BishopAccountability.org
	NYC Basketball Coach Pleads Not Guilty to Rape WBZ April 12, 2010 http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsma/Prominent.NYC.ex.2.1627878.html BOSTON (AP) ? A former New York City high school basketball coach who trained Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he raped a 14-year-old boy during a visit to Boston in 1976. Bob Oliva, 65, was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court and released after posting $10,000 bail. He was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim, Jimmy Carlino, or any witnesses in the case, and to also have no contact with any children under 16 while awaiting trial. Oliva was indicted last month on two counts of rape of a child. Prosecutors said the assaults occurred in a Boston hotel during a trip to watch a doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Oliva was also charged with one count of disseminating matter harmful to minors. Prosecutors said he showed pornography to the boy. Oliva won 549 games and five city championships in 27 seasons at Christ the King Regional High School, where he coached future NBA players such as Odom. Oliva resigned last January, citing heart problems. "He looks forward to his day in court. He looks forward to being found not guilty of these charges," defense attorney Michael Doolin said in a brief telephone interview after his client's court appearance. Carlino, who now lives in Florida, did not play for Oliva at Christ the King. The defendant was a family friend, prosecutors said. "My client is testifying so the truth is revealed and to make the world a safer place for children," Carlino's civil attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, said Monday. The Associated Press usually does not identify accusers in sexual assault cases, but Carlino has allowed his name to be used publicly. Massachusetts prosecutors said they were able to prosecute the 34-year-old case because the statute of limitations remained frozen while Oliva was living outside of the state. A tentative trial date was set for May 2011.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.