One of the men who accused longtime Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine of sexual abuse has admitted he made up the molestation story. According to Syracuse Post-Standard, Floyd “David” VanHooser—who is currently serving 16 years to life in prison for various burglary-related charges—wrote in a letter that he lied to police and reporters about Fine because he was upset Fine did not hire a lawyer for him to fight his most recent criminal conviction. He also wrote a second letter (read them both here) directly to Fine, apologizing and explaining his behavior: "I can't put into words how mad I've been at the world...I believe if you had got a good lawyer for me I would have done better than 16 to life or as I see it 16 to death." more ›

In the wake of the ongoing sex abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse, politicians around the country have been trying to figure out how to cover themselves and make it easier to punish those who don't report pedophiles working in youth sports situations. Call the resulting legislation JoePa laws if you want, the latest to trot one out is no less than our very own governor, Andrew Cuomo. Today his office proposed a new bill that would make coaches at high schools and universities in New York mandatory reporters of child sex abuse. more ›

Jerry Sandusky has left jail—for now. Yesterday the former Penn State associate head football coach's wife Dottie cut a certified check for $50,000 to bail her hubby out after he was arrested on two more sex abuse charges. In addition to the cash the Sandusky's used $200,000 in real estate holdings to make bail. Dottie also took time yesterday to release a statement to the media in which she emphasized her belief in her husband's innocence. more ›

Former assistant Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky tells the New York Times in an exclusive interview that legendary head coach Joe Paterno never confronted him about any suspected misconduct with minors. Despite the fact his last interview with Bob Costas didn't exactly paint him in a sympathetic light, Sandusky (and his lawyer) agreed to this interview (you can watch excerpts from it here) as a chance to defend himself, saying prosecutors had distorted his words: “They’ve taken everything that I ever did for any young person and twisted it to say that my motives were sexual or whatever," Sandusky said. "I had kid after kid after kid who might say I was a father figure. And they just twisted that all.” more ›

A third victim has accused a longtime assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University of sexually abusing him as a child. Bernie Fine, who has coached at Syracuse for 35 years, has already been accused of molesting family friend Bobby Davis “hundreds of times” over a ten-year period, beginning when he was entering seventh grade, as well as Davis' stepbrother Mike Lang. Now Zach Tomaselli, 23, claims Fine molested him in 2002 in a Pittsburgh hotel room when Tomaselli was 13 years old. more ›

A retired Brooklyn monsignor was arrested yesterday and accused of attempting to molest two teenage boys this past Thursday. Msgr. Thomas Brady, 78, was charged with attempting a "criminal sex act" toward two teenage boys. “It’s devastating,” said Stefanie Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Brooklyn, who placed Brady on administrative leave. “He was a well-regarded pastor. He’s loved in the parish.” more ›

A U.S. bishop and a Catholic diocese in Kansas City have been indicted for failing to report suspected child abuse allegedly committed by a priest. Bishop Robert Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph were charged, and both entered not guilty pleas. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, "This is a significant charge. To my knowledge, a charge like this has not been leveled before," and the NY Times reports, "The indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop in the 25 years since the scandal over sexual abuse by priests first became public in the United States." more ›

An elderly Bronx priest was arrested yesterday and accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl who had just started working at his church rectory last week. Father Jaime Duenas, 87, was arraigned on charges of sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of the 16-year-old girl. And according to prosecutors, he gave this excuse in his cell before his arraignment last night: "She didn't protest to getting a massage...She was wearing short skirts." more ›

Joseph Yannai, 67-year-old Westchester cookbook author and admitted "dirty old man," was found guilty yesterday of luring young foreign women to come work for him as assistants and then sexually abusing them in his Pound Ridge home. The married Yannai, who earlier this week tried to commit suicide for the second time since being arrested, phoned into court to hear the verdict. more ›

In January Michael Clare, the 38-year-old married pastor of the Harvest Worship Center in the Bronx (and principal of its affiliated school, Harvest Prep), was charged with sexual abuse by one of his flock. Specifically, a now 15-year-old girl claimed Clare inappropriately interacted with her for over three years. Despite DNA evidence from the victim's aborted fetus, Clare has maintained his innocence and yesterday rejected a plea deal that would have put him behind bars for just two years. more ›

A Milwaukee lawyer says he will depose NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan over allegedly missing funds. According to the Journal Sentinel, attorney Jeffrey Anderson says the "Archdiocese of Milwaukee moved as much as $75 million off its books over the last six years in an effort to shield it from sex abuse settlements." The archdiocese, which was once headed by Dolan, has denied the accusations. more ›

Parents, make sure your "back to school" shopping list includes pepper spray. In a cover story perfectly timed for the first day of class tomorrow, the Daily News reports that a kindergartner was sodomized by a group of 6 and 7-year-olds in the bathroom of a Queens public school in June. more ›

Harlem Hospital's bad press week continues now that Dr. Manish Garg is being accused of fondling a patient. The female patient was rushed into the ER on May 7th after apparently being dosed with a date rape drug, but allegedly awoke to find the 28-year-old intern kissing and groping her. Ever the gentleman, Garg immediately asked her on a date. more ›

Bob Oliva coached the likes of Lamar Odom and Jayson Williams in his more than 30 years at Queens' Christ the King Regional High School, but stepped down last year in the face of allegations that he sexually abused students. Now he's been charged in a Massachusetts court for raping a fourteen year old boy during a field trip to Boston in 1976 and giving pornography to a minor. more ›

The Borough Park rabbi/travel agent accused in hundreds of incidents of sexual abuse was convicted yesterday of molesting a 16-year-old student. Baruch Lebovits could be sentenced to 32 years in jail, after being found guilty on eight counts. "I understand that there are a significant number of Jewish holidays coming up,” said the judge. “And I am sorry." The young victim testified that in 2004 Lebovits offered to let him drive his car, then unzipped his fly and performed oral sex on him. Among the rabbi’s other alleged victims is a young Hasidic man who committed suicide on his honeymoon, by jumping from the seventh story of a hotel. more ›

Today a 22-year-old testified In Brooklyn Supreme Court that he was sexually molested by Borough Park Rabbi Baruch Lebovits. The young man, who's no longer part of the Hasidic community, was dressed in "jeans, white shirt, tie and a yarmulke" and spoke softly, according to the Daily News. "How did you feel?" asked the assistant district attorney. "Very uncomfortable and very confused," he responded. Lebovits will soon stand trial on charges of sodomizing two others, and has been accused of hundreds more counts of child rape and abuse [Pdf Charge Sheets]. Still, his lawyer called the witness a "con man" and warned the jury, "You're going to be sold a bill of goods." more ›

A level three sex offender who served 14 years for sexually abusing girls ages five to seven no longer holds the keys to 50 Manhattan apartments. Shortly after his release from prison in 2001 William Barnason was hired as the super for several Upper West Side buildings, where female tenants complained he tried to coerce them into sex-for-rent arrangements, but now he’s gotten the boot. “Mr. Barnason is no longer employed as the superintendent and will be moving out of the building he lives in the near future," said a lawyer for the child rapists’ employer. more ›

The Internal Affairs bureau has arrested a 29-year-old Brooklyn cop amidst accusations that he repeatedly had sex with a minor for the past five years, starting when she was 10 years old. According to initial reports, the girl is related to off-duty officer Jacques Mackenson, who was arrested just after midnight today. He was to be arraigned in state court in Brooklyn on rape, sex abuse and other charges. The sex crimes allegedly began in 2005 and continued until last spring, after the girl turned 15, investigators tell the Associated Press. (NY1 reports that the abuse started three years ago when she was 12.) Mackenson reportedly joined the NYPD in 2008, and was assigned to a housing project patrol. He's now suspended without pay. more ›

Today's update on Alan Rosenfeld, the ex-teacher who landed in a Department of Education teacher reassignment center (aka Rubber Room) nearly a decade ago for lewd behavior towards students, features weird and outlandish quotes from some of his victims. We also get more info on how the educator ogled students, some as young a 13, at his school, a neighboring school and from the women's bathroom. more ›

In court today a Community Affairs cop faced the first of four sex-related charges. In 2002 the Officer Wilfredo Rosario fined a woman for trespassing in Riverside Park after dark. But he offered her a deal: he said he'd rip up the ticket in exchange for a sexual favor, telling her "This is between us." It wasn't the last lewd request he would made while on duty. The victim, then just 18-years old told her story in detail. more ›

The Archdiocese of Bridgeport was ordered to make public its documents related to sexual abuse allegations. And they suggest that Cardinal Edward Egan, who stepped down from the NY Archdiocese earlier this year and was Bridgeport's Bishop between 1988 and 2000, and his predecessor "either ignored complaints against...abusive priests, or simply did not believe them." The NY Times writes, "Throughout the testimony, Bishop Egan showed himself as an administrator who could be demanding of his staff, but at times felt limited in his ability to remove men from the priesthood despite several abuse complaints." more ›

Monsingor Wallace A. Harris, the pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish, stepped down yesterday due to allegations he abused minors. The Archdiocese of New York has barred him from practicing until the Advisory Review Board makes a decision. more ›