CHAD CURTIS heading to jail.
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Dboneesq
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HASTINGS, Mich.—Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis faces up to 15 years in prison after a jury in West Michigan found him guilty Friday on charges that he inappropriately touched three teenage girls.
Curtis, 44, was convicted of six counts of criminal sexual conduct and will be sentenced Sept. 26 in Barry County.
Chad Curtis enjoyed his greatest baseball success as a member of the Yankees. (1999 AP Photo)
Curtis was accused of touching two 15-year-old girls last year when he was a volunteer weight-room strength trainer at an area high school. A 16-year-old girl later told authorities that he touched and fondled her in 2011.
"We give these young ladies so much credit for their courage," Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor-Pratt told MLive.com after the verdict. "It took a lot of courage to testify. This has been such a long road for them. This is a step in the healing process for them."
Curtis' attorney, David Dodge, did not immediately return email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday evening.
Between 1992 and 2001, Curtis played for the then-California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.
News report from May 2012
Curtis, 44, was convicted of six counts of criminal sexual conduct and will be sentenced Sept. 26 in Barry County.
Chad Curtis enjoyed his greatest baseball success as a member of the Yankees. (1999 AP Photo)
Curtis was accused of touching two 15-year-old girls last year when he was a volunteer weight-room strength trainer at an area high school. A 16-year-old girl later told authorities that he touched and fondled her in 2011.
"We give these young ladies so much credit for their courage," Barry County Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor-Pratt told MLive.com after the verdict. "It took a lot of courage to testify. This has been such a long road for them. This is a step in the healing process for them."
Curtis' attorney, David Dodge, did not immediately return email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday evening.
Between 1992 and 2001, Curtis played for the then-California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He won two World Series rings with the Yankees.
News report from May 2012
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Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
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<< <i>I believe I have a trading card signed by him that he used to send out TTM that has his favorite Bible quotes and a paragraph about church on the back. >>
According to the original news report in 2012 the high school he was working at is a Christian high school.
Regardless, the guy should have known better.
Former MLB player gets seven to 15 years in prison
HASTINGS, Mich. (WOOD) - A former Major League Baseball player is headed to prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting multiple teenage girls in 2012.
Chad Curtis was sentenced to seven years and one month to 15 years in prison in Barry County Circuit Court Thursday afternoon.
In August, Curtis was found guilty on six counts of criminal sexual conduct. The jury only took two-and-a-half hours to come up with the verdict after the week-long trial.
His victims, all teenage girls, alleged that he inappropriately touched them. Many of the incidents happened at Lakewood High School where Curtis was a substitute teacher and was in charge of a weight room.
During the sentencing, one of Curtis' victims said Curtis was a manipulator and that he knew what he had done.
"I hope you finally think about the truth," she said. "I hope you admit the things you have done ... to yourself."
Unlike at his trial, Curtis chose to speak during his sentencing, maintaining his innocence. He spoke for more than 50 minutes, at one time asking a court officer if he could have some water.
"My goal in moving to that community was to some how, some way be a positive influence on the community, in the community, and to the community. I did not accomplish that," Cutis said. "I failed in my objective to be a positive influence on the Lakewood community and I'm sorry for that."
But Curtis went on with his statement to claim that the victims in the case were not telling the truth when they testified against him.
"[The victim] lives today with the fact that she sat in that chair right over there, she raised her right hand and she -- for whatever reason -- she'd been pressured into saying things that are not true," Curtis said.
Two victims left the courtroom in tears as Curtis mentioned them.
"In part, the truth wasn't told," Curtis said.
A father of one of Curtis' victims said his statement in court added insult to an already difficult time.
"It was hard to take," the father said. "He admitted, but he didn't admit that there was something going on...These girls have been revictimized for 16, 18 months now."
Before Curtis' sentence was announced, the Barry County assistant prosecutor said Curtis wasn't a trainer, but a sexual predator who abused his position.
"He lacks the moral character to ever admit that he's wrong," the assistant prosecutor said.
Curtis is appealing his conviction.
"People thought you were someone of high morals and high integrity," Judge Amy McDowell "You abused that."