BANGOR, Maine — The first page of the heavily redacted Maine State Police report released this month that incriminates the Rev. Robert Carlson as a serial child sex abuser simply states that Carlson — a trusted community leader — hurt children dating back 36 years before his death.
R. Christopher Almy, district attorney for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, has a copy of the complete, unedited report, and on Friday declined to answer any questions regarding it.
“I don’t feel that’s really appropriate,” Almy said repeatedly.
How Carlson groomed local children to be his victims, the length of the abuse and how he hurt them are questions Almy declined to answer, saying he was not going to provide information beyond what state police provided in their redacted 104-page report, which includes 33 pages of employment documents and 20 pages of Bangor Daily News articles.
The report has 14 entries that say “see summary of interview” or “see attached reports” at the ends of paragraphs, and it also has at least 14 full pages of completely redacted interviews.
Carlson was a longtime religious and civic leader who committed suicide by jumping from the Penobscot Narrows Bridge on Nov. 13, 2011, shortly after learning detectives were looking into allegations of sex abuse involving him and a boy.
To protect the identity of the victims, details about what Carlson did to the children, many of whom are now adults, were removed entirely from the state police report, Lt. Christopher Coleman, commander of the Maine State Police’s Major Crimes Unit for the northern part of the state, has said.
One of the most damaging portions of the state police investigative report centers on a treatment facility that Carlson “had full access to,” which treated “at least half a dozen victims,” and where “administration told Bob that he was no longer welcome.”
The sister of one of Carlson’s victims, who was an 11-year-old boy when Carlson befriended the family and is now a 52-year-old man living in Bangor, said he was treated at Wellspring Inc. — a residential addiction treatment program whose headquarters is on Cumberland Street in Bangor — on more than one occasion.
“[He] went to Wellspring a couple of times and Carlson was [there] every time we turned around,” the sister said. “The way Carlson acted I thought he ran the place.”
Patricia Kimball, executive director of Wellspring, said last week that she has a vague recollection of Carlson spending too much time with one client and being asked to back off.
“I remember something or someone said something about Bob having something to do with a client there and we were going to limit his contact,” she said.
According to her recollection, “there was no meeting” between Carlson and administrators. She did say it wasn’t uncommon to see Carlson at the facility, because he often provided Wellspring clients rides to meetings.
One of Kimball’s last memories of Carlson is of him testifying in Augusta, advocating for the agency.
“He went to bat for us when we were losing funding,” the executive director said.
The news that Carlson was a serial child abuser has stung Kimball.
“It’s been heart-wrenching for everybody involved,” she said. “What he did was horrific, unforgivable. It was sick.”
While no details about how Carlson sexually abused the children has been released, when police believe it started is available.
In the state police report, state police Detective Dean Jackson wrote that he “entered Jan. 1, 1991 as the occurred on date, due to the NIBRS rules being implemented, but the offenses actually began in 1975.”
The National Incident Based Recording System is used by detectives to collect and record data on each individual crime, the FBI website states.
Everyone has dirt on one another, thats why it’s going nowhere. Probably ties in to half the elite in Bangor..
What is the name of that place that groomed kids for Carlson.
Who is going to step up and run for DA next election? Convenient to release this on a Friday evening, right in the midst of this triple homicide investigation.
Sooner or later the community will come to the realization that you are only as sick as your secrets. In order for the Bangor community to heal, there will need to be full disclosure about who knew, when they knew, and what they did or failed to do about it. This could take a very long time, sad to say. The larger question is what is being done to help the victims of this serial pedophile heal from the abuse.
I was never a victim of sexual abuse by this man, but I too was abused. Where is my help and healing?
I’ve been waiting 17 years and I expect to be waiting for the rest of my miserable life.
I am so sorry for you. Please find a counselor who can help. Keep seeing them until you find the right one. There is help. Please don’t give up.
No job and no insurance.
Just how do you propose I pay for that? My good looks won’t cover much.
Most counseling agencies offer services on a sliding fee scale. I do not know what income you have, if any. The only therapists I am aware of that offered free counseling services were private counselors in Augusta and Waterville, and if you live in Bangor that is not feasible. But there are at least support groups for people who, like yourself, were abused in childhood. Maybe the local Rape Crisis Center can offer you information about other resources. Don’t suffer in silence, because you are not alone. Way too many people are in the same boat as you. Whatever you do, I hope you take my suggestions and that they are helpful to you.
Good answer. Also try NAMI Maine, firecap66. I hope this state wakes up soon and realizes the cost of child abuse and neglect.
Try calling DDPC or Acadia. They may be able to give you a list of low cost or free councilling services. Also try CH&CS (Community Health and Councilling).
This is exactly why this case and the Sandusky case are so important. The laws need to be completely restructured. Harsher penalties with no plea bargaining needs to be put in place and these people need to be locked away from our innocent children. Children who do come forward should be protected not ridiculed as if they are lying and cases such as yours needs to come to the forefront and the perpetrator put far far behind bars. I am so sorry for your pain and what you have been through and i truly hope you can get the help that you need. YOU did nothing wrong, you are the VICTIM…God Bless.
But there are children who have come forth and who ARE lying … in some vengeful attempt to make an adult “pay” for not buying them the latest video game or some such ridiculous thing. Children are more than capable of lying. Who do you believe?
Although that does happen, that is not common
Plea bargaining can be a useful tool for prosecutors to get a conviction on a lesser charge when there are questions whether the original charge would stand in a trial.
Seems like Almy is trying to protect his own.
It makes me feel like Almy is hiding something just like the Bangor PD did. So they are going to hide under a pine tree until this blows over or until someone picks some grapefruits off the tree. I think if the whole story came out a lot of people would be without jobs. Maybe even heading to prison!!!
What would have be hiding ? What would he the PD be hiding? Did you read the report? You may want to do that before spreading conspiracy theories. They basically were suspicious of some of the things Carlson did before his death but had nothing solid to work on. Kind of like you….right now. You can’t put people in jail for that.
They had enough information to begin an investigation. They did not. Why not?
It seems when they had enough information to begin an investigation they did. You can’t start an investigation just on stories, gossip, and vague recollections. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for these offenses to go on unreported for many years, and often never reported. The only department I would wonder about a little is the Sheriffs dept., but again as I understand it there was suspicion, but no real evidence. Carlson was a lowlife that preyed on innocent, troubled victims under the guise of a friend and advisor. He’s an insult and embarassment to the good people that truly try to make a difference in the lives of troubled youth.
I believe if they had a “suspicion” about you, me or anyone outside their circle of friends, a full blown investigation would be under way. “Suspicion” is where investigations start.
No, there must be a complaint from or on behalf of a victim.
Then let’s go find the files of the complaint forms for the past 4 decades. I’ll take 1987, how many would that be to read through? And are these public information? Do we need a FOIA to get this information?
I don’t know, but maybe the AG’s office should look at the Sheriffs Dept. He seemed closest to them.
If a cop sees a car that he recognizes parked in a dark part of a parking lot night after night for 8 or 9 months normally they would go check it out, these guys did’nt for some reason. No complaint from a victim, just common sense, stuff cops do all the time.
they would have started an investigation on “stories, gossip, and vague recollections” if it had been you or I…… but not Carlson cause he was one of them….they had dinner with him, played cards with him, sat next to him at public events etc…..they all have secrets that Carlson was privy to…like I said before….they will all start ratting on each other if an investigation is pursued…..Almy would be the last domino to fall…..
No “circle of friends” will protect a child molester. Ridiculous conspiracy theory.
So, if no circle of friends would protect a child molester, how do you explain this particular case and the many others coming to light recently?
Perpetrators seem to travel with some ease among various circles of leaders, largely men, who hold positions of power, influence and perceived authority. Until more recent times no one has been talking about this, and its relationship to sexual abuse, and, most men do not want to talk about sexual abuse, period. Hence, the tacit social re-enforcement of the cone of silence-denial-shame that accompanies sexual abuse all the way from the personal level to the community level… Perpetrators seek to cultivate relationships that socially leverage them into positions that might confer power, influence and authority over lesser mortals, particularly those whom they perceive as vulnerable, in need. This secures their social-emotional entry point where they cultivate then break trust to gain access to the sexual favor and power they feel they deserve, regardless of the devastating impact on the victim… Perpetrators are skilled subtle manipulators and highly accomplished cover-up artists in re-enforcing that cone of silence-shame-denial, not only with relation to controlling their victims, but also in relationship to controlling, keeping in the dark, those circles of membership that have embraced them and conferred trust, unwittingly, upon these dark men who go about their everyday business, supposedly helping the vulnerable. And as we are learning, painfully, these men use social systems to seek access to children for divisive and damaging purposes… It will be enlightening to learn more from the redacted report, but don’t be to eager for a witch hunt and wagging a loose finger of blame to point at this and that as the cause. What I’ve expressed here is not about blaming the community, leaders, or men in authority. Rather, its about getting closer to a shared basis of understanding about how perpetrators dance through our lives and community. Perpetrators are masterful at keeping up that facade of light appearances, just in front of that screen which hides their darker drives and purposes. None of us, in any community, are immune from being fooled and blindside this way, its simply the perpetrators intended narcissistic design, “keep them all in the dark”… I would hope that District Attorney Almy will indeed, lean into both the open and redacted aspects of this report via further in-depth investigation and analysis so that we all might better understand how to perceive those threads of falsehood that perpetrators carry into community life and relationships, first and foremost. This could be an important and publicly informative step toward prevention and effective community intervention against sexual abuse of children.
Tech suggestion – use 2-two carriage returns – enter key to make new paragraph in posting.
I can’t explain it, but will clarify my statement. I don’t believe any circle of professional law enforcement friends would ever protect a child molester.
Investigations are begun every day based on rumor, gossip, and speculation. The only way to develop “real evidence” is to begin an investigation.
According to the MSP report, Carlson took young boys into the county jail during the wee hours of the morning. This was witnessed by law enforcement officers. Carlson was seen in a dark area of a parking lot during the late hours of evening. Law enforcement officers saw a young boy in Carlson’s car as he left the parking lot. This is not gossip, stories, or vague recollections. If you had been witnessed by law enforcement in those circumstances, you would have been investigated. These officers suspected Carlson was up to no good, they were and are mandatory reporters. They were required by law to report their suspicions. They did not. Why not?
I don’t know why the Sheriffs Dept. did or didn’t do anything. I actually questioned that in my first post.
EXACTLY.
Yes, they had reasonable suspicion, enough to have made a report.
I would like the BDN to investigate if reports on Carlson were made to Child Protective Services. I am a mandated reporter and I have made reports of suspected child abuse and endangerment to CPS that were never followed up on, never investigated. Whether it is due to lack of resources, department policy, or poor judgement, children have remained in danger because of CPS’s failure to act.
How in the world would you know anyone had “reasonable suspicion”? The truth is you have no idea what your are talking about because you are not an investigator assigned to investigate this matter. So, stop with the wide declarations of presumed Police misconduct, or….other accusations, enough is enough!
If you are treating 6 of his victims I would call that reasonable suspicion .
Evidently not suspicious enough for the Carl-Aid drinkers.
When somebody discusses putting up a camera to be able to do surveillance on a vehicle, they had reasonable articulable suspicion. Otherwise they would not have discussed the camera.
Again, I assert that you and everyone else is making broad determinations on limited facts. Perhaps someone did drop the ball. Perhaps some evil nefarious person knew exactly what was going on. The bottom line is, you don’t know annd neither do I. Until such time as you actually don the responsibility of a criminal investigator assigned to investigate this case, and are privy to all of the case facts, you have no clue what you are talking about.
I am only going by statements the police admitted to in the investigation, that they noticed the vehicle and discussed putting up a camera. The bottom line is they discussed setting up suveillance. That’s a fact. Why would they do that ? Because they were suspicious of Carlson’s behavior. At least they had the guts to admit what they were aware of and sign there names next to it.
The only thing I am privy to is what was in the report, and that was damning enough. One wilfull nefarious person is not being put forth, but a system filled with people willfully or blindly ignoring events that would raise suspicions in reasonable people and most definitely should have prompted futher inquiry by those whose DUTY it is.
Many people raised flags or had suspicions (it is in the report) they chose not to act upon it, or relayed their concerns and their concerns were ignored.
??? Someone reporting seeing inappropriate touching sounds like reasonable suspicion to me, or a therapist telling police she has children reporting being molested by Carlson does seem to indicate an investigation is warranted. Many people dropped the ball here and many children suffered as a result.
Becasue vicitms have to come forward before you can prosecute someone. You can’t just accuse someone of a crime without witnesses.
We are talking about investigation, not prosecution. Prosecutions generally come from evidence developed through an investigation. If victims must come forward in order to prosecute someone, please explain to me how drug cases end up being prosecuted.
I am just saying it makes me feel like they are hiding more from the public. It is our tax dollars that are paying his wages.
I’m certainly not a member of the Almy fan-club but try being reasonable. who requested the state police to do this investigation? Almy. Why would he bring all this attention to something he is supposedly trying to hide?
Same for the bangor pd officer you’ve been critical of. Why volunteer to provide information to detectives if its something you were actually trying to cover up.
I can fully appeeciate the burdens of being a tax payer. However being one doesn’t entitle anyone to much. Should the CIA and FBI have release any information I ask for? I am paying for it. Should we make Bangor PD release their current findings on that triple homicide? I’d be realy interested in knowing whats up… obviously these are absurd statements and so is yours.
I understand what you are saying. But if they knew something was going in 2004 why was it cover up by saying it was to dark for camera off Mt.Hope.. So who told Ross about what was happening Almy??? Did that give Sheriff Ross the right to tip Carlson off about the SPO . Thank for your input.
I don’t know about you but as a taxpayer we should know the whole story….. There must be a lot of people holding back evidence about this case. It showed when they suspected it back in 2004 at Bangor PD if I read it right!!!!!!
That Bangor PD should have report more then they did in 2004
There is a lot more to the story than is being told.
It’s a hot political potato!
I agree. I have my own reasons for following this story. I worked with Mr. Carlson (I refuse to call him Rev.) back in the mid 70’s. I was a dispatcher for the Penobscot Sheriff’s Department. I clearly remember Carlson bringing young boys in when I was working the midnight shift. I only saw it happen once or twice but then again, I didn’t work midnights all the time. I did not know him very well back then except that he was employed in some capacity by them. I thought that they might have been his sons but again, it was 2am which was a little strange. I did not see anything happen that was inappropriate. I digress however. My thoughts and that is all they are run along these lines. I wondered how many of the people Bob was close to either through his counseling, time at Husson, his association with law enforcement may have had a sexual relationship with him and therefore chose to stay in the background when it came to his interests in young boys? Homosexuals and bi-sexual men are all over Maine and in all walks of society just like they are everywhere. For the record, I am not homophobic. Generally, the higher up they are in the food chain, rather it be in Education, law enforcement or anything else, the less they want the “secret” to be out. So, yes, this is a policial hot potato for more reasons then we may ever know. When I was in the military, I had a Top Secret security clearance. Many things were stamped TOP SECRET to keep the general public from finding out some things. Yes, some of the reasons were to protect the military, and keep things from our enemy’s but not all.
He is either an enabler, participant, or both. By his not standing upright and getting off his belly he looks crooked as a snake headed to the barn.
Coverup! This is absolutely shameful.
So we need to bring up all of these horrific crimes that took place to these innocent vicitms to send a dead man to jail? Let sleeping dogs lie, and let these vicitms move on.
Oh, I think this scrutiny is to expose the men and women involved who are acting all innocent and concerned for the welfare of children and families.
Lepage is also involved in the cover up. So much for his domestic violence stand.
be nice is the state attorney would file charges against the joke of a DA we have in Bangor, he is hiding and covering up for the PD and others and needs to be held accountable. The really scarey part is if he will do it for this case how many other cases that wernt as high profile has he fudged just to ether get convictions or protect someone he knows.
I can tell you as a matter of fact the witness in my case admitted to making up the story. The DA refused to drop charges . Let me Quote the judge to the DA. “I suggest you get your facts straight before you come back in my courtroom 10 minute recess “. It came back with a dismissal . Point is its more about politics that the truth or guilt.
Almy has no backbone, just wants to let it slide away. He knew and did nothing. Next is your grandchildren and great grandchildren to be abused because you did nothing to change the climate Almy.
“I don’t feel that’s really appropriate,” Almy said repeatedly.
I bet if it was anyone else there would be a comment……
He had no problem comparing the Brownville mother to being a child molester . But he condones child molester helpers. Guess it depends on who you are.
Ayup, that’s a fact for sure.
“I don’t feel that’s really appropriate” is what I would say about people looking the other way re Carlson. What is not appropriate is for a DA to continue to stonewall when asked questions that deserve answers.
Many would lose their status in the city/state if the full story ever comes to light.
So be it. When the mighty dollar is more important than protecting kids they should lose thier jobs.
Everyone now knows what he was. People try to make a big deal out of the few who suspected he was up to something but had no proof. At least they QUESTIONED him. His character. His motives. His behavior.
When all this abuse was ACTUALLY happening, largest majority of people (many of you) WANTED to believe Carlson. They wanted to believe that he was a good man. They wanted to believe he was as qualified as he said he was. They wanted to believe that this “Great pillar of the community” was as truly as interested in them as he appeared to be.
When he was found dead, HUNDREDS of you poured on here and said “This can’t be true.” “He was murdered!” “I know him and he would NEVER do this.”
At least these people you now criticize actually thought about it and sought ways of catching him doing whatever he was doing while the rest of you were basking in his self-projected-greatness.
I’m certainly not exonerating everyone for all their actions but I do hope that the people who were Bob Carlson’s supporters, the one’s who gave him his power and ego, accept their role in this life-long travesty.
I can agree with that statement – when I initially heard that he had killed himself I felt sad – for about a day then what got revealed did and I am terribly hurt that anyone would defend, protect, and even in some cases promote someone who is a complete monster.
What paper was you reading. This can’t be true” He was murdered” I guess you have lose a lot of people on this one. He jumped because Sheriff Ross told Carlson that the SPO is doing a investigation about sexual abuse to young boy’s on him . That how I read it. But I mite be wrong.
The BDN. When Carlson first jumped and no one knew about the allegations, all the commenters were ticked off that the police were calling it a suicide. They were screaming that there was no way he would have jumped. Keep up with me. I’d respond to the rest but I have no idea what you are saying.
hmm, wonder why the DA will not answer? Just WHO else was and may still be involved in this circle of abuse that was mentioned.
OMG the public isnt being spoon fed info so there must be a conspiracy!!! Or the investigation isnt of anyones concern besides those who are directly effected and to those who are legally attached.
It’s very sad to read that Kimball vaguely remembers an incident with Carlson spending too much time with a particular patient, but she remembers vividly when he went to bat for the organization to get more money. MONEY??? If money is more important than people, then Wellspring needs to have their doors SHUT, FOREVER!!!
I have learned in my many years of being around,Money always comes first, Sports second, people’s piddling little jobs and so-called position in whatever community they live in,third– About sums it up!!—It appears to be, if it’s not your children, look the other way, and don’t rock the boat!
Explains why some sports payers got away with crimes. Seems to me maybe a hockey player of too walked away from an OUI? Can I prove it No. Do I know it yes.
I’m disgusted with Almy. He seems like a hiding little man completely uninterested in justice for Carlson’s long run of depravity. I hope the BDN continues to push him, spotlight him, and muckrake this horrible mess.
What if one of the victims filed a lawsuit against the city? Wouldn’t they then be forced to show the full report? Seems this would be a large liability issue for the city and could be why their not talking.
How would a lawsuit against “the City” proceed? Which city employee jeopardized the life liberty or property of another? It is against policy (in Penobscot County) to release the identities of sexual abuse victims without their written permission. How do you feel about repeat victimization of innocents?
What “city”?
Cities and towns have immunity. Before a plaintiff could get access to records, the plaintiff would have to get past the summary judgment phase.
Almy’s choice of words, “I don’t feel that’s really appropriate” is interesting. He didn’t say it was unlawful for him to talk about it, just not appropriate. I think there is room to push back (of course he could eventually just say it is unlawful for him to do so). Keep up the good work BDN and anyone else interested enough to really understand what happened here and who protected, perhaps reinforced Bobby’s behavior. I am aware of another case in the Bangor area that occurred in the 1980’s that was covered up. Hopefully, it won’t happen this time.
Are you referring to the incident known locally as the Lawrence case?”
He gave MR. Harrington such a hard time and the man was innocent. Amly and Roberts would not prosecute any case he brought to them after that ruined a mans lively hood.
Mr. Almy has no problem releasing details of OUI offenses and other petty crimes, but he won’t release any details here? Doesn’t take any investigative training at all to realize that is suspicious in and of itself. Come on Mr. Almy, do the right thing. You have spent all these years being a hard-nosed DA who takes no bull, but you are choosing to roll over on this report? I know you are not sleeping well at night, especially after this article. Do your service to the public, talk, stop protecting people who don’t deserve it and have been protected long enough, please.
He did not release Details in the Greenleaf case either. Depends on who you are.
I’m not defending Mr. Almy by any means but leave the guy alone…honestly Carlson’s crimes have touched everyone in the bangor community. I never personally knew Carlson but he was present at Husson when I was there. I always knew something was off about him but I never could have in a million years figured it was that. I think we should have a full explanation of all of his crimes – withhold the names the victims and if there are any places where the crimes happened that a victim still lives in leave that anonymous as well.
We ALL need to know how sick of an individual this monster was.
BTW I went by the suicide site today and laughed
So …What does this say about our District Attorney? Many victims are left without answers. The culprit of their pain goes unanswered and unpunished because of Carlson’s suicide. What about civil cases? Are these records at the very least available to the victims to pursue civil penalties. Why is it that so many supposedly respected individuals are getting off basically scott free without being dragged through the mud like many in the Sandusky case have? This is a man that has run UN-opposed in the last three elections. Honestly folks, its time that Almy step down and let someone else do the job if he isnt going to be forthcoming. I have seen so many child molestation cases plea bargained down to nearly ZERO jail time, so one has to wonder, how much covering up has been done and how many people are involved. My family has had thier own run-in with Almy in the past. There is no love lost there. However, shouldnt our DA be trying to give answers to the victims of these crimes, to the public which elected him, and to his own conscience if he has any.
There are several people that should be out of jobs. Ross, Almy, the councilors that covered this up, and anyone in any organization, in which Carlson was allowed to be alone with children and there was suspected behaviour that answers these charges. I pray that some lawyer take enough of an interest in this case, makes it public nationally, and takes it as far up the rung of courts even if they have to go after the previously mentioned people.
Call Joe Bornstein.
That is another issue for an entirely different article. That firm is Nothing but False Advertisement..
DA has more power then judge bunch of punks I don’t even think cops DA’s and judges even have a soul how many innocent people along with all the guilty have they put in jail I don’t know how they sleep at night ..they feel just as significant as god…. and that’s sad and the reason they need the good ol boys club cause no normal person in there right mind would want a state trooper bangor cop ,DA ,JUDGE as there friend sitting around your living room ..get rid of Almy there should be a 2 year cap on how long you can be DA …guilty plea plea guilty plea plea plea guilty guilty
When should we expect to see some progress with a criminal investigation, Mr. Almy? What little of the complete report we have seen provides clear evidence that some of our local ‘leaders’ played an active role in helping Carlson, by turning a blind eye or tipping him off.
Looking away and “speaking” are not crimes in Maine (yet) You want to hang someone, and Carlson (the person who may actually have done something) is dead. Since we do not try dead people in the USA, there is nothing left to do.
Case Closed.
Nice attempt to redefine the issue. We don’t have any more rugs to sweep stuff under, they’ve all been ripped up and the floors are being washed.
Hmmmmmmm legally mandated to report. What part of that is not law? when the DA. makes up the law I guess . I am sorry even if it is not against the law people have the right to know what kind of sick people would look the other way. Carlson would never had got away with it as long as he did if people did not look the other way. In my book that makes them just as guilty as Carlson…………………………………………………..
There’s no penalty, so there’s nothing to prosecute.
I feel that the taxpayers and citizens should be made aware of the content of the report. So the public has an awareness of how a serial child molester was able to con our community for so long in hopes to learn and recognize this behavior in the future. Our DA needs to grasp the window of opportunity to educate the community which is his, also. Please do not pull any type of ego stuff and think of yourself more than mighty. You owe our community , they placed their faith in you plus they pay you. So come on and be much more transparent than you have been. The community in whole deserves to know……..
Mr. Almy, you’re the public servant and it’s compellingly appropriate for you to comment on public matters.
If not you, who do you suggest make comments on this matter?
Almy= Epic Fail
Almy can try and hide all he wants but the minute that one of Carlson’s victim’s, who has committed suicide because of Carlson, Next-of-Kin files a Wrongful Death action on their relative’s behalf against the DA’s and Sheriff’s Office’s that ‘report’, in it’s unredacted form, is going to have to come out and Almy knows it. So does Ross. And no Judge is even gonna try to rationalize witholding that report. Then all the dirty laundry comes out. The State of Maine had better get ready for a BIG dose of Phillips Milk of Magnesia. That and a huge bottle of Listerine ’cause this one is gonna leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth………..
Truth is like water. It can trickle out or gush out. The dam can burst wide open and the levees fail to hold. There will be no stopping the truth, because truth is like water.
Almy has immunity.
Immunity in this case is not his to call. That’s what the Judge’s are for. If the Judge hearing this case determines that Almy, and any other Official involved or named, acted with any kind of willful or reckless disregard, and deliberately looked the other way, well, Almy’s Sovereign Immunity just went out the window at Mach 10 and is now looking at not just the civil court’s but a CRIMINAL CHARGE OF MALFEASENCE IN OFFICE. And a Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice charge is not far off also, especially when the Maine Statutes are read and applied by any standard of scrutiny. This removes this whole mess from the County DA’s Office at a minimum and makes this a State AG case. Now the issue of political loyalty vs. criminal justice come into play. Anyone make a bet as to just where, and how long, this is gonna be dragged out ? And add to this the fact that this is now a Domestic Violence case, given the number’s of victim’s and how they came to be with Carlson, and this now becomes something that the Judge’s can not keep putting off under the veil of ‘Judicial Study and Review’. That ‘Wheel’ that takes so slowly to come around is now coming. And it can’t be stopped………..
Why not? He can’t wait to run his mouth about most any other case!
Almy, is doing the right thing for the community. It’s over and done. We need to help and protect all these victims, they were innocent kids when this was happening. Lets hope they can move on, if not give them the services needed. This has been a learning experience for all that were involved. And lets hope all these adults that were involved with Carlson, the Police, PCHC, ect.. ect.. learned something from this to so it NEVER happends again!
It very likely will happen again if the people who let it go on for so long continue to keep their mouths shut in order to protect one another.
They did’nt learn anything because there were no consequences, for their failure to act.
When nothing happens and laws are not changed as a result of failures, nothing changes and history will repeat itself over and over and over.
and over and over..
Already laws. So No real penalties? Charge them anyways if you have a case. Put names in the paper . Make an example. Just saying might be more hiding somewhere if we let this go more kids will be abused .
Gee officer I’m sorry I broke the law. Let’s say we just call this a learning experience. I promise it will NEVER happen again! Ted Nugents drummer should use this defence for his unauthorized golf cart tour through Bangor
does almy have the final say in this matter? can this be taken up higher in the food chain? state district attorney? federal(civil rights violations)? the courts? i can’t believe everything can be stonewalled and swept under the rug just because this guy says so. i hope the media keeps hammering away at him.
Patricia Kimball, executive director of Wellspring, said last week that
she has a vague recollection of Carlson spending too much time with one
client and being asked to back off.
Ummm I vaguely remember a predator…that makes me Sick.
This is the person that is teaching people how to live there?
This is your tax dollar distributor at that facility?
A predator got his feeding ground funded, but we are all happy…wtf?
Most of these NON Profits are run by highly paid people. so of course they are more then willing to deny drinking from the Carlson fountain of youth
So why are our own public servants not serving the public? This shouldn’t be a decision for the AG to make. The public has a right to know and gosh darn it provide the information you get freaking paid to provide. This kind of crap is what you get when a republican led legislature appoints the state AG!
Well I disagree, they have so many open drug cases to prosecute that they can afford to spend time prosecuting a case against a dead guy. It makes no sense! And why are the drugs so bad, because our former Liberal Governor did nothing about the problem!
Some people are so smart with there comments. Maybe they want us to back down and not voice our thoughts about the Carlson Drama. NOT A CHANCE!!!!!!!
They could have a class action lawsuit against the Carlson estate and businesses involved, but the report prohits them from knowing each other.
Penobscot County D.A. Office has a history of resting on it’s laurels. they don’t care about victims, just getting cases closed. Total joke. Keep covering it up Almy. You are worse than Penn St.
Carlson is dead, there is nothing they can do to him now. But.. I do hope that they do something to the Sheriff Ross for alerting him of the investigation. Because of Ross there is no way to punish Carlson for what he has done!
Carlson was a POS> Almay is covering up for people that should have done something about Carlson a long time ago. Shoulda, woulda, coulda doesn’t solve anything. Elections are coming. If Mr. Almay is up for re-election. Don’t vote for him. You may just vote someone in that will look further into this whole can of worms. In the mean time, I hope all the victims can heal from the abuse at the hands of a true monster.
I tried to vote for a different DA but there was no one else, so I didn’t vote. I’ve already seen just how he deals or doesn’t deal with child molesters!
There is always a write in vote. Good luck.
Write someone in, talk to people find someone who wants to run. I wrote someone in this last election for him and the school superintendent
tinyurl.com/cyk9xz2
First, Carlson wasn’t “good,” so stop referring to him as “the reverend.”
Second: “‘I don’t feel that’s really appropriate,’ Almy said repeatedly.”
OK. Why? That is one of the basic questions reporters are supposed to provide readers an answer for.
Maybe he is trying to protect himself!
Only met him once, but my gut told me he was eveil.
Almy HAS to contain this. Too much probing and his cover up of the child sex ring in the Harrington case starts to unravel like a cheap K-Mart sweater. A lot of important people with a lot at stake here. Can’t have the bodies rise from the graveyard like it was some kind of Stephen King thriller.
from the court documents:
” In early May, 1987, the plaintiff, City of Old Town Police Officer Norman R. Harrington, became one of those persons accused by the children. The allegation was made public during the testimony in mid-May of one of the children at the trial of one of the original nine persons indicted. In late May the children’s foster mother told the Bangor Police that the children also claimed that a United States Senator, while in the company of Harrington, abused them.”
“By December, 1987, the children had identified in excess of 170 individuals, in addition to the original nine, as persons who had abused them. On December 11, 1987, one child named as perpetrators of abuse two Bangor Police detectives who had been working on the case. ”
“The efforts of the City of Old Town to conduct its own internal investigation into the allegations regarding Harrington were frustrated by the refusal of the District Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office to provide access to the Harrington investigatory file.”
http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/977/977.F2d.37.91-1409.html