September 26, 2009
Sex Abuse & Murder: Sex Abuse Trials of Coaches Howard Avery, Askia Brown Stand In Contrast
In the last month, two Portland-area coaches -- Howard Avery and Askia Brown -- have been convicted of sexually abusing teen-age girls left in their care. Beyond the guilty verdicts, the two trials provided a dramatic contrast. And they've left me, and several of the exhausted jurors and observers in the Brown case, with lingering questions about courtroom equity and parenting decisions. Avery's day in court lasted five hours, Brown's four weeks. Convicted on five counts of felony sex abuse for forcing himself on a 17-year-old Oregon City athlete, Avery was sentenced to 15 years in prison. As The Oregonian's Rachel Bachman reported in 2003, Avery had a long history of sexual contact with girls in his club basketball program, including one yearlong sexual relationship that ended in an abortion.Click Here For The Full Story......