Bill Conlin's Accusers Speak, Call For End Of Statute Of Limitations

Bill Conlin, the former Philadelphia Daily News sportswriter who left his job after being accused of molesting several children in the 1970s, died in January. Today, four of his accusers—Kelly Hasson Blanchet, Karen Healy-Lange, Christine Guisti, and Dale Elsa Norley— have penned a New York Daily News editorial, in which they describe Conlin as a "sadistic and vengeful" man who got away with molesting the children of family members and close friends because of his influence within his community.

From the Daily News:

Countless adults knew that Conlin was a pedophile. Yet, for more than 40 years, no one went to the police.

Why? Conlin was a sadistic and vengeful man. He was a master at using his large stature, his prestige, his access to sports stars and sporting events and his wealth to prevent his victims (and his victims' families) from reporting his crimes.

The women say they were abused by Conlin while between the ages of 7 and 11, and that the abuse included "digital genital penetration" and "inappropriate sexual touching." They describe Conlin as a serial pedophile who abused multiple children over the course of three decades.

The accusers anonymously brought this information to the police in 2010, but were told that no charges could be brought against Conlin because the statute of limitations had expired. That's part of the reason they decided to write this editorial, to argue that the statute of limitations on sex crimes should be removed:

We strongly urge every state legislature to remove the statutes of limitations for survivor of sexual abuse. Pedophiles like Conlin must not be permitted to use arbitrary time limitations to shield themselves from being held accountable for their crimes.

Guisti, Norley, Blanchet, and Healy-Lange are the ones who brought their stories about Conlin to the . Guisti and Norley were previously anonymous.

[ NYDN]