Louisville 2014 signee arrested after impregnating his 14-year-old cousin
Louisville 2014 signee Sharieff Rhaheed was arrested and charged with lewd lascivious behavior with his 14 year old cousin after DNA tests on the aborted fetus showed 99.9% DNA match. The investigation had been going since October so I don't how any school could have pursued him last month. The family knew about the investigation in November when he and his mother refused to submit for DNA test until warrant was served at his high school. Louisville got a good one in Bobby Petrino. On another note, his other main suitors and finalists: Mark Dantonio, Gary Pinkel, and Bret Bielema. I am not surprised at all.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2014/feb/25/fort-pierce-central-linebacker-charged-with-lewd/
February 27th, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^
If something doesn't directly affect you, then it's easy to make jokes. Something like this I may joke about, but I never use the word "retarded" or make jokes about that since my brother has Downs Snydrome.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^
I agree....I have a 9 year old with Down syndrome and I am often bothered by folks on this board who use the word and don't consider how offensive it is, rarely are they called on it, but if we used a slur about another group the poster would be raked over the coals.
February 27th, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
See, my sister has Pfeiffer's Syndrome, which is somewhat similar to Downs though, in her case, her mind wasn't affected. That is, she just looked developmentally disabled, but mentally was completely normal. A cruel fate growing up.
I watched people treat her like shit growing up, and, as a younger brother, couldn't do as much about it as I'd liked to have (i.e., older, stronger kids are hard to try to take on, especially in a group, when they're 4 years older than you). That being said, I have found myself using the word "retarded" in the context that most find offensive throughout my life from time to time (though primarily when I was younger). I have pretty much stopped doing so (due to concerted effort, because it's just...kind of wrong), but I always thought something like "hey, I can use this word this way; I have the life experiences and scars from fighting for my sister; I've earned it." As I've gotten older, I've tempered that thinking.
Cool Story Bro, I know.
February 27th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 9:36 PM ^
In education we have shifted to intellectual disability and is used to reference an individual with an IQ that is 2 standard deviations below the mean... >70 and also scores low in adaptive behavior skills. With that being said, I have no problem with the use of the word when being used in its diagnostically appropriate manner. My daughter has mental retardation....I could accept saying she is retarded (the ARC, association of retarded citizens has not, as of yet that I know of changed its name), though I do not use those terms, when referring to cognitive function, however; as you said, when using the term to insult one who is acting foolish it really irritates me. Especially when its "retard".
February 28th, 2014 at 11:15 AM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
read the post directly above this one.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
read the post directly above this one.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
And if somehow you landed all the way down here, read the post five up from this one.
February 27th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
I think we can all agree that sexual assault sucks. My mother was a victim as a toddler, I know the long-term impacts of it. Having said that, this is a 14 year old and a 17 year old. The girl said he didn't force himself on her, that it just happened. This sounds somewhat consensual, the problem is she is not old enough to consent. I teach high school and hear of this type of thing all the time, and am told that parents of the girlfriend are in support of it. While the fact that these are cousins may disgust us, 14 year old girls having consensual (not that I am in agreement with this happening) sexual relations with 17 years old boys is not a rare thing in our society. In Florida, a child cannot consent under the age of 16 legally, however; if she were 16 she can c onsent to have sex with someone up to the age of 23 years, 364 days.
Just to clarify, I think having sex with relatives is disgusting, I think 14 years old is too young to have sex, I think that 17 years old is too young to have sex (I know...I am old school). I understand the need to protect younger naive children from older folks that may prey upon them, but I don't believe this is what happened.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
Yeah, the jokes suck, and some people in the world really suck more than words can every describe. But a very common defense mechanism for some people when confronted by something that makes them feel so uncomfortable and sick is by using humor to dehumanize the situation. And you can't fault them/us for that. But, regardless, this thread probably should be locked down at this point.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^
aren't we all just a bunch of the suckiest sucks that ever sucked?
February 27th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^
In most cases the charges are dropped to a misdemeanor when they are close in age difference and it was consensual as is reported.
The bigger issue is if he started molestation 3 years ago when she was 11. If that's the case he more than likely needs counseling than jail time for an actual recovery. That more than likely indicates developmental issues on his side, and unfortunately the odds are also there that he'd been abused himself (the majority of adolescent sex-offenders were abused themselves previously).
What the person above said is correct, making jokes about cases like this is sick.
February 27th, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^
Totally missed your post. Sorry for duplicating what you just said.
February 27th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
You sure about that? (I'm asking).
Isn't this essentially statutory rape (which I didn't think carried that long a sentence), albeit with someone in a lower age category than just <18?
He's also only 17, himself, so I wonder how harsh the punishment is.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
Did I just fart?
February 27th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^
OK, that's just fucked up.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
I don't see where in that article it said anything about them being cousins.
February 27th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^
Seconded. There is no mention of them being related at all, in the article the OP posted.
February 27th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^
I think the original article left it out to protect the identity of the victim.
February 27th, 2014 at 1:25 PM ^
OK, the 2nd article says they were related.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
Charlie Strong recruited him away from LSU in the first place.
Michigan State and Missouri, as well as LSU, were heavily recruiting him before he committed to UL from what I can see. He was a minor as well when it happened, and in most cases even for ongoing investigations the names of minors aren't released until charges are filed and even then it's not always. It's very likely that the colleges, and possibly even his family, didn't know it was going on.
Also, the cousin thing hasn't been verified by any news source yet, it's barely even a rumor. The girl may be a cousin but if so is more likely a 2nd or 3rd cousin. But it's not fair to either child to throw that out there without any verification at all.
It's a pretty messed up situation for the 2 families involved and I think it's kind of messed up you're using it as a point to criticize other coaches.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 1:36 PM ^
Here is a link verifying the cousin aspect of story. I think it wasn't included in other story to protect identity of victim.
The family knew about the investigation in November when he and his mother refused to submit for DNA test until warrant was served at his high school. Is it possible he and his family hid details of the investigation from coaches? Yes. But it is also possible a thorough background check digs this up especially if it was his cousin. Usually coaches talk to extended family, friends, coaches, school administrators, & teachers when assessing a recruit for a scholarship. I find it hard to believe no one knew about this when he had a warrrant served to him at school and committed a crime against a family member.
Also, it sounds like LSU cut him loose during the summer when they stopped communicating with him and answering his calls (from his Rivals decommitment article).
February 27th, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^
"Usually coaches talk to extended family, friends, coaches, school administrators, & teachers..."
Yes, some of those people might well have become aware of the situation by the time the warrant was issued. But which of them would you expect to tell a visiting coach about it, before any charges have been brought and before there's been any public acknowledgement of the investigation by law enforcement?
February 27th, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^
But it is also in a high school's best interest to share information with coaches. If you start lying to coaches about kid's legal status, it could jeopardize future prospects from the same school. And sometimes it doesn't even have to be a formal disclosure of the actual charges. It could be as simple as he could have some character issues. It's similar to how college coaches deal with NFL scouts.
And there are a lot of coincidences here to at least ask some questions. None of the 3 major Florida powers offered him. The major SEC schools backed off of him, but he only rose in recruiting rankings during the fall. He commits to one of the slimiest coaches in America and recruited by some others of questionable reputation.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
Being a "person of interest" in an investigation isn't a legal status that has to be revealed. And until the warrant was issued no one would have even known he was that. Do you really expect a coach or principal to tell a visiting coach "well, there's a rumor going around that he might have knocked up his cousin"?
Now if you dig around enough, especially if you're local, you might well run into the rumor from somebody unofficial. Then you have to decide what to do with it. There's a lot of rumors out there and sometimes there's no fire underneath the smoke.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^
But if a principal knew the police issued a kid a warrant in school three months before Signing Day, I think that would come up. I'm not saying that you would even need specific information about the charges to stop recruiting him. I have to imagine he probably wouldn't get the most glowing reviews from a principal, college counselor, uncle or aunt. The question is would some coaches stop recruiting him at that point? I think many would.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
they probably had a lawyer and in many cases the lawyer would not want them to reveal all the details. Or it's also possible that the coaches only knew the basic details that he was under investigation for impregnating a 14 year old. The cousin part could not have been known to coaches or the family they talked to at that point.
If that's all the info any coahces got then I understand they'd still recuit him. If college coaches don't recruit players who had sex at 16 with a 14 or 15 year old girl... then they should probably stop recruiting altogether. That's a significant proportion of their player base I'd bet.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:24 PM ^
I doubt this doesn't get around the family fast. Maybe the coaches don't know. But I highly doubt police just walk up to a school and serve a warrant without contacting school administrators first.
Like I said in my post, it is possible, but there are enough flags in this story that make you ask some questions. Maybe a college coach didn't know about the charges, but he may have known a kid was under investigation for something or had character issues. Some coaches may cut off the recruitment at that point. Others may not.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:39 PM ^
Just because I think he's a tool shed, and his pizza sucks.
February 27th, 2014 at 1:40 PM ^
Looking pretty sauced here. Pretty sure those two guys are the only things keeping him standing
February 27th, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
who makes shittier pizza than Dominos.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
February 27th, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
Now, I'm going off a small sample size here. The one time I tried Dominos and the one time I tried Papa John's were the last time for both. Could have just been a bad night or bad crew at both places but there's way too many better options in my neighborhood to waste time and vomit on those crap holes. Pizza Hut sucks too but the wife and kids like it so I thow in a Meijer frozen combo.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
Papa John and Tom Hammond should do each other's makeup.
February 27th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
That photograph is just puffery which has no material effect on my purchasing decisions.
(Section 43(a) of the Lanham act).
February 27th, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^
This story is not cool on so many levels. On a side note, where did this guy sign his LOI? That's one crazy cobra statue. Prayers go out to all involved.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
We're talking about an underage rape/criminal sexual conduct/whatever victim. DO NOT CROSS LINES, PEOPLE
February 27th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^
That's fucked up
February 27th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
Louisville's SBNation page - Card Chronicles - said that under Florida law what he's charged with at the moment is punishable by a maximum of 15 years and a maximum of $10,000 in fines. I'll go ahead and agree with the "that's effed up" sentiment being expressed here, because yikes...that's effed up.
I'll also go ahead and agree with some of the comments on their article - drop the kid 15 minutes ago. That seems like an easy decision in light of what has come about here.
February 27th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
just threw up in my mouth a bit
February 27th, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^
Of course he is from Florida, of course.