General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Rape Crew: Trent Mays, Malik Richmond, Michael Colin Nodianos, Charlie Keenan, Cody Saltzman [View all]mike_c
(36,281 posts)...and I kinda need a shower.
http://www.heraldstaronline.com/
Yes, she was apparently taken to three parties that night (Aug 11-12). PARTIES, meaning lots of people present, most of them presumably high school students. Although quite a few cell phones were later confiscated and examined, only two pics of the victim (naked) were recovered, and none depicting the actual assaults. Three boys later testified before a probable cause hearing that they witnessed at least some of the assaults-- their testimony and the two pics on Trent Mays' phone were instrumental in bringing charges against Mays and Richmond, but it's clear from the stories that at least one of the boys who testified was likely an accessory to sexual assault because he transported the victim and Mays, witnessed Mays raping her in the back of the car, and did nothing except to drive them to the next party.
But the part that disgusts me the most is that this was a very public series of assaults. It was performed to intentionally humiliate the victim-- evidently she had rebuffed Cody Saltsman previously. It was revenge rape, and public humiliation was part of the assault. Although the Ohio State Police examined 15 cell phones and two iPads, they found only the two pics on Mays' phone and claimed that none of the (presumed) deleted photos were recoverable. Nonetheless, crime blogger Alexandria Goddard later turned up some additional photos, like this one posted or texted by Saltsman:
There are at least three people other than the victim in that pic, and two recipients who's emails are listed. And nobody knows a damned thing other than the three boys who testified to witnessing the assault. Although pictures evidently flew among cell phones that night and in the following days, by the time of the investigation they'd been sanitized. And although the victim was evidently assaulted at three separate parties, NO ONE ELSE SAW ANYTHING. The police chief says he's begged witnesses to come forward, but none have other than the three boys who likely testified to avoid their own (probably tangential) culpability.
That's what disgusts me the most about this. Much of the community has closed ranks behind the rapists and abettors. A local high school football worship site refers to Anon as "terrorists" for posting the most recent video (http://www.rollredroll.com/).
Another great source for info is the #OccupySteubenville site: http://www.occupysteubenville.com/