Alleged victims' stories change
Staff and wire reports
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A carnival worker from Oxford remained jailed on rape charges in Massachusetts on Wednesday despite the fact that the alleged victims have changed their stories.
The Plymouth District Attorney's office said that one of the two girls who accused 18-year-old Jeffrey Witham of rape has recanted her story. Prosecutors said the second girl had become "indecisive" about her version of events, according to the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, Mass., which has been following the case.
The alleged victims are 13 and 14 years old. Police have charged Witham with two counts of rape, indecent assault and battery and kidnapping.
Witham, who lives at 100 Fore St. in Oxford, is accused of raping the girls over the weekend after meeting them while working as a carny at the Marshfield Fair. The incidents occurred at the home of one of the victims, police said.
According to police, the girls met Witham at the Marshfield Fair on Friday, the day the festival opened. The girls exchanged cell-phone numbers with Witham and spoke with him over a three-day period, police said.
According to early reports, Witham sexually assaulted one of the girls in the living room of the home before taking the second girl into a bedroom where he had sex with her.
According to the Patriot Ledger, Plymouth District Attorney spokeswoman Bridget Norton Middleton said one girl has indicated that she and Witham had consensual sex. But Middleton added that because the girl is under 16, it is still considered child rape even if not by force.
According to the Patriot Ledger, on Wednesday prosecutors and defense attorneys asked Judge Ronald Moynahan to reduce Witham's bail.
However, at a hearing at Plymouth District Court, Moynahan said "nothing has changed," explaining that the sentence is the same whether the sex was forced or consensual.
With that ruling, Witham remained behind bars on $150,000 cash bail.
According to public defender Kathleen Iaccarino, Witham was working at the Marshfield Fair to support his 5-month-old baby and his girlfriend in Maine. |
 CLICK HERE To Show/Hide Discussion Thread - (49 Comments)
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Posted By:Clae at August 21, 2008 5:04 AM (Suggest Removal)
I wonder how old these girls claimed to be...really.
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Posted By:mark at August 21, 2008 5:29 AM (Suggest Removal)
I saw this coming!
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Posted By:Citizen at August 21, 2008 6:28 AM (Suggest Removal)
x2 to the above 2 comments
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Posted By:nana at August 21, 2008 6:51 AM (Suggest Removal)
Can the girls be charged with anything if they lied about their age? ( They apparently lied about the rape.)
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Posted By:bernice at August 21, 2008 7:30 AM (Suggest Removal)
I feel bad for the young man. Consider the circumstances.
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Posted By:Johnny P at August 21, 2008 7:37 AM (Suggest Removal)
It doesn't take much for 13 and 14 year olds to make themselves look 16. And most teenage girls, unfortunately, act and want to be much older. I know my 14 year old thinks she's an adult.
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Posted By:Tammy at August 21, 2008 7:55 AM (Suggest Removal)
If he is looking to support a girlfriend and baby in Maine why is he trying to screw 2 teenage girls in MA? Glad I'm not his girlfriend.
But infidelity doesn't make him deserve a bogus rape charge. I say let him go, his girlfriend will probably punish him worse than the court system.
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Posted By:Jen at August 21, 2008 7:56 AM (Suggest Removal)
Something did sound fishy about the story initially. How sad for his girlfriend and baby. What a jerk.
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Posted By:Fat Tubbo at August 21, 2008 7:59 AM (Suggest Removal)
Stories like these make me thank God that I don't have a son. I also would like to say "thank you" to the Sun Journal for publishing this followup story. I hope other young men read this and learn: if you're not sure of her age, leave her alone.
I agree with Jennifer in that this could was a jerk for running around on his girlfriend. However, I seriously doubt he's a sexual predator. As far as I'm concerned, these two little tarts are more of a problem than he is.
I also had issues with this story when I first read it. I mean, one "victim" sat there in the living room while the other "victim" was being raped? What did she do while the "rape" was taking place? Just sit there and go, "Oh, my! My friend is being raped! EEK! EEK!"?
I also feel these two tarts need to be charged with filing a false police report. Although this guy did break the law by having consensual sex with girls that were too young, the girls also broke the law by lying to police. Their false rape claims do nothing but hurt women who have been truly raped. It's hard enough for a rape victim to come forward and be believed. False rape claims just cast more of a shadow of doubt over honest allegations. False claims of rape need to be stopped and they need to be stopped now!
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Posted By:ROCKO at August 21, 2008 8:04 AM (Suggest Removal)
Whether the girls change their story or not what he did is wrong! It states today that he was working to support his baby and girlfriend in Maine,he was not thinking!!! He is the ADULT here! He knew better!!! My father always said think with your BIG HEAD you wont get in trouble,In this case that theory would have worked !!! NO EXCUSSES
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Posted By:anon at August 21, 2008 8:17 AM (Suggest Removal)
its also quite possible that one or both of the girls did consent initially but then tried to back out and that is why she reported it as a rape. anyone out there remember being 13/14 yrs old. not proud of it but i remember going to the fairs and flirting with the carnies to get free rides when I was 14. and sometimes they gave a little more attention than was appropriate...if i had been "that kind of girl" i could have easily taken one of them home with me and at that age could easily have realized once there that i was in WAY over my head and tried to back out resulting in a rape. Yes, rape. just because the encounter is initially consensual doesn't mean a rape hasn't occurred.
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Posted By:Fat Tubbo at August 21, 2008 8:20 AM (Suggest Removal)
"My father always said think with your BIG HEAD you wont get in trouble,In this case that theory would have worked "
guiltyl, you're right in what you say. However, for the sake of the argument, what if this 18 year old kid was lead to believe that these two girls was 16? In Maine, at least, it would be perfectly legal for him to engage in consensual sex with these girls. Now, daddy finds out about this and starts questioning his little girl. In order to not be though of as a slut or other derogatory term, the girl claims rape. Sound plausible to you? Regardless of what the young man believed, one other issue here is with the false rape allegation. No one would dispute the fact that it's just wrong for an 18 year old to engage in sexual acts with 13 or 14 year olds. However, it's just as equally wrong to lie to the police and claim rape where no one was forced into the sexual act.
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Posted By:LOU STOOLZ at August 21, 2008 8:23 AM (Suggest Removal)
Now no one knows the truth.Probable cause to change the charge to a lesser charge.If the girl lied about anything,it will be really hard for them to give valuable testimony.
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Posted By:Fat Tubbo at August 21, 2008 8:27 AM (Suggest Removal)
anon: you're right about what may start of as being consensual could end up as being rape. However, the article never stated this as being the case. Throughout the article, the alleged victims have recanted their stories and both girls have said the sex was consensual. No where int he article does it say that the sex started out as consensual, then became non-consensual later on.
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Posted By:JM at August 21, 2008 9:27 AM (Suggest Removal)
most 18 yr old are still well, idiots. i wouldnt put it pass the stupid girls lying about their age. im all in favor for protection of victims when a real rape is committed. jesus, look at the circumstances here. watch the movie 'THIRTEEN', it can give some insight into what these stupid girls do.
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Posted By:MRS at August 21, 2008 9:40 AM (Suggest Removal)
I went to the balloon festival, into the carnival part, and watched these slutty little teens tramp around and get their way, and talk tough about beating up this girl or that girl. I had to stand there and laugh cuz they looked 18, but sounded like 13. Kids are having sex younger! I dont want to put blame on them, just some. I have a 13 yr old and I know what she is up too, and yes, this day and age, I do follow her when she doesn't know to make sure she is where she says she is. YOU NEVER KNOW. But I'm glad she has more class than to pick up a carny ( or date period, she's way to young, and sex, ughh!!). Unfortunately, you do have to card ppl for thier age. And if they can't produce their real age, then stay the hell away. Haven't you men heard these stories time and time again?? At 13 boyz were still voodoo to me. How does a 13 yr old know how to have sex anyway?? I guess I was really niave at that age.
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Posted By:MRS at August 21, 2008 10:02 AM (Suggest Removal)
Oh, Isabelle has a comment. I'm sure she knows all, like all other comments on other issues. O queen of the know-all, what is the real story??
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Posted By:MRS at August 21, 2008 10:16 AM (Suggest Removal)
lol your so cute.
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Posted By:ALLAN at August 21, 2008 11:51 AM (Suggest Removal)
lock the 2 tennage tramps up for a while, fine the parents for the carny workers lost wages and aggravation and move on. The girlfriend won't be with this guy long anyway, so we'll be supporting her and the baby soon.
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Posted By:ALLAN at August 21, 2008 12:01 PM (Suggest Removal)
Isabelle, get a grip. Your on the wrong story.
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Posted By:SURE at August 21, 2008 12:21 PM (Suggest Removal)
hey it's sociaties fault, they are learning from each other, thats the thing to do.... glad my girls are grown, now to watch the grandchildren get by in this sick world we live in today
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 2:54 PM (Suggest Removal)
WOW How the same people can switch on a dime from one molester to another!!! This guy HAD actual sex with these two girls!!! And he is now the victim of seductresses!!! Wow Isabelle I hope your teenage never does anything wrong because I will be the first one screaming bad parent!!! They are 13 and 14 ever have a neighbor hood baby sitter!!! 13 or 14 year old watching your 6, 8 and 9 year old children!! Apparently your children never leave your womb!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 3:02 PM (Suggest Removal)
Smokey are you carney or is this guy your son or something!!!
WOW you did a complete 180 27 year old touches and little girls butt and you want him hanging from a tree outside the courthouse and this guy actually had SEX with underage girls and that’s ok!!! You people are crazy!!!! Wait I'll bet this guy touched a lot of little girl butts getting them on and off of rides!!! And when the butt touching wasn’t enough that’s when he went on to the sex!! There we go the lynch mob should form now!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 3:30 PM (Suggest Removal)
Yah there is a very big difference in these two stories!!!
SO Smoking way to much!! You think it is perfectly acceptable for an 18 year old Man to have sex with 13 and 14 year old girls and I am the sick one!!!! Get a clue James touched a Buttocks This guy had intercourse with these two little girls!!!! WOW YOU MUST BE FROM OXFORD!!!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 3:58 PM (Suggest Removal)
ISEEE Parents of these girls should goto jail you are a retarded!!
Except we agree that 13- 14 year olds are still little girls Smokey thinks it OK for them to have sex with an 18 Man!!!
I was talking to SMokeys comment not everything is about YOU Sweetheart!!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 4:07 PM (Suggest Removal)
Smokey I'LL Bet your 13 year old daughter has A 20 year old boy friend!!!!!! Everyone on hear agrees with you!! If that is the peer group you want to be in you can have it!!! Sick sick sick!!!
One minute you dame a man for a much lesser charge and then the next minute you say Rape is OK!!
As for reading comprehension:
The Plymouth District Attorney's office said that one of the two girls who accused 18-year-old Jeffrey Witham of rape has recanted her story. The other girl still says see was raped!!! Nice Smokey you’re a friend to Rapists!!!
And I am a sicko!!!!
Go smoke another one!!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 4:18 PM (Suggest Removal)
OH That shut you up actually start reading the articles before you start commenting!!!!
Smokes to MUCH!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 4:42 PM (Suggest Removal)
Thanks smoky a Client called and I didn’t spell check my last post!! All better now though!!!!Good thing the police academy grades on a curve!!!! And IseeI was exaggerating for effect about Smokey's Son not the Criminal in this case!!! I hope you all are just trying to get my goat like I got yours yesterday I hope you all don’t really believe the nonsense you’re spewing!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 5:16 PM (Suggest Removal)
Plymouth District Attorney's office said that one of the two girls who accused 18-year-old Jeffrey Witham of rape has recanted her story. The other girl still says see was raped!!!
When you get brought up on charges of Police brutality I will represent you for Free!!!
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Posted By:gunslinger at August 21, 2008 5:32 PM (Suggest Removal)
Damn! look at all the hate and discontent! So, let's debate which was worse... getting your bottom touched by a teacher, or being raped. 1) Nowhere in Raymond's testimony does it say that the children felt they were touched in a sexual manner. They were uncomfortable, yes. But there's no mention of caress, squeeze, or penetration. It's always referred to as a touch. 2) Whether the girl originally gave consent and then pulled out (pun intended) or didn't give consent at all they had intercourse. Which one will create the bigger emotional scar? Now, before you all get all offended with the gunny, I think Raymond is a putz, and deserves to lose everything that he's already lost. But I also think the carny committed the more heinous crime. (That's probably why he's still in jail with $150,000 bail...) Let's debate.
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 5:35 PM (Suggest Removal)
Only raped one girl, sorry may bad not a big deal!! You guys are right!!!! I am sorry. I thought 18 year old man raping a girl was still Wrong!!! But I guess he is not 40 or some gross age like that so it's OK!!!
Thanks Smoky for inspiring my new tag!!! Sorry about the smoking jokes everyone knows Cops don’t due drugs!! They are Alcoholics!!!
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Posted By:Philster at August 21, 2008 5:37 PM (Suggest Removal)
How old is his girlfriend?
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Posted By:April at August 21, 2008 5:52 PM (Suggest Removal)
Since when is a 18 year old a "man"? EighTEEN..... No one knows what happens, only the girls and the kid. All I know is when I was 14 I passed for 18-19 years old. With quite a few 20 year old boyfriends, and I wasn't even one of the "sluts" in school. Let the kid go, with a lesson learned for ALL and pray the girls aren't pregnant.
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 5:52 PM (Suggest Removal)
Well smoky if you are really a trooper then you should be all to aware that 18 year old man having sex with 13 and 14 year old girls!!! Is rape even on prom night!! It's called statutory rape!! As officer of the law you should know that!!
Some how the girls are responsible!!!!
And maybe that little girl accidentially sat
on Mr. Raymonds hand!!!!! Both insane!!!
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Posted By:Jay at August 21, 2008 5:53 PM (Suggest Removal)
who gives a shit if he has a girlfriend and kid. Cheating aint illegal... if they said they were older, who the hell at 18 asks for an ID to confirm?? his name has already been dragged throgh the mud from these liars. he should be able to take their parents to civil court now to get some monetary damages..
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Posted By:MARTHA at August 21, 2008 6:03 PM (Suggest Removal)
Isabelle,
I don't know what planet you live on, but it sure isn't based in reality.
What were these girls' parents supposed to do, put them on a leash? Lock them in their rooms?
Get real... at 13 when the carnival was in town, I went and wandered around either by myself or with my friends. When my daughter was 13, I had no choice but to not ALWAYS be right with her. I worked a full time job because there was no one else to support us. Sorry, but my boss would definitely have frowned on me bringing her to work, as would the school department. If you seriously think any parent is able to always have a teenager under supervision.. especially one who doesn't want to be supervised, you are darn close to delusional.
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Posted By:April at August 21, 2008 6:35 PM (Suggest Removal)
Do you really think that at 18 you should be handed a gun and sent off to war? 18 is the standard what? At 18 you just become an "adult"? It's a freaking miracle! On your birthday you should be hand the keys to the rest of your life and know what to do... You MAY be one of a kind, Ben. But most 18 year olds I know aren't ready for what the world hands them.
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 6:38 PM (Suggest Removal)
And thats all I have say about that hope you saw it smoky I won't leave it up to long reveals to much about who I really am!!!
There's waldo tired of being smoky!!!!
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Posted By:April at August 21, 2008 6:53 PM (Suggest Removal)
"Grown 18 year old men" I think not. I am for our troops 100%. I have had and still have many of them in my family. A few in 'Nam, not many of them would do it again. Just because you hand a boy a gun and some armor it doesn't make them a man. They fight for their lives, not because they are "men", but because they have no choice. And even if the navy made you a "man" at 18, This boy isn't in the navy. He is a STUPID kid looking for some. I highly doubt that he is ready for the navy.
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 6:56 PM (Suggest Removal)
oh back to smoky!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 6:58 PM (Suggest Removal)
and you are probable attracted to 13 year old girls or did this happen to you when you were 18 and thats why you are so quick to defend this guy!!! I was yesterday defending a mans right to a trial!!!!! Smoky you cant bully me!!!
so go change your name back issabell and then we can talk!!!!!!!!!
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Posted By:BEN HARRISON at August 21, 2008 7:07 PM (Suggest Removal)
good response most inteligent comeback of the day!!!! How do you keep all those names straight!!!!!! I am just little boy only 10 1/2 on satire day!!! Get a grip if you are a troop I'm an esq!!! Duma$$
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Posted By:ALLAN at August 21, 2008 7:37 PM (Suggest Removal)
Why don't you people get back on track. This kid is getting shafted by 2 girls out looking for a good time, and by the system that will never look at the facts or use any common sense in such a juicy case aS THIS.
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Posted By:dr. dosh at August 21, 2008 7:50 PM (Suggest Removal)
Rape is rape . Incest is not best , b t w . Look up your friends and relatives here : http://sor.informe.org/sor/ i , for one , am always surprised at the number of women on that
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Posted By:MARTHA at August 21, 2008 7:53 PM (Suggest Removal)
Isabelle,
I had parents.. they were very strict, but not completely unreasonable. Nor was I. At 13, my daughter didn't need to be babysat because I'd raised her to use her head, and stay out of trouble. When I worked, she and her brother who is almost 3 years older were at home. They knew what to do in an emergency, and how to reach me at any time. Oh, and where, in the article do you see that the parents of these girls "dropped them off at the carnival", or "used the carnival as a babysitter"? You make a LOT of assumptions in your rush to condemn the parents.
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Posted By:thinker at August 21, 2008 8:28 PM (Suggest Removal)
I see no reason to compare these two cases. Heed the Dalai Lama. When asked if he felt angry about Americans complaining given how the Tibetans suffer and his statement was, "No. Pain is pain." Abuse is abuse. I feel concerned for everyone involved in both of these stories. Mainly for the children, all of them, 7, 13, 14. And the baby of the alleged rapist. There is no competition here. Only pain and loss.
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Posted By:zebba at August 21, 2008 9:13 PM (Suggest Removal)
is this the smokey, issabelle and ben show?
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Posted By:zebba at August 21, 2008 9:43 PM (Suggest Removal)
hey how come you people never comment on the good stories?
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Posted By:Bravo 6 Alpha at August 22, 2008 2:51 AM (Suggest Removal)
Two little MASS hookers caught in the act of being themselves, and doing what most MASS women do, charge a fee, and when they find out the john doesn't have enough money, hollar rape. Failure to pay a just debt.
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