A local legend of high school hoops is now an infamous sex offender.
Bob Oliva, former basketball coach at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse charges in a Massachusetts courtroom on Monday, April 4 – according to a report in the New York Daily News.
The coach was indicted by a Boston grand jury last year on two counts of rape of a child and faced two life sentences – however, with his guilty plea, Oliva, 66, will not serve any jail time.
The plea agreement reached with Suffolk County (Massachusetts) District Attorney Daniel F. Conley places Oliva on probation for five years and requires him to register as a sex offender and provide a sample of his DNA to the Massachusetts database. Oliva will also undergo sex offender treatment and is restricted from any unsupervised contact with minors.
The case hinged on the testimony of Jimmy Carlino, whom charged that he was abused by Oliva when he was 14-years-old during a trip to Boston in 1976. He also alleged that Oliva abused him more than 100 times in four years during the 1970s. The victim read an impact statement in court during the hearing before Suffolk Superior Court Judge Carol Ball.
“I now realize I lost my childhood to Bob Oliva,” said Carlino, 49. “I have come to the conclusion that this child predator altered the course of my life. You are a sick, disgusting person and a poor excuse for a human being who took advantage of his position and power in life.”
Immediately after the hearing, Carlino’s attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, announced that he has filed a $20 million lawsuit against Oliva, Christ the King, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Catholic Youth Organization in New York State Supreme Court in Queens.
Garabedian charges that Christ the King and other Catholic institutions failed to properly supervise Oliva.
Former major leaguer Allen Watson, who pitched for the Mets and Yankees and was a baseball star at Christ the King, testified against Oliva at the hearing. Watson alleged that Oliva showed him pornography, masturbated in front of him and took him to prostitutes when he was a teenager.
Oliva won 549 games and four championship titles during 27 seasons at Christ the King. He coached such pro-basketball stars as Lamar Odom and Jayson Williams.
Christ the King Regional High School did not return request for comment.
