Posted on 08/17/2009 11:49:15 PM PDT by MitchellC
TABOR CITY - Allegations that state Sen. R.C. Soles Jr. made a sexual advance toward Stacy Osteen Scott 12 years ago, when he was 15, are untrue, Scott said Monday.
Scott made the allegations a year ago in an interview that Wilmington TV station WWAY broadcast last week. In the interview, Scott said Soles tried to fondle him and paid him $1,000 to keep quiet.
"I was high," Scott said of the interview. He said he had taken Zanex, Percocet, cocaine, alcohol and marijuana the day of the interview and was coerced into making the allegations by a family member who was upset with Soles for not helping another relative out of a legal jam.
"I barely remember the interview," Scott said Monday.
The broadcast of that interview prompted the Tabor City Police Department last week to ask the SBI to look into the allegations made by Scott.
District Attorney Rex Gore subsequently authorized the SBI probe, which is under way. Gore said last week he would not comment further on the SBI's work until it is complete.
Tabor City police Chief Donald Dowless said neither Scott nor anyone else has ever reported inappropriate sexual behavior by Soles.
Soles denied the allegations and said last week that they likely stemmed from mental illness issues with Scott.
Scott, on Tuesday, said substance abuse coupled with mental illness played a role in behavior that landed him in trouble with the law many times since his youth.
"I've been clean and sober since November, when I was released from prison," Scott said. "I kind of went crazy, and they sent me to the mental health area at Central Prison. They helped me, they put me on some medication."
Scott said he realizes now that drug and alcohol abuse were causing harm in his life. He said he has been able to stop taking medication to control bipolar disorder, and that he is successfully working for a roofing contractor outside of Columbus County.
Scott said he called Soles after the year-old interview was broadcast.
"He told me he had seen the interview," Scott said. "He was very disappointed and hurt. He considered us very good friends."
Allen Wayne "Frog" Strickland, the 17 year-old whose Tabor City home was gutted in an arson fire nearly three weeks ago, and who received money from Soles to build the small house, on Friday also said he had never seen any indication of sexual impropriety involving Soles.
Scott said Soles has helped him financially too.
"Mr. Soles, he helps a lot of people," Scott said. "You yourself could go up there this afternoon, lets say you needed your light bill paid. He would write a check. There's countless people he helps."
Urm... What were you were saying? : )
If Soles is innocent, yet another example of “no good deed goes unpunished.” It was still an odd story on its face, though, when it broke.
The accuser who levies false charges should get some jail time
It was odd mostly because of Soles’ behavior, though: avoiding the issue altogether in interviews, and the faking deafness thing. I could see there possibly being reasons not to want to bring up the situation with giving the money to the kids to straighten up (either fear of attracting other moochers, or fear of the situation attracting more trouble for the kids), but I still can’t figure out why he’d cut out in the middle of a televised interview like that.
If he’s an attorney (or if he was being advised by one), it may have been difficult for him to be able to say anything. If you’re innocent, you want to say something, but often you’re compelled to keep your mouth shut (which then, of course, makes you look guilty).
Sure, but I’d expect him to be up front about that much - that he’d rather not talk about it due to legal issues. “I can’t hear you, [click]” is the dumbest thing an innocent person could have done.
Who knows what happened here. As I said, still looks odd.
If this guy Scott is Bi-Polar and off his meds, he will be doing something strange in short order.
No wai.
I won't wait on the source for the thread that we were commenting on earlier to recant, either. I'm sure that they're on to their next smear.
Finally, regarding Allen Wayne "Frog" Strickland ....never trust a grown man (or even a 17-year-old) nicknamed after an amphibian. lol!
Zoh my Gawd.
It’s the end of civilization.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.