Longtime [Boy Scout] volunteer charged with sodomy

Buffalo News ^ | 05/07/03 | Gene Warner

[twas]

Robert P. Voelker has had a long career helping others, in emergency medical services and several volunteer roles.

He was a member of the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He's volunteered for the Town Line Fire Company. He worked for Rural/Metro Medical Services for 15 months. And he served as the leader of an Explorer Post for future emergency medical workers.

But now Voelker is under arrest, accused of using some of those positions to sodomize boys.

He surrendered Tuesday to Lancaster village and town authorities, charged with four counts of third-degree sodomy, a felony. He's accused of sexually abusing two 16-year-old boys, on two occasions each, between March 2000 and March 2001.

Three of those incidents occurred in the Village of Lancaster, police said, while the other was in the Town Line Fire Hall.

"They are consensual encounters between two people that are made criminal because of the age of one of them," Erie County District Attorney Frank J. Clark said. "It's statutory sodomy."

Lancaster Detectives Donald Lynch and Leon Robak have been investigating Voelker for more than a year and a half, following a complaint that came to the attention of Boy Scout officials in September 2001.

Voelker, now 45 and living in Amherst, served as the leader of an Explorer Post run by Rural/Metro under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America. About 20 youths, ages 14 to 21, met regularly to learn about a possible future career in emergency medical services.

After receiving the complaint, Boy Scout officials immediately contacted the state's child-abuse hotline.

"Once the report was made, within 24 hours he was removed from his leadership position," said Thomas Johnston, field director for the Greater Niagara Frontier Council of the Boy Scouts. "A person like that is removed and not returned until he is cleared. From that time forward, he was to have no contact with the Explorer program."

Lynch agreed.

"There was no hesitation on their part whatsoever," he said. "They immediately notified the proper people."

Johnston, from the Boy Scouts, said all volunteer leaders, such as Voelker, go through a youth-protection training program to make them more aware about the dangers and signs of child abuse.

"It is important for people to know that we have a youth-protection policy in place, and we did follow it this time," he said.

What kind of leader was Voelker in his year or two leading the program?

"We were not aware of any problems before this," Johnston replied. "There was nothing to draw attention to his leadership one way or the other."

Law enforcement officials said the case took so long to resolve partly because of the thorough investigation to make sure no more than two youths were involved.

The two sides reportedly also engaged in plea-deal negotiations before charges were filed Tuesday.

But Voelker's attorney, Michael P. Stuermer, of the Lipsitz Green law firm, said his client maintains his complete innocence in the case.

"He is prepared to defend against these charges, and we're going to be there for him," Stuermer said.

His attorney also cited Voelker's longtime commitment to service for others.

"He really has devoted a lot of his time to assisting these organizations and helping others," Stuermer said. "He was looked up to in the community by parents and kids. A lot of kids have come forward in his defense."

Voelker was released on $2,500 bail Tuesday, following his arraignments before Lancaster Town Justice Timothy J. Dwan and Village Justice Paul Bumbalo.

[Just mythoughts]

A Santorum alert, how can anyone now be charged with sodomy, this guy surely had "consent".

[Mr. K]

geez- i know both these a$$holes

small world...

[ClearCase_guy]

Evidence that the Boy Scouts view of gays is correct. Evidence that Santorum's view of "anything goes" consensual sex is correct.

This story will be buried. Fast.

[fml]

methinks your right - 16 year old boys, they're practially men by now.

[Just mythoughts]

Maybe we can get Orielly to call the governor and demand he take action.

[Just mythoughts]

That is the "HIDDEN" agenda about so many in education and volunteers, helping themselves to "the children" it take a village.

[Just mythoughts]

take = takes

[Blzbba]

Santorum's rant ignored underage hetero sex. Therefore, that's OK in your book? No problem with 15 year old girls getting pregnant, since it's hetero?! Sheesh.

Clearly, these kids were underage and, regardless of homo/hetero or consent, underage sex is a crime and will be treated as such. Actually, the article itself says "Statuatory Sodomy".

[twas]

...abusing two 16-year-old boys, on two occasions each, between March 2000 and March 2001.

The TV coverage of this story differs slightly from the paper. On TV, it sounded to me as if they boys were NOW 16 and that they had been abused when they were younger.

Reporting is getting sloppy. There are too many questions that these reporters are not asking and editors who are supposed to clarify stories, don't seem to be doing their job either.

[Blzbba]

Oh, and I thought that the Boy Scouts were free to not let gays run their scout troops, a premise that I agree with? How did this pole smoker get away with being a Scout Leader?

This shows how difficult it is to enforce these kinds of restrictions. Unfortunately, there comes a time when you (the parent in this case) have to trust the people chosen to lead/teach your children...and then some asshole like this proves that you can't trust anyone anymore.

[Just mythoughts]

Santorum did not "rant" and neither am I.

The "rant" came from those wanting special protection for a specific sex act and they don't give a dam. who it is done on.

homo or hetero

Oh, yes the article says "Statuatory Sodomy", that has nothing to do with what is called "consent".

[Blzbba]

"Reporting is getting sloppy. There are too many questions that these reporters are not asking and editors who are supposed to clarify stories, don't seem to be doing their job either. "

They hafta be careful to not piss off the 2% of the gays that read their "journalism" and to hell with the 98% of us who are "normal".

PC sux.

[Blzbba]

"The "rant" came from those wanting special protection for a specific sex act"

That's what condoms are for, my friend!

(thank you, thank you - I'll be here all week!)

[fml]

Well, I was being sarcastic, but that the paper reported the kids 16 years and not younger seems to me an attempt to lessen the appearance of them as victims. Which, no matter what their age, the are.

[AD from SpringBay]

They hafta be careful to not piss off the 2% of the gays that read their "journalism" and to hell with the 98% of us who are "normal".

Golden words we need to remember - the sodomites (who represent a disproportionately high number of child abusers) represent a very thin slice of the pie. The homosexual rights issue needs to be put into perspective. If, for example, we have special laws for 2% of the population (segregated by their choice) how many more special laws (above and beyond those for the entire population) should we enact for the protection remaining supermajority? So that, maybe we need an instant death penalty, within 24 hours of verdict, for anyone found guilty of sodomizing a child.

[VRWC_minion]

Shows Santorum was right. If there is a right to privacy we would have no way of protecting these children.

Libertarians are dangerous.

[VRWC_minion]

Clearly, these kids were underage

No, the age of consent is ussually 16 in each state.

[VRWC_minion]

CHAPTER 31. SEXUAL OFFENSES

Subchapter B. Definition Of Offenses

§ 3122.1. Statutory sexual assault.

Except as provided in section 3121 (relating to rape), a person commits a felony of the second degree when that person engages in sexual intercourse with a complainant under the age of 16 years and that person is four or more years older than the complainant and the complainant and the person are not married to each other.