Published: 01/03/2008
Charges dropped; allegations at YMCA labeled prank By Alan Burke Staff writer
MARBLEHEAD - Officials at the Marblehead/Swampscott YMCA are labeling as a prank a series of disturbing notes and phone calls alleging that three children have been molested there.
The charges are being discounted in part because the names of the molesters are outlandish and the children whose names were cited say they haven't been bothered, according to police and YMCA director Paul Gorman.
"Nothing's occurred here," he said.
"We have no confirmation that any of this is true," said police Chief Robert Picariello of the notes and calls. But on the suspicion that there might be some grain of truth to it, he added, "This department will aggressively investigate any crime of this type."
The notes pin the blame on two nationally known figures, movie star comic Ben Stiller and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Neither has ever been seen at the Y, Gorman said with a laugh.
"I have no idea how they relate to anything," he said.
In a letter to YMCA members, Gorman advised them, "The police and the YMCA agree that because of the celebrities named, the anonymous phone calls and no evidence of molestation that these notes and calls are nothing more than pranks and falsifications of a crime."
The supposed victims are members of a sports team, he said, "and their names have been published." He suggested that any prankster obtained the names in that way. Safety at the building is enhanced, he said, by the fact that the facility is relatively small with dozens of watchful YMCA staff members nearby.
Gorman acknowledged that even seemingly ridiculous charges can hide more serious problems, which is why the YMCA has taken no chances.
"We have been working closely with Chief Robert Picariello and Sgt. Sean Sweeney," he wrote to members.
The anonymous charges were initially telephoned to the police. The notes were left in the locker room, and so far, Picariello said, the author hasn't been determined.
As a precaution, security procedures at the YMCA are being increased, with the use of electronic IDs required for anyone entering the building.
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