MAINE
WABI
[with video]
by Rob Poindexter – August 2nd 2012
The state police investigation into Reverend Robert Carlson has left a lot of unanswered questions about how we fight child sexual abuse in Maine.
The 104 page State Police report in the case of Carlson and his alleged sexual abuse of numerous boys sites numerous red flags and warning signs that were either missed or ignored.
Penobscot County Sheriff Glen Ross was a close friend of Carlson. “I never saw a sign. There’s nobody anymore stunned than myself in this matter,” Ross said Thursday. “He was involved in everything. He was a well respected leader. He apparently did things that were out of the view of a lot.”
According to the state police report, Ross tipped Carlson off about the child sexual abuse investigation being conducted. Shortly after Ross spoke to Carlson about the investigation, police say Carlson committed suicide by jumping off the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. Ross doesn’t think he crossed any ethical lines by alerting Carlson, who also volunteered at the jail, about the investigation. “The bottom line is I did the right things for the right reasons. I did it not to warn him, but to prevent his access into the jail,” Ross said. “You cannot fault somebody for trying to make sure they’ve protected their inmates and their agencies. That’s my job as a sheriff.” According to the report, Carlson never denied the allegations in his conversations with Ross.
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