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Tallmadge HS student hazes a teammate with a straw...

D

DisgruntledVirus

Lifer
A 17-year-old former Tallmadge High School football player was placed on probation today for one year and ordered to undergo psychological counseling for an attack on a younger teammate last summer at the school.

Robert Underwood, who was found guilty last month of juvenile delinquency charges of rape and hazing in connection with the incident, turned to face the 16-year-old victim and his family in court and tearfully read a written letter of apology.

''It was never my intention to cause you harm in any way. I thought that what I was doing was nothing more than a silly prank to get people to laugh. I realize now the severity of what I did, and it was nothing to laugh about,'' Underwood said.

The victim, who was 15 at the time of the attack, testified in Summit County Juvenile Court last month that he was accosted by several teammates last August after football practice. He said he was forced to the ground, his pants were pulled down and he was jabbed repeatedly in the buttocks with a plastic drinking straw.

Special prosecutor Dan Riedl of the Ohio Attorney General's Office, who was appointed to handle the case, told Juvenile Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio before sentencing that Underwood ''picked up that straw and pushed it multiple times into the victim's rectum . . .'' ''That was an intentional act. It wasn't merely something that got out of hand. It was an intent to cause a real violation . . . of another person,'' Riedl said.

As part of Underwood's sentence, Teodosio ordered the teen to be classified ? under mandated state guidelines for the offense of rape ? as a Tier 3 sexual offender.

It is the most serious sex offender classification under Ohio law, and it will require Underwood to register his address with the sheriff's office every 90 days for life.

Underwood also was ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment and treatment program, to write a letter of apology and make amends to the victim and his family and to perform 40 hours of community service.

If he violates any of those terms of probation, then he could be sentenced to incarceration in a Department of Youth Services facility for a period of at least one year up to his 21st birthday, Teodosio said.

Riedl, the special prosecutor, asked the judge to prohibit Underwood from returning to Tallmadge High as another part of his sentence, but Teodosio declined the request, saying she would leave that decision to school officials.

Underwood has not attended classes at the school since the incident, the judge noted.

The teen's mother and father accompanied him to court, and Teodosio praised them in her concluding remarks, saying ''it took a lot of courage to take this case to this level.''

''If more people would step forward and be brave enough to come into court to speak about these kinds of things, then hopefully . . . they will not occur to other young men and women'' the judge said.

Underwood's mother, sobbing as she addressed the court, called the incident ''horseplay'' and said the same type of thing has been going on on the team ''for generations.''

She declined further comment outside of court.

Special prosecutors were brought in from Columbus because the son of an assistant county prosecutor also is a Tallmadge football player.
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http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/18342059.html

Should he be labeled a teir 3 sex offender for this?

edit: So what was the final straw in this case?

edit 2: Who wants to bet dNor was the one who received it?
 
''It was never my intention to cause you harm in any way. I thought that what I was doing was nothing more than a silly prank to get people to laugh."

Bull-fucking-shit

It may not have been a tier 3 act, but he's still a dumbshit and deserves the label for the rest of his life.
 
Underwood's mother, sobbing as she addressed the court, called the incident ''horseplay'' and said the same type of thing has been going on on the team ''for generations.''




bullshit. i was on school teams from grade school to college. NOT once did i see anyone held down and have somethign shoved up there ass.

It is also NOT "horseplay" its rape. I have not problems with the idiot being labeled tier 3 sex offender.
 
Mr. Underwood, heh, sounds off to say the least. Hopefully he learns his lesson and lucky it happened as a minor, where his record will be expunged at 18. In other words no big deal as a temporary lesson. Maybe got off lightly?

 
I'm usually inclined to give a lot of leeway on that stuff because I pulled my fair share of pranks as a kid, but man... he stuck it up his ass :shocked:
 
I think this is some silly shit that trivializes actual offensive sex crimes. It was stupid hazing - it has happened a shit ton in the past and will happen in the future - and the kid that performed the hazing should be somewhat punished but let us seriously think about this: He is labeled as a sex offender FOR LIFE.

For life?

Effectively he got a lifetime parole for some stupid hazing act. Does that punishment really fit the crime? This punishment will affect the kids future family and his kids; they will be limited on where they live (e.g. within x amount of yards from a church, school, etc.).
 
I don't think he should have to register for life, because I don't think he's more likely to commit a real sex crime than anyone else.

I do think he needs to be punished pretty severely, because forcibly sticking any object in someone's ass is not cool.
 
Originally posted by: Zebo
Mr. Underwood, heh, sounds off to say the least. Hopefully he learns his lesson and lucky it happened as a minor, where his record will be expunged at 18. In other words no big deal as a temporary lesson. Maybe got off lightly?
Click to expand...

As part of Underwood's sentence, Teodosio ordered the teen to be classified ? under mandated state guidelines for the offense of rape ? as a Tier 3 sexual offender.

It is the most serious sex offender classification under Ohio law, and it will require Underwood to register his address with the sheriff's office every 90 days for life.
Click to expand...

From the OP.

 
Ugh. The law gets so out of control when it comes to applying a Sex Offender designation.

It was a prank, dear lord. Not something that should ruin the life of someone who merely played a somewhat cruel prank on someone.

Everyone here that says otherwise must be the type that got pranked on their whole lives, sometimes in a way somewhat demeaning. The stereotypical nerds who once they get any kind of power let it get to their heads and banish anyone for anything remotely 'wrong'.

The kinds of things that I did as a child, participated in, or had pulled on me, could easily have caused some major grief in a courtroom if anyone was a bitch about it. Fun and games. Yes, a straw up the ass is over the line, but does not mean the lives of people needs to get ruined for it. Give him some tough justice, such as maybe a short stint in juvie, some community service and probation. Not an unjust label for life.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm usually inclined to give a lot of leeway on that stuff because I pulled my fair share of pranks as a kid, but man... he stuck it up his ass :shocked:
Click to expand...


Did he actually physically stick a drinking straw up and into the rectum?

The article:
. He said he was forced to the ground, his pants were pulled down and he was jabbed repeatedly in the buttocks with a plastic drinking straw.
Click to expand...

Does in the buttocks mean inside the rectum? The term sodomized was not used which, in my opinion, is typically used when there is actual penetration of the rectum. Was he just poking his butt (the outer area) with a straw? Is a straw even physically strong enough to actually poke up and into a rectum?

 
Originally posted by: mugs
I don't think he should have to register for life, because I don't think he's more likely to commit a real sex crime than anyone else.

I do think he needs to be punished pretty severely, because forcibly sticking any object in someone's ass is not cool.
Click to expand...

My ex begged for it in the pooper on a regular basis....
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Originally posted by: Zebo
Mr. Underwood, heh, sounds off to say the least. Hopefully he learns his lesson and lucky it happened as a minor, where his record will be expunged at 18. In other words no big deal as a temporary lesson. Maybe got off lightly?
Click to expand...

As part of Underwood's sentence, Teodosio ordered the teen to be classified ? under mandated state guidelines for the offense of rape ? as a Tier 3 sexual offender.

It is the most serious sex offender classification under Ohio law, and it will require Underwood to register his address with the sheriff's office every 90 days for life.
Click to expand...

From the OP.
Click to expand...

I missed that part - then it is extreme. The kid is still a kid and punishment does not fit the crime here IMO.
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
Originally posted by: mugs
I don't think he should have to register for life, because I don't think he's more likely to commit a real sex crime than anyone else.

I do think he needs to be punished pretty severely, because forcibly sticking any object in someone's ass is not cool.
Click to expand...

My ex begged for it in the pooper on a regular basis....
Click to expand...

Good for him. :thumbsup:
 
Originally posted by: Babbles
Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm usually inclined to give a lot of leeway on that stuff because I pulled my fair share of pranks as a kid, but man... he stuck it up his ass :shocked:
Click to expand...


Did he actually physically stick a drinking straw up and into the rectum?

The article:
. He said he was forced to the ground, his pants were pulled down and he was jabbed repeatedly in the buttocks with a plastic drinking straw.
Click to expand...

Does in the buttocks mean inside the rectum? The term sodomized was not used which, in my opinion, is typically used when there is actual penetration of the rectum. Was he just poking his butt (the outer area) with a straw? Is a straw even physically strong enough to actually poke up and into a rectum?
Click to expand...

We both have RC problems

''picked up that straw and pushed it multiple times into the victim's rectum .
 
Originally posted by: Babbles
Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm usually inclined to give a lot of leeway on that stuff because I pulled my fair share of pranks as a kid, but man... he stuck it up his ass :shocked:
Click to expand...


Did he actually physically stick a drinking straw up and into the rectum?

The article:
. He said he was forced to the ground, his pants were pulled down and he was jabbed repeatedly in the buttocks with a plastic drinking straw.
Click to expand...

Does in the buttocks mean inside the rectum? The term sodomized was not used which, in my opinion, is typically used when there is actual penetration of the rectum. Was he just poking his butt (the outer area) with a straw? Is a straw even physically strong enough to actually poke up and into a rectum?
Click to expand...

Next paragraph
picked up that straw and pushed it multiple times into the victim's rectum
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: mugs
I don't think he should have to register for life, because I don't think he's more likely to commit a real sex crime than anyone else.

I do think he needs to be punished pretty severely, because forcibly sticking any object in someone's ass is not cool.
Click to expand...

That sums it up for me.

Originally posted by: Babbles
Originally posted by: loki8481
I'm usually inclined to give a lot of leeway on that stuff because I pulled my fair share of pranks as a kid, but man... he stuck it up his ass :shocked:
Click to expand...


Did he actually physically stick a drinking straw up and into the rectum?
Click to expand...

Read a little further next time 😉

Special prosecutor Dan Riedl of the Ohio Attorney General's Office, who was appointed to handle the case, told Juvenile Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio before sentencing that Underwood ''picked up that straw and pushed it multiple times into the victim's rectum . . .'' ''That was an intentional act. It wasn't merely something that got out of hand. It was an intent to cause a real violation . . . of another person,'' Riedl said.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: m0mentary
what if he did it to a girl instead? or an even younger boy, would it make any difference to you guys?
Click to expand...

yes. BUT, then the liklihood of it being a hazing prank basically goes away.

The situation in which these things are done should very much determine the punishment.

Hazing is rarely, if ever, a cross-gender affair. And is also rarely a thing of large age gaps.
If he did it to a 12 year old, or a same-aged girl, then yes it would deserve the given punishment imho. But hazing of a like-aged kid. Kids do stupid shit, most of us have been there. When the semi mob-mentality kicks in when doing pranks with a group of people onto people of your own age, it can get carried away. An adult is going to understand why doing something like shoving a pencil-thin object up someones ass is terribly wrong, but a high-school kid is going to see that as a very offensive prank, but still a prank.

There is a reason minors have different punishments.
 
Originally posted by: destrekor
Ugh. The law gets so out of control when it comes to applying a Sex Offender designation.

It was a prank, dear lord. Not something that should ruin the life of someone who merely played a somewhat cruel prank on someone.

Everyone here that says otherwise must be the type that got pranked on their whole lives, sometimes in a way somewhat demeaning. The stereotypical nerds who once they get any kind of power let it get to their heads and banish anyone for anything remotely 'wrong'.

The kinds of things that I did as a child, participated in, or had pulled on me, could easily have caused some major grief in a courtroom if anyone was a bitch about it. Fun and games. Yes, a straw up the ass is over the line, but does not mean the lives of people needs to get ruined for it. Give him some tough justice, such as maybe a short stint in juvie, some community service and probation. Not an unjust label for life.
Click to expand...

The victim has to live with the memories for life, and the perp has to register for life. Seems fair.
 
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