Charges dropped against Inn sex assault suspect
Citing a lack of evidence, prosecutors have dropped all charges against a 38-year-old Boston man in connection with an alleged December 28 sexual assault on a 15-year-old Rochester, N.Y. boy at the steam room of the Gasparilla Inn and Club.
Carl Stanley McGee (pictured), a top aide to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, had been facing sexual battery charges in connection with the incident.
In a memo to the court, Assistant State Attorney Francine Donnorummo wrote that there was no physical evidence collected that would place McGee and the victim in the steam room.
Towels worn by McGee and the teenage boy at the time of the alleged encounter were not collected by Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies who investigated the incident. As a result, they could not be inspected for evidence linking McGee or the teen to the steam room. Also, investigators did not gather evidence from the steam room.
The prosecutor also noted that there were no witnesses to the alleged assault, and that the only potential witness was asleep outside the room where the assault had allegedly taken place. This witness, prosecutors said, was never identified or questioned.
Prosecutors also noted that the alleged victim had difficulty identifying the Massachusetts man as his attacker.
McGee has been on unpaid leave from his $115,000 job in the Patrick administration since January 7.
It was alleged that McGee unlawfully touched and performed oral sex on the teenager.
In the memo to the court, prosecutors noted that they could find no “corroborating evidence to support the child’s rendition of his being forcibly sexually battered.”
“The State Attorney in Lee County, Florida, after a thorough investigation, has decided that no charges should be brought against Stan McGee,” said his attorney, Charles Rankin. “Mr. McGee believes the decision by the Florida prosecutor not to pursue this case speaks for itself, and he looks forward to going on with his life.”
March 21, 2008 at 10:53 am
Were this any other ‘ordinary’ citizen, this guy would have never seen the light of day for this charge. It’s a shame that these laws are meant to punish all sex offenders, guilty or innocent, except those with connections. Shame on you for being selective in your prosecution!
March 21, 2008 at 10:56 am
What a surprise. The double standard rears it’s ugly head once again. If you are rich or connected, you can get away with anything. It’s so nice for him to be able to “go on with his life”. Amazing that the victim was having difficulty identifying McGee, must have been all that steam!!
There are many who have done far less spend the rest of their lives punished by a system that in it of itself is ignorant, that the laws designed to protect our children are doing the polar opposite.
To the Lee County state attorney’s office, please remember this when someone else who is not rich or connected has this happen to them, so that they can get the same preferential treatment you dished out to McGee.
March 21, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I agree with both comments, the State Attorney’s office should hide their head in shame. However, it doesn’t suprise me, his political connections ensured no punishment. If this were any other citizen, especially someone like a policeman, and the same amount of evidence existed, they would never have received this kind of kindness from prosecutors. Instead we would have been reading about it for months as the State Attorney’s office trashed their reputations and lives.
It is a sad state of affairs.
March 21, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Ya get the Message, john gumbo
April 2, 2008 at 7:44 pm
If there is no evidence the guy did it, and no witnesses, then there is no case. Would you rather the DA waste taxpayer money and possibly injure an innocent man?