start out by giving you all the players in the story. Not real names. To protect indentiies but they will relate as if they were the real names.
Bob- the boy my son was accused of raping he would be age 10 at the time.
Belinda- Bob's mother
Courtney-mother of Belinda and Bob's grandmother and also grandmother of Dora.
Gretchen- mother of Dora and living with me, also a childhood friend.
Dora- granddaughter of Courtney and daughter of Gretchen living with me. Also niece of Belinda. Also gets an SSI check. And was also brought up in the case. She was also 12 at the time. But a little older than my son.
Denny- Dora's brother and lives with Courtney. Gets an SSI check as well
Mick- my son's grandfather on his dad's side and married to Courtney.
Gabe- my son and grandson of Mick's
Those are your players in this story. Again *not their real names*. Hopefully you followed the *family* connections here.
One day 4 years ago my son goes over to Belinda's house to play with her older son Jeb, who is Bob's brother. The cops were called by Courtney to the house. Courtney was not in the house when she called them, she was home about 15 miles away if that has any bearing.
The cops arrive at Belinda's house along with Children's Services at 4:00 Pm. They were questioning the kids, * I found this out later* and also talking to Belinda.
At 4:30 PM , my son Gabe, was taken to the police station, at this time I was called to come to the police station and notified that my son was being charged with rape.
Until 4:30 PM I had no idea that my son was even in trouble. So, I arrive at the police station to see Belinda in a room with her son Bob talking to some guy. I later find out he was a juvenile court administrator AND supposedly a CPS investigator. *Not to mention that this guy also works as a commissioner too*.
Upon arriving at the police station I ask to see my son Gabe, I was told no, not right now. They ask if they can talk to my son Gabe, I said no I want a lawyer for him. So, they come out of the room where my son Gabe was being held.
Then they proceed to ask me about my son and what he was like at home and if he had had any other previous sexual history. I said not that I know of. I've never had him in trouble for something other than fighting. They proceed to tell me that he was being accused of raping Bob and Dora.
I said oh no, Dora has been molested before by someone her mother knew. And that man is in jail now for molesting Dora and her brother and other kids. Dora, does know what sex is and she is very slow. She doesnt fully understand what is going on here and you are just upsetting her. I want a psychologist here talking to these kids. Needless to say, I never did get a psychologist there.
I said ok, I would like you to check into Bob's past as well. I know for a fact that he has been accused of molesting 4 other little girls. Their response to me was, this is not about Bob this is about your son Gabe.
I asked them at this time, can I take Gabe home? They said no, he will be going to an emergency foster home placement overnight. You will go to court tomorrow morning. I said ok, can I please see my son Gabe before you take him? They let me, but I had to have a cop in the room with us. Upon seeing my son Gabe, I saw that he was terrified and crying and asked me Mom will you take me home? I said I cant hon, you will have to go somewhere else for the night at least.
The next day comes and we meet with his lawyer, and his lawyer said for now lets plead not guilty. I said ok, will my son be allowed to come home then? He said I doubt it as he is being charged with raping both Bob and Dora. And Dora lives with you. I said ok.
We go into court and they said they needed to find a foster home with no children willing to take my son. So he was placed in Juvie hall for 2 weeks till the next court date. I am a deaf parent, so I asked for an interpreter for future court hearings and they said ok. I also asked to obtain my own court appointed lawyer. They agreed to that as well. My son had the public defender for his lawyer.
At this time, I was and still do not have enough money to hire my own and his own lawyers. So we had to go with court appointed.
Well during this two weeks, we *my son and I* met with our lawyers. I asked them what is the evidence against my son? They said we have Bob's statement and his mother Belinda's statement backing him up on his story, this is on video. We also have a statement from your son Gabe that he admitted to doing this. I said whoa, where did they get that statement at? When I went to the police station, I asked for a lawyer for him and they immediately came out of the room and never did question him there or call for a lawyer. They said he made a statement at Belinda's house.
I then asked the lawyer about Dora, and they said that was dropped due to the fact that Dora is not believeable.
I said ok. What about a rape kit? Was there one done? They said no, that they did not do rape kits in juvenile cases and do NOT need one to convict. I said ok, let me see this video of the statements made by Bob and his mother. They show a video of Bob and Belinda sitting in a room being questioned together. I said whoa, your saying you have a case because Belinda backs up Bob's story? How could she not? When she is sitting in the SAME room with him hearing everything he says?
I then ask them, is it legal for them to question my son at Belinda's house without my knowledge and my being there at his age? My son was 12 at the time. They said yes, as a police officer did not question him, but the CPS investigator did *who was also a juvenile court administrator?*
I said ok, I wanna go to trial. The lawyers for us said, why the prosecutors have a solid case? You would lose.
I said why? Because as I have stated at the police station, Bob has a past. He has been accused of molesting 4 yes FOUR other little girls. Whereas my son has no past history of sexual crimes at all.
Our lawyers told me, that we COULD NOT bring that up at trial.
I said why? Our lawyers said, that is not admissable in juvenile court.
I told them at this time, that I knew the only reason why this is happening, is because Courtney wants custody of Dora and cannot prove me unfit. And this is her way of getting around that now.
They said you cant prove that. And even if she did file custody, it would have no bearing on this case.
I said ok what can we do? They said your best bet was to plead guilty and get it over with. So we did. And 4 years later, my son is sitting in a correctional facility still.
Well about a year after they took my son and all this was done, I was at my son's aunt's house to visit her and Jeb and Bob were there. Jeb comes up to me and says right out of the blue. Kris, *not my real name* when they said Gabe was in the closet with Bob, that isnt true. Gabe was in the bathroom on the phone talking to some girl. Gabe was never anywhere near Bob.
I called our lawyers immediately and informed them of what Jeb said. I told them you need to question Jeb away from his mother. The lawyers said, it wont matter, it is all hearsay.
Ok, now on the court papers, here is what the crime is said to be.
Gabe and Bob were in the closet. Both of them had their pants down. Gabe was behind Bob. There was no penetration.
Wait a minute! How can it be rape with no penetration? I asked that and never did get a straight answer.
Bob, is currently living at home with his mother still. Even though I reported Bob's past, nothing was ever done to help that child with counseling or anything.
My son is still in the correctional facility 4 years later. Gabe is now 16 and hoping to be home soon.
Also, forgot to mention the same day the cops were called on my son, we later found this out, that Courtney files for custody of Dora. On the very same day! I asked the lawyers about how that just proves me right, and they said it had no bearing on this case.
Dora and her mother moved out within days of this happening and moved in with Gretchen's mother. So when Courtney found out she was living with Gretchen's mother, she pulled the custody papers and stopped trying for custody.
Now, I want you to remember that when my son *admitted* to this crime, he was at Belinda's house being questioned by either CPS or the cops or both, without his mother there or a lawyer there to protect him.
Also, with Dora it was later proven that she and Gabe had no sexual contact whatsoever. This was another allegation made by Courtney. And through Dora's counselor, her mother and I both found out that Gabe had never touched her.
After my son was taken, he was required to go through sex offender couseling, and as required by that counseling he has had to take a lie detector test, which proved he is innocent. But unfortunately that lie detector is inadmissable in court.
So there is the story, you be the judge.