BANGOR, Maine — Maine State Police continue to investigate allegations of child sex abuse against the Rev. Robert Carlson, a longtime religious and civic leader who committed suicide five months ago Friday.
As that work goes on, new details have emerged about Carlson’s embellishment of his credentials.
“The investigation is still open and there is no timetable on when it will be closed,” state police Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Love said this week of the probe, which began just days before Carlson committed suicide on Nov. 13 by jumping from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Prospect.
The five-month wait has been hard for family members of a 52-year-old man befriended by Carlson four decades ago and who may have been abused by him in the early 1970s.
“My brother came clean to the family” a couple of years ago about an ongoing sexual relationship he had with Carlson, a sister of the man has said.
She and other family members were interviewed by a state police detective the day after the investigation started and have been waiting for the results.
“At this point we think the whole thing is a joke,” an Alton relative of the man said Wednesday with obvious anger in her voice. “They are not going to let the truth be known, but that is all right because they can never go back to worshiping him.”
Carlson was told about the state police investigation by Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, his longtime friend, the day before he jumped to his death, the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department report about Carlson’s suicide states. Ross has said he did so because Carlson was on the Penobscot County Jail’s board of visitors and he wanted to limit his access to the jail.
Carlson met up with the Bangor man who is the focal point of the child sex abuse investigation in the hours before his death, according to the Waldo County report.
The man was an 11-year-old boy when Carlson befriended his mother — a single mother of six — in the early 1970s while the family lived in Orrington, according to the man’s family. Carlson began sexually abusing the boy soon after and the two remained in contact through the years, family members said. The Bangor Daily News is not identifying the man because of the possibility that he is a victim.
The last call made on Carlson’s cellphone was to the man, who told police they met for about 30 minutes at his Bangor residence around 12:30 a.m. Nov. 13.
“We believe he was the last one to see him” alive, Waldo County Chief Deputy Jeff Trafton said in January shortly after his department’s report into Carlson’s suicide was completed.
While Carlson was the public face for Penobscot Community Health Care, which he helped found and of which he was president, the Bangor Daily News has learned he exaggerated his credentials.
On the resume he provided to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, where he was a volunteer instructor for more than 25 years, Carlson listed himself as a hostage negotiator trainer for the New York Police Department in 1972, but police officials in the Big Apple say he was never an employee.
“There is no record for a Robert Carlson who is born in 1943 who worked for the NYPD,” the department said in an email on Feb. 6.
John Rogers, director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, said a background check was not done on Carlson when he was hired nearly 30 years ago “because at the time, he was a captain at the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.”
Carlson was a jail administrator in the 1970s and later became its chaplain, a role he also held for the Bangor and Brewer police and fire departments. He also was a chaplain for Husson College.
Well-known and well-regarded in Greater Bangor, Carlson also helped found the Hope House, a Bangor shelter for those with drug and alcohol addictions.
State police detectives began their investigation on Nov. 10 at the request of the Penobscot County district attorney’s office after that office received an anonymous letter stating Carlson “sexually abused a young boy several years ago” while pastor at East Orrington Congregational Church.
“This boy is now a grown man and they still have a secret relationship,” the unsigned letter states.
State police detectives did not get a chance to speak with Carlson, 68, before his death, Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, has said.
Since starting the investigation, the state police Major Crimes Unit for northern Maine has been busy investigating a double homicide in Dover-Foxcroft and fatal shootings in Levant, Hermon and Lamoine as well as preparing for this week’s Amity triple murder trial.
Cover up and corruption, pick a badge number.
Well that is the nature of the beast. If you are honest and can not turn a blind eye you will not make it in law enforcement.
Don’t let a few bad apples spoil the reputation of all officers. The bad ones are the ones that get the attention while the other quietly go on protecting people and doing their job…….
I agree . The “good” ones usually have no choice but to look the other way sometimes. To me if a law enforcement person looks the other way even at the cost of his job or reputation it dose not make it right. Times have changed a bit but not enough.
“The “good” ones usually have no choice but to look the other way sometimes.”
That is an oxymoron. Since all officers are “sworn” to protect, looking the other way violates that oath. Therefore they are no longer “good” officers.
My point exactly thank you very much. I am not saying they are as corrupt as some places just the majority of the human race is . It a fact of life
You may be more accurate on this one than the Koehler appeal Sam…seems like a whole lot of folks knew a whole lot about Carlson’s dirty laundry…
I respect the Police and all the hard work they do yet something smells funny here, Like trying to protect ones own.
The victim was put in danger by the police.
Mrs Carlson lost her Husband because of the Police.
The Victim will never get Justice because of Police.
Mr. Carlson will never go to trial because of the police.
Civil lawsuit by victim towards Carlson Estate and Police Department
Civil lawsuit by Mrs Carlson towards Police Department.
Does anyone have a clue of what could happen here??
The only thing certain is there will be a new sheriff in town after the next election.
Someone has to run against him.
Someone will. How do you think we got Charlie Longo?
Mrs. Carlson lost her husband because her husband chose to jump from the bridge.
Mr. Carlson will never go to trial because Mr. Carlson chose to jump from the bridge.
There would be no grounds for a lawsuit by the alleged victim or Mrs. Carlson against the Sheriff’s Department. They enjoy immunity.
He only chose to jump, after he was tipped off about the investigation. which puts this right back at ross, ross should be fired.
Nobody forced him to jump. Nobody encouraged him or coerced him to jump. That was a decision Carlson made on his own, most likely as a result of a conscience that finally caught up with him.
immunity only works if you’ve followed protocol the whole way through, Sheriff Ross DID NOT. by tipping off a suspect, by interfering with an ACTIVE investigation, by endangering the public, by endangering the possible victim. by failing to follow SOP, by failing to PERFORM HIS DUTIES AS SHERIFF, he will NOT be givin immunity… Hope you enjoyed your ride as sheriff Mr Ross, the BUCK stops here
Ross already has immunity. A plaintiff in a civil suit would have to climb a very tall mountain to get a court to strip it. Ross didn’t interfere with an investigation. He broke no laws. He violated no one’s constitutional rights. Therefore, his immunity cannot be stripped.
You are mistaken.
Then cite the law that shows I’m mistaken.
I think there was only ONE police officer trying to protect him,, not all of them!
Yes you are right. Informing Carlson put the Victim in Danger.. Carlson knew the victim sent a letter to the boy scouts and the Sheriffs office. Who knows what other evidence got lost in that time frame.. Maybe Carlson or his sheriff buddy threw away a computer or other damming evidence.. If he wasn’t told by the officer he might have been arrested and be still alive today.
If he did not choose to drive to the bridge, get out of the car, walk to the edge of the bridge and jump, he would still be alive today. He had been making his own decisions his entire adult life, and this was his final one. He jumped because he couldn’t face what was about to happen. It would appear to some of us that this is a man who spent a lot of time creating his own reality, and he was worried. Someone telling him that the anonymous letter had been received was wrong, he had enough time to change his mind and stand and defend himself. How do we even know that there would have been a trial?
This reminds me of what I was thinking,was Glenn Ross in on this also with Rev. Carlson.I have a gut feeling he was, where they were such good buddies for so many years.Maybe,if they already have not started,should be investigating Ross.
While i agree with you that the most agregious case of protecting him came from Sheriff Glen Ross, i would be pretty sure that this case has sat on some VIP’s desk for a long time before the pressure came down to truly investigate it. You wouldnt think that anyone involved with this man or who put their faith in him, would ever want to be played the fool for doing so.
“At this point we think the whole thing is a joke,” an Alton relative of the man said Wednesday with obvious anger in her voice. “They are not going to let the truth be known, but that is all right because they can never go back to worshiping him.”
Maine has a long history of covering up cases just like this when one of their own is involved. Many moons ago, a certain police chief’s son was heavily involved in the drug scene and yet never ever faced any charges. Tests that would have proven it beyond a reasonable doubt were NEVER performed. Its sad when you grow up believing that the police and detectives and state agencies are supposed to be there to protect you and you find out that that will be the case so long as nobody really important is involved. I will say that the lawsuit by Mrs. Carlson is somehow comical since she is upset that the fact that this has come out has somehow tarnished her husband’s image. Where is her sympathy for the victims of this man, which number many in the many lies he told and confidences he destroyed.
Over 2o years ago I told Rev Bob in a public meeting before witnesses
what I thought of him and that I did not trust him. I am a Christian and
in my heart I knew he was evil.
My reward for speaking my belief
was to be ostracized and ridiculed. It ended up costing me a job I
loved and being forced from my hometown in shame.
I have nothing but scorn for those that did this to me. You got your just desserts for your blind loyalty. Now live with it!
The same thing happened to me. I hope you come back, we need more people like you around here.
As a Fed LEO, I had to go thru the same thing and am still suffering from my taking a stand against a ‘dirty ‘Chief. You go Sir and never doubt your integrity.
The victim was put in danger by Carlson, and ANYONE who knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it-over the course of many years.
Mrs Carlson lost her husband because HE JUMPED OFF of a bridge to his death!
By all media accounts, the victim has not once spoken to police or the DA’s office asking for justice or investigation. Only family members are engaged with the investigation, not the victim.
Carlson will never go to trial because he choose to jump off of a bridge and end his life.
I am not sure why Mrs. Carlson would be able to sue the Bangor PD…..if the reasoning is that the police covered up what Carlson did, then how can logic not imply that the woman he was married to and lived with for so many years did not have the same information and evidence that the police did?
I personally don’t agree with what Ross did, but this can not all be blamed on the police.
The Bangor Police Department wasn’t involved.
Glen Ross was the C.O. at the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Dept, not a member of the Bangor P.D. Up till now, the Bangor P.D. has not been mentioned as being involved with this case.
I believe you are actually speaking about Sheriff Glen Ross. Not quite sure its fair to simply blame police in general for something Sheriff Ross did on his own.
Glenn Ross in his capacity as sheriff represents his whole department.
Mrs. Carlson lost her husband because he was a sick pervert who molested children. He was so ashamed that he took his own life, the coward’s way out of it all because he was a coward. His actions speak to his guilt. It was handled poorly, but the end result is that a sick pervert can no longer sexually abuse people. I can only imagine how many others that there were that he violated.
The victim gets the most justice possible, this scum is no longer on the streets doing sick and perverted things to children/people.
Hmm. It seems clear that this “victim” isn’t calling himself a victim. Family members say they were told of an event, but now seem to be looking for verification, phrases like ” may have been abused” are used often in this case.
I may think differently about all of this if I new the “victim” was denying all of this. I’m sure I would have issues with all of this if this guy hasn’t declared himself as a victim to Police.
the thing is, you wonder if he’s a victim when he was still in a relationship.
You certainly do not understand sexual abuse….he still felt trapped by the manipulation.
That’s right. I forgot you knew everything including what someone else felt!
Do you have any idea of how ridiculous that statement is?
Seems that you are also co-opting the feelings of others. Why are your beliefs on this right and Mr. Marshall’s wrong.
My understanding is that the “victim” is in his 40’s,never went to the Police. Might we as easily believe that members of his family believed something was going on between the two as easily as we believe that in some point they were told by the “victim” that this was the case. It seems to me all we have are circumstances that make some folks uncomfortable ,but no proof, other than a declaration made to family members that has been denied. So if we remove what could easily be a fabricated admission of a relationship, an admission that had been denied, what do we have now?
Yea, kind of like an abused women who stays in the relationship, right….
What a double standard.
Anyone who was 11 is a victim willing or not.
I agree an 11-year-old used by an adult is a victim, BUT for criminal and civil purposes, it is way to late to prosecute Carlson, and the civil suit is not likely to be successful because of the “adult phase” of the relationship.
If he didn’t do it, he wouldn’t have jumped. He was too much of a coward to stay and defend himself. More than likely, there were others and he was afraid that when this all became public that others would step forward.
Why wast critical police resources, on any further investigation. The alleged perp. is dead. Let everyone move on.
I agree. there is no point in wasting the money unless the family is planning a lawsuit?
A criminal investigation is completely separate from any civil litigation that may come out of this.
Why? Because the truth matters.
Because the Perp’s victim’s are still very much alive and they deserve to have closure to this mess. That is why. That is also THEIR JOB!!!!
As I said move on, go see a shrink for closure. When I was young we did not have as much sensitivity as todays society, that needs closure when every bad thing in life happens, most people learned to continue with their lives, and had a normal life, and MOVED ON.
You would think differently if you were on the inside looking out, not the outside looking in. You also have to consider the possibility that others knew of what may have been happening and either did nothing or helped Carlson.
Ryan EVERYONE is “…on the inside looking out.” There is not a single member of society who has not been wronged. There is a whole bunch of human garbage out there, and even if Carlson had lived, he was beyond the statute of limitations, he couldn’t have been prosecuted. Also, since this man continued his relationship with Carlson into adulthood it is unlikely any suit will be successful.
Is it fair? Probably not, but it is real… As bytethebullet said, it is way past time to move on.
Why, so when anyone starts to get investigated, they can choose to bail as well, dead or alive, the truth should come out, so with your way of thinking the victims never gets Justice.
So if a person shoots some one, then shoots himself, the perp. is dead so everyone move on.
So all those school shootings, the perp. is dead just move on.
Please Mr Clampet, tell me how this victim obtains justice? To me “justice” involves a conviction and punishment, That ain’t never gonna happen now.
There is no “earthly justice” for the victim. His reward is knowing the creep was exposed and immediately took a header off the nearest bridge.
Justice for the victim, if you want to call it that, is plenty of therapy sessions…coming to terms with what a pedophile did to him and the grim fallout of how his life was and is changed forever beause of it…work toward healing of his heart and mind….and then going on with his own life in a responsible and productive manner…..in spite of it all.
The victim does not walk that path alone.
Thanks to the family for pushing this forward.
This relationship went on since the 70s? Now the family is outraged? They had no idea of this improper relationship for the last 40 years? What’s wrong in this picture, why did they not contact authorities years ago? A kid and a pastor are best pals? Could the family have been that naive?
Things are so easy to sort out after-the-fact. The boy/man JUST RECENTLY informed the family of this “relationship”
AND YES a boy and a man CAN be “best friends” without sex.
I had an 80-year-old friend when I was 11. He was a clock and watch maker/repairman. I spent nearly every day after school at his shop for three years. I learned how to repair watches, and I began collecting clocks, now a life-long hobby.
I loved that old man, but he never did anything even slightly improper.
I suggest perhaps the “filth” is in your mind.
You used the word “filth” not me.Was that really needed? I’m simply saying that- a realtionship between a pastor and a boy that went on for40 years did not raise eyebrows-not a hint of anything wrong here? You’re pretty sharp with your comments Harry, think about it.
It did, but as you can see, the “pastor” was very good at spinning lies.
because most people can be blind sheep. I never care what someone says about me . I guess it dose not make me popular but I am not like most people.
Be honest with yourself. Until the past 10 years or so, impropriety between a pastor and a child wasnt even considered, was not thought about , or discussed. It has only been in the last 10 – 15 years that these cases have truly started to surface and the black eye has been dealt to the churches. I know as a child my pastor or priest would have been the safest person outside of family my parents would have wanted me to be close to.
“My brother came clean to the family”-that statement hit me as the family knowing that something was going on over the years. One “comes clean” after being asked if something is true or not. I really think they asked the victim over the years and he denied the relationship. If in fact they did ask-did they ask the question to the right person(s)?Perhaps I took that statement in the wrong direction. Secrets are hard to keep, especially over 4 decades.
There are two ways of looking at an outhouse.
As a tourist passing by in your car you see it as rustic and framed by the near-by lilac bushes.
As the owner of the outhouse, from inside on a hot summer day, one gets a different view.
Over 2o years ago I told Rev Bob in a public meeting before witnesses
what I thought of him and that I did not trust him. I am a Christian and
in my heart I knew he was evil.
My reward for speaking my belief
was to be ostracized and ridiculed. It ended up costing me a job I
loved and being forced from my hometown in shame.
I have nothing but scorn for those that did this to me. You got your just desserts for your blind loyalty. Now live with it!
Gee I hope you are not wishing me my just deserts for my blind loyalty. I don’t even know Carlson. I was defending the family who when they learned of what happened they became angry.
Funny story, EXACTLY 26 years ago I was a supervisor for a residential treatment center for children. I became aware of a relationship between a staff member and a resident. I reported this inappropriate behavior to the director of residential operations. The director “reassigned” the staff member in question, and fired me.
If you are telling me “life is not fair” I already have that message.
Very Christian of you, about the fourth time you have posted this, we get it.
Maybe if his ,her post were not removed because they speak the truth they would not have to repost. Seems like a lot of people want to hide the truth.
I ” liked ” your first comment, wishing I could take it back now. We heard you.
You CAN take a “like” back. just hit the like button a second time, and your like goes away.
If the BDN would stop removing my posts, I would be more than happy to stop making the same post repeatedly.
I found if you continue to tell people what is really going on you will be banned from posting. Seems like censorship but it is what it is. Keep up the good work.
They knew, they all knew.
Over 2o years ago I told Rev Bob in a public meeting before witnesses
what I thought of him and that I did not trust him. I am a Christian and
in my heart I knew he was evil.
My reward for speaking my belief
was to be ostracized and ridiculed. It ended up costing me a job I
loved and being forced from my hometown in shame.
I have nothing but scorn for those that did this to me. You got your just desserts for your blind loyalty. Now live with it!
Would it matter if Carlson himself had been abused as a child?
Who cares? Many people were abused and do not abuse others.
NO
No—Don’t you get sick of blaming crimes on the fact that the same thing happened to them???—Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to think that if you suffered those things that you would do your best not to put another human being thru the same thing??–There is no excuse for any of these sick perverts, and especially the ones that use religion to get what they want!
If the investigation is completed it will open the door to the civil suit. Those involved in the investigation are probably trying to find ways to ease the impact of the civil suit by not wraping up the investigation.
“[T]he civil suit”? Where has it been reported that there is a civil suit?
Besides, a civil suit doesn’t need to wait for a criminal investigation to be concluded.
How do we Know the family Carlson knew nothing? We do not . Same as we will never know if they knew anything.
I can’t speak for “Preacher’s wives”…….but as a whole, wives always know when their husbands are fooling around. Depending on the financial position the wifey is living in….she will quite often pretend she doesn’t know….(see know evil)
If the wife is struggling in poverty…then get rid of the bum.
Wives who are living in the lap of luxury with the cheating dirtbag will often plot their time to pounce, when it will do her the best good financially.
Wives who suspect their husband’s are molesting and raping underage children should turn them into the law..immediately. An untold amount of money or lack of it should never be a factor in turning in a pedophile….especially the vermin who disguise themselves as preachers.
Anyone who stands by and dose nothing is worse than the molester themselves in my book . At least the molester can say they are sick. I tried to make that point a few times and was bared for posting.
Mrs. Carlson lost her husband because he made a decision to take his own life, not because of the police, but it would be helpful to the abuse victim if the investigation would be ongoing and give some closure for him and perhaps other victims.
Hold it – the brother of the victim says that the victim “came clean”? Actually, the victim is a victim – he didn’t come clean, he told the truth. The one who was dirty and needed to come clean was the liar dressed in the costume of a trusted person. And he never came clean. He just bailed.
It seems the “Victim ” has denied all of this, that’s how I read this, so what are we left with ?
the unfortunate thing is that the victims will never have closure and the truth will never get out.By Carlson killing himself he wins as he can’t confront is accusers in court and defend himself against allegations brought against him therefor he is not guilty of the crimes he alleged to have done.One of the famous cases was a priest from mass by the name of gagen he was killed in walpole by a man that claimed he was abused as a child while awaiting his appeal on the conviction of sexual misconduct with minors,since he because he was dead he won his appeal by virtue of being dead and cant defend himself against his accusers and thanks to the person that killed him his victims got zip and got abused by the man that killed the priest
Appeals are based on questions of law. You don’t win an appeal because you’re dead.
why are we paying for an investgation the guy is dead,no point in wasting tax dollars on this.
Money well spent if you listen to the family. I don’t mind paying for answers here, anyone, bueller, anyone?
Over 2o years ago I told Rev Bob in a public meeting before witnesses what I thought of him and that I did not trust him. I am a Christian and in my heart I knew he was evil.
My reward for speaking my belief was to be ostracized and ridiculed. It ended up costing me a job I loved and being forced from my hometown in shame.
I have nothing but scorn for those that did this to me. You got your just desserts for your blind loyalty. Now live with it!
im glad this phony took his own life, hope he suffered what a scumbag
Interesting they didn’t do a back ground check because he was a police employee. I take to mean they think person in law or religon are pure?
I can think of several persons of such employments, they should have checked before hiring or is there a certain amount of scummy behavior thats acceptable in these types of jobs?
I agree. I also believe every police officier, judge and public official should have to submit to the same random drug testing forced onto many others of the working public. Fair is fair.
Nothing but a predator and a big piece of crap. Creep!!!!
I know the victm. I also knew Bob. The victim was on a team I played on in the 80’s, and Bob would show up to pick him up. We all thought it was odd. I saw them together a week before Bob took the easy way out. If an adult chooses to spend tme with another adult…I don’t see how that makes him a victim.
Then you didn’t know the victim very well.
you have a point
Because he was not an adult when it started.
I suppose any “news” about this pedophile, with a clerical collar at his throat, will appear in the BDN but…………would the BDN consider not including this photo (ad nauseum) of the Rev. Gross Sexual Misconduct Carlson. Just looking at that face makes me sick.
Let it rest….
There HAD to have been other or past allegations/suspicions documented by law enforcement against Mr. Carlson for the investigation to be opened.
Neither the State Police nor theD.A. would open an investigation against someone SOLELY on the anonomyous letter they received. The letter the public knows of contains: non-specific contents (no victim’s name, no description of the specifics of the ‘abuse’, no clear dates of incidents, no description of the settings of where the abuse allegedly took place, and was anomyously sent.
A letter such as this anomyous letter would’ve been ‘screened out’ and not investigated -as not enough info nor specifics.
Think about it… the Police and D.A. are way to busy to open an investigation on a “a crime happened to someone a while ago.. I’m not giving you my name … and I’m not alledging any other specific continued abuse to a child or any other victims’.
I hope we will hear the rest of this story… as there clearly HAS to be more as to why the investigation was opened. I.E. what ADDITIONAL allegations…. past and current have the police received against Mr. Carlson. Do we need to assess vulnerable people/children who were in contact with him for abuse and treatment? Who (if any) other members of the agencies he worked/was in charge of KNEW about abuse he may have perpetrated and ‘let it slide’.
THIS info is still critical as: any victims deserve offers of treatment, AND if any agency officials didn’t immediately report suspected abuse…. they need to be removed from their positions as the LAW says they are mandated to report any suspicions. AND.. would they ignore it again!
Lets have this situation come clean such that children in particular are SAFE in the agencies in our community.
I sat beside Sheriff Ross in the early 90’s at a Selectman’s Meeting in the Town of Orrington when then Town Manager Candace Guerrette admitted to destroying and failing to transmit my complaints against two of the town Constables to his office as promised and as required by law, he did nothing.
I’m not surprised by his denial to look into Carlson either.
The fact that this investigation is continuing against Rev. Carlson shows that the victim’s lawyers are attempting to go after his estate. Carlson is dead, and nothing can change that now. If this were to come to my courtroom, I would laugh at counsel and hold him responsible for all legal fees.
Sheriff Ross should be held liable as his beach of ethics have prevented due process. He interfered with the course of a police investigation, an act that IS punishable under Maine law. He should have been replaced through breach of Code of Conduct a long time ago. It now needs to be his estate that is in jeopardy.
“The fact that this investigation is continuing against Rev. Carlson shows that the victim’s lawyers are attempting to go after his estate.”
A criminal investigation is entirely separate from any civil litigation. The two are never connected.”Sheriff Ross should be held liable as his beach [sic] of ethics have prevented due process. He interfered with the course of a police investigation, an act that IS punishable under Maine law.”Whose due process was violated by Ross?Ross didn’t interfere with the investigation, either.
Ross’s peers found nothing wrong with his actions.. (a group where Ross is acting president)
You can be rest assured the State Police won’t invite him into secret investegations..
He is dead you can’t charge him with any crime!! Just drop it and let life go on!!
What other truth would you like to hide??? Hitler having ordered the death of millons of Jews?
People that wear certain “collars” have been proven over and over again to be liars , and much worse!! —It’s very hard to trust any of them these days.And it will be covered up as best as it can be done– The guilty jump, the innocent stay and fight.–And in my older age, I don’t trust much of anyone these days!
I would suggest people look in the archives of the BDN Letters to the editor for April 26, 2011 and view the Letter to the Editor that Bob Carlson wrote in support of the arena. I posted a comment in response to Bob’s letter. I questioned the man’s support of the arena whereas he was a “reverend,” and the funding for this place was supposedly from gambling revenues (after all, any reverend should be opposed to gambling). I was blasted by the same crowd on here that continually defends Same Sex Marriage. One commenter even posted in response to my statement that he believed Bob received no compensation for his position at PCHC. As has been published in the BDN, Bob was well compensated ( over $100,000 for his position), and received other benefits (company car?). I knew Bob was a very bad man, however, this community and their leaders (John Baldacci, his brother on the city council, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and any other public official Bob tried to con ), chose to deny any truths that may have been presented to them. If I had posted that Bob was a pedophile, I am sure my comments would have been removed back in April of 2011. Bob was a con man,he knew the highest level of authority is the County Sheriff, he knew once he was in their good graces, he was golden with regards to the State and City police. This man was “The Great Imposter.”
Yes he was he fooled everyone in the community!
There is no crowd that ‘defends’ same sex marriage. There is no such thing yet because of backwards people who think minority populations should have to fight to be treated the same as white men. All people that breathe should have the same opportunities.. period. It has nothing to do with what’s being talked about here. Everyone who wants to prove their love and devotion to another person through marriage in front of their family and friends should be able to. You people that find yourself looking down on good people will find yourselves awfully lonely up there on your pedestals.
Yes, I believe Bob Carlson found it lonely on his pedestal in the end. And yes, he was backwards.
Why should any clergyman be “opposed to gambling”? The Bible says nothing about whether gambling is a sin.
If you don’t know, I can’t help you out with that one. Do you ever see a real clergyman promoting a casino? Do you know the Bible? If so, look up Joshua 14:1-2, Judges 14:12, and John 19:23-24. Bob Carlson promoted many things that were not Biblical.
None of those verses states that gambling is a sin.
Gambling is not a sin, cheating people out of their money through deception (gambling) however is.
Are you suggesting that Hollywood Casino is deceiving people who play there? If so, in what way?
So true!
It is my belief that all sex offenders should consider the same fate as Carlson.The lower Penobscot river and Penobscot bay would be polluted with this scum.However I would be more than happy to make the sign so they know where to jump.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but why does there need to be such a big drawn out investigation? The one victim is 52 years old now, still with us, and has apparently now “come clean”. So, why don’t they just go talk to the guy and ask him what happened? There. Investigation all over. Why is that so difficult?