Boy’s camp abuse allegations lead to employees’ arrest

[hurrikayne]

Boy’s camp abuse allegations lead to employees’ arrest
   
Originally posted on: Friday, September 12, 2008 by Grant Boxleitner
Last updated on: 9/12/2008 6:21:09 PM

CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A 15-year-old boy hospitalized while staying at Gator Wilderness Boys Camp prompted a state child abuse investigation. Now deputies have arrested the camp’s director and a counselor.

"What we’re looking at here is a case of abuse and not corrective or corporal punishment," said Charlotte County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Casarella "They went above and beyond anything that we consider constructive corporal punishment."

According to arrest reports, suspect Carl Hochstetler forced the boy to lay face down in the dirt with his arms crossed, then laid on him three hours.

The boy complained he was having trouble breathing during the incident and was eventually treated five days at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, the report states. Hochstetler is facing a child cruelty charge.

Deputies arrested camp director Arthur Dagg on a child neglect charge, accusing him of waiting three days to take the child to the hospital despite complaints of pain and sores on his face.

"He experienced swelling in his arm, and I guess pain associated with that was enough to cause him to start vomiting," Casarella said.

A judge released both Dagg and Hochstetler from jail with a promise to appear for their next court date. NBC2 was there when they walked out of jail.

"I don’t know if it’s under investigation, but it’s still a criminal charge, and that’s very, very serious," Dagg said. "We think that we’re innocent and we do excellent work with the boys."

Hochstetler declined to discuss the case, saying "talk to the lawyer."

Punta Gorda attorney Paul Sullivan is representing Dagg. He tells NBC2 the evidence does not warrant the charges.

"The hospital said the child had a bruised shoulder," Sullivan said. "The kid’s daddy wants him back in the camp today. This is not a fly-by-night operation."

Gator wilderness camp off Farabee Road opened in 2006.

"Hopefully, this will be a lesson to other camps," Casarella said, "about what and what will not be tolerated."

http://http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=21570&z=3
---There's a video but I don't know how to embed it.

[Anonymous]

According to arrest reports, suspect Carl Hochstetler forced the boy to lay face down in the dirt with his arms crossed, then laid on him three hours.

Lucky the kid didn't die, others have in this same situation. What type of person is capable of treating a kid this way? Programs seem to attract these stellar individuals. You got to wonder what the kid was thinking while being crushed to death.

"The kid’s daddy wants him back in the camp today.

Award this guy the father-of-the-year. .

[Anonymous]

Boy’s camp abuse allegations lead to employees’ arrest
   
Originally posted on: Friday, September 12, 2008 by Grant Boxleitner
Last updated on: 9/12/2008 6:21:09 PM

CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A 15-year-old boy hospitalized while staying at Gator Wilderness Boys Camp prompted a state child abuse investigation. Now deputies have arrested the camp’s director and a counselor.

"What we’re looking at here is a case of abuse and not corrective or corporal punishment," said Charlotte County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Casarella "They went above and beyond anything that we consider constructive corporal punishment."

According to arrest reports, suspect Carl Hochstetler forced the boy to lay face down in the dirt with his arms crossed, then laid on him three hours.

The boy complained he was having trouble breathing during the incident and was eventually treated five days at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, the report states. Hochstetler is facing a child cruelty charge.

Deputies arrested camp director Arthur Dagg on a child neglect charge, accusing him of waiting three days to take the child to the hospital despite complaints of pain and sores on his face.

"He experienced swelling in his arm, and I guess pain associated with that was enough to cause him to start vomiting," Casarella said.

A judge released both Dagg and Hochstetler from jail with a promise to appear for their next court date. NBC2 was there when they walked out of jail.

"I don’t know if it’s under investigation, but it’s still a criminal charge, and that’s very, very serious," Dagg said. "We think that we’re innocent and we do excellent work with the boys."

Hochstetler declined to discuss the case, saying "talk to the lawyer."

Punta Gorda attorney Paul Sullivan is representing Dagg. He tells NBC2 the evidence does not warrant the charges.

"The hospital said the child had a bruised shoulder," Sullivan said. "The kid’s daddy wants him back in the camp today. This is not a fly-by-night operation."

Gator wilderness camp off Farabee Road opened in 2006.

"Hopefully, this will be a lesson to other camps," Casarella said, "about what and what will not be tolerated."

http://http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=21570&z=3
---There's a video but I don't know how to embed it.

 ::puke::
Uh, this is sickening.  The goddamn sheriff is saying it's abuse and DaddyDear is itching to send him right back.  But no................no parent would send their kids to a program if they thought they were going to be abused, right?

[Anonymous]

The camp was on Fornits Wiki, but now the datasheet (on the European server) has been expanded. The US server will be updated tomorrow.

[Antigen]

I think Psy set video handling so as to dissallow embedding so people don't have disturbing content forced on them visually. I'm not sure it's worth it, but then I don't have any idea what the overall consensus may be or if there really is one.

Watch the video, though, and pay attention to the cultural affect of the various players. Seems like the pro program folk are the local hard core red necks, including the lawyer. My god, he's like a Mark Twain character come to life only not half so cleverly put together. The officials and newscaster have much softer drawls, if at all, and more citified language. I would expect there's a pretty fair faction of local yokels who will view this as them thar city slickers n gubmint interferin with proper God fearin chile rearin practices.

But it seems to be getting quite trendy to prosecute institutional child abuse like a real crime, isn't it? What do you think is causing the shift in perception and where can we get more of it?

[psy]

I think Psy set video handling so as to dissallow embedding so people don't have disturbing content forced on them visually.

No.  I just crippled the "img" tag.  Video embedding requires a plugin.  I'l work on that soon.

[Antigen]

MSN Tracking Image
  MSNBC.com
Boy’s camp abuse allegations lead to employees’ arrest
WBBH-TV
updated 8:12 a.m. ET, Mon., Sept. 15, 2008

CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A 15-year-old boy hospitalized while staying at Gator Wilderness Boys Camp prompted a state child abuse investigation. Now deputies have arrested the camp’s director and a counselor.

"What we’re looking at here is a case of abuse and not corrective or corporal punishment," said Charlotte County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Casarella "They went above and beyond anything that we consider constructive corporal punishment."

According to arrest reports, suspect Carl Hochstetler forced the boy to lay face down in the dirt with his arms crossed, then laid on him three hours.

The boy complained he was having trouble breathing during the incident and was eventually treated five days at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, the report states. Hochstetler is facing a child cruelty charge.

Deputies arrested camp director Arthur Dagg on a child neglect charge, accusing him of waiting three days to take the child to the hospital despite complaints of pain and sores on his face.

"He experienced swelling in his arm, and I guess pain associated with that was enough to cause him to start vomiting," Casarella said.

A judge released both Dagg and Hochstetler from jail with a promise to appear for their next court date. NBC2 was there when they walked out of jail.

"I don’t know if it’s under investigation, but it’s still a criminal charge, and that’s very, very serious," Dagg said. "We think that we’re innocent and we do excellent work with the boys."

Hochstetler declined to discuss the case, saying "talk to the lawyer."

Punta Gorda attorney Paul Sullivan is representing Dagg. He tells NBC2 the evidence does not warrant the charges.

"The hospital said the child had a bruised shoulder," Sullivan said. "The kid’s daddy wants him back in the camp today. This is not a fly-by-night operation."

Gator wilderness camp off Farabee Road opened in 2006.

"Hopefully, this will be a lesson to other camps," Casarella said, "about what and what will not be tolerated."

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26680628/
MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2008 MSNBC.com

[Antigen]

Two camp employees arrested
By WINK News

Story Created: Sep 12, 2008 at 7:17 PM EDT

Story Updated: Sep 12, 2008 at 7:20 PM EDT
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - Two camp employees weer arrested after one of them is accused of sitting on a teen for hours.

Police arrested Director Arthur Dagg for child neglect and Counselor Carl Hochstettler for child cruelty.

A police report says Hochstettler sat on a 15-year-old boy for three hours to discipline him.

The alleged crime happened at the Gator's Wilderness Boy's Camp in Punta Gorda in August. It’s a camp for troubled boys.

Police say the boy's arm was swollen and he started throwing up and that he wasn't taken to the hospital for days.

The two men are out of jail. They’re due back in court in October.


Comments:
Friday, Sep 19 at 6:15 PM Joe wrote ...

This was not a case of child abuse. I mean give me a break. For one the sitting on him for 3 hours is not true he only restrained by holding his hands behind his back. Parents send their kids here for disipline. I would have done the same thing that Carl did.
Monday, Sep 15 at 9:05 AM Anonymous wrote ...

If you google this camp, it says its a "Christian camp for troubled boys." Anybody get where I am going with this?
Saturday, Sep 13 at 10:34 PM Tammy wrote ...

The whole thing sounds like a power play to me however I wasn't there.I understand restraining, but 3 hours? Give me a break.Sounds like the guys working there need some restraining.There are other ways of dealing with unhealthy behavior. I don't think that physically restraining him was the way to go. For goodness sake he's just a kid. Anyone ever hear of the old fashioned talking about things without getting physical? I think that's most of the problems these days. Too many people using hands.
Saturday, Sep 13 at 6:10 PM J wrote ...

I'm not talking about abuse Kevin, I'm talking about one spank on the rear end. I see kids hitting their parents these days; that would have never happened in my parents house and never has in mine. You can instill good morals and respect without abuse and by using a spanking. The kids at this camp are obviously not learning respect from their parents giving them a time out or they wouldn't be sent to the camps. Grow up and learn to spell, 'doin' is not correct English and neither is 'em.'
Saturday, Sep 13 at 6:02 PM Yeah Sure wrote ...

"Not everyone who was spanked had the positive experience or learned to have the (un)healthy respect for authority that you received." Yeah. Your ad hominem and narcissistic attitude show why life is soo much more safe and orderly in the USA nowadays. (sarcasm)
Saturday, Sep 13 at 3:40 PM Kevin wrote ...

J, You definitely seem to have more than enough respect for authority, even when it doesn't seem warranted or healthy. I'm Not sure however what WE you are talking about. Not everyone who was spanked had the positive experience or learned to have the (un)healthy respect for authority that you received. Hitting is what you do when you are upset and release your frustrations on the kid, who is weaker than you are. That's a hell of a lesson to impart: when someone's not doin what you want, hurt em.
Saturday, Sep 13 at 10:15 AM J wrote ...

I'd like to know what the kid did that he needed discipline also. And as far as the neglect charge, was that just because the kid wasn't sent to the hospital for throwing up? If I'm not mistaken you need a parent's permission to take a kid to the hospital unless there's a broken bone or severe injury. At least the guy only sat on the kid. I'm betting the counselor exercised restraint in his form of discipline. Spanking never hurt most of us and we sure learned respect for authority.
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