Robertson football players face charges in sex-assault case

| The Associated Press

10/29/2008 -

LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Six juveniles have been charged with criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping, conspiracy and other crimes in a hazing incident at an August preseason football camp.
The charges stem from allegations of sexual assault on younger players by older players at the Robertson High School camp Aug. 11-14 east of Las Vegas.

Charges were filed in Children's Court in San Miguel County against Santiago Armijo, Michael Gallegos, Steven Garcia, Marcos Gutierrez, Lucas Martinez and Jerek Padilla, the special prosecutor, District Attorney Henry Valdez of Santa Fe, announced Wednesday.

State police issued a 102-page report on the hazing, which involved allegations of sodomy with a broomstick. The police report said younger players were told to "take it like a man" and that their attackers ignored their pleas to stop.

After the allegations surfaced, six football players were suspended 10 days for violating the district's anti-bullying policy. Five subsequently were suspended for the rest of the year; the sixth was expelled.

Head football coach Ray Woods and six assistants resigned Sept. 6.

Valdez said he has 10 days to file a notice whether he will seek adult sanctions. He said no announcement will be made before that deadline.

The charges, as listed by Valdez:

—Armijo: conspiracy, three counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping, attempted criminal sexual penetration and attempted kidnapping.

—Gallegos: conspiracy, five counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping and four counts each of attempted second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping.

—Garcia: conspiracy, five counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping and three counts each of attempted second-degree criminal sexual penetration.

—Gutierrez: conspiracy, three counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping; three counts each of attempted second-degree criminal sexual penetration and attempted kidnapping.

—Martinez: conspiracy, five counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping, three counts each of attempted second-degree criminal sexual penetration and attempted kidnapping.

—Padilla: conspiracy, two counts each of second-degree criminal sexual penetration and kidnapping, and three counts each of attempted second-degree criminal sexual penetration and attempted kidnapping.

The school district, in a separate investigation of the hazing, said coaches failed to adequately supervise the camp.

Officials concluded that coaches should have checked cabins more often and made sure coaches were available during breaks for proper supervision. It also said two assistant coaches who witnessed an initiation should have taken the players to the head coach to determine what was going on.

The district also criticized coaches for calling all the players together and questioning them in front of their peers once the staff became aware of alleged incidents.