Lake Oswego swim coach may sue, after being cleared of sex abuse

A Lake Oswego swim coach acquitted of sex abuse charges, speaks out. Don King has been cleared of all charges, after a jury found him not guilty. via KEX-AM Portland

[Reveal the truth]

Please, I hope he sues. That way all the evidence that was suppressed by his slick attorney can come out in the open. He will not sue because he wants to keep the other evidence out of the public domain. Don King has been active in his pursuit of underage children for a very long time. There are many who have come forward outside statute of limitations that would love to be heard!

[King Abused Me too]

I have just learned of this situation today (9/3/08) and wish I knew what Lake Oswego was going through last spring so that I could have spoken up sooner. Same Don King as over 30 years ago when I swam for him and he did all that he is accused of and more to me when I was 13 in NoCal. I am so proud of the girls who had the courage to speak up in Lake Oswego against a wolf in sheep's clothing! Please do not let Don King off the hook anymore for his obscene behavior. Keep him way from young girls! It is high time for him to meet justice.

[Abigail]

The grand jury found him "innocent"?- ah -

that's not how the system works - ONLY means the grand jurors refused to forward charges they had before them - not that new charges and/or amended ones cannot be brought forward at any time.

Don King's actions remain very controversial and unlike any a YOUTH swim coach, over many many years should ever seek out - in terms of being seen as someone who seeks out youths in order to touch, stroke, inappropriately have contact with kids, etc.- ever. And I mean EVER.

Over years this has gone on - and over the videotaped and eyewitness abilities of those who wonder and will continue to bear witness to any and all future charges still potentially out there. Don King, in my opinion, should slither away from all youths - he is not a "winner" and/or cleared of all criminal suspicions at this time. Just the ones at this time forwarded to this grand jury....

[Phyllis James]

More women are now stepping forward accusing Don of sexual abuse stretching over decades and yet he is still trying to purhase time for his "private swim club" at the Lake Oswego Pool in Lake Oswego, Oregon. What most people don't know is that Don also worked at the Lake Oswego pool as a coach/lifequard with a young woman who was raped in August 2003 by a coach and subsequently committed suicide.

[Victims will speak]

Several victims are planning to come to Lake Oswego once USA Swimming hearings are concluded to share their information with parents and HS students. This town hall meeting will likely occur early in 2009.

[Dan Durpree]

King Abused Me too wrote:

I have just learned of this situation today (9/3/08) and wish I knew what Lake Oswego was going through last spring so that I could have spoken up sooner. Same Don King as over 30 years ago when I swam for him and he did all that he is accused of and more to me when I was 13 in NoCal. I am so proud of the girls who had the courage to speak up in Lake Oswego against a wolf in sheep's clothing! Please do not let Don King off the hook anymore for his obscene behavior. Keep him way from young girls! It is high time for him to meet justice.

30 years ago? And your just coming out now how many girls and boys have suffered because you stayed quit for this man you should be ashamed of yourself.

[King Abused Me too]

Dan Durpree wrote:

<quoted text>
30 years ago? And your just coming out now how many girls and boys have suffered because you stayed quit for this man you should be ashamed of yourself.

Shame is exactly right and that is why it is SO NORMAL not to report this type of abuse. Shame on YOU for revictimizing ME. Thanks to comments like yours. less people will be willing to speak up. Don't worry... relevant authorities know my story and have all the reports.

[LO Parent]

Dear Mr. Durpree,

It is clear you know nothing about this type of crime. I was a victim of King nearly 30 years ago at age 16. I feel terrible for my silence. One victim would most probably be alive today if I had the courage to stop him long ago.

I stepped forward the day after this information hit the press in Lake Oswego. King's attorney kept my testimony out along with many others based on the fact that we were outside the statute of limitations. Thank God USA Swimming does not have the same restrictions and our testimony is currently being reviewed.

The victims of King are doing the very best we can and many have come forward. It would have been better to come forward sooner. Unless you have been of victim of this type of crime, you really do not understand the veil of shame associated with this type of crime that allows the perps to continue for years before being caught.

Thank God for the detective who filmed King's behavior and thanks to USA Swimming for conducting a thorough investigation. It's true King will not serve jail time, due to the high priced lawyer keeping testimony out of court, but at least we can work to keep him off the deck and out of a power position over young girls in the future.

[Sally Smithers]

LO Parent wrote:

Dear Mr. Durpree,
It is clear you know nothing about this type of crime. I was a victim of King nearly 30 years ago at age 16. I feel terrible for my silence. One victim would most probably be alive today if I had the courage to stop him long ago.
I stepped forward the day after this information hit the press in Lake Oswego. King's attorney kept my testimony out along with many others based on the fact that we were outside the statute of limitations. Thank God USA Swimming does not have the same restrictions and our testimony is currently being reviewed.
The victims of King are doing the very best we can and many have come forward. It would have been better to come forward sooner. Unless you have been of victim of this type of crime, you really do not understand the veil of shame associated with this type of crime that allows the perps to continue for years before being caught.
Thank God for the detective who filmed King's behavior and thanks to USA Swimming for conducting a thorough investigation. It's true King will not serve jail time, due to the high priced lawyer keeping testimony out of court, but at least we can work to keep him off the deck and out of a power position over young girls in the future.

Like its the dupree guys fault SHAME on you!

[Sally Smithers]

King Abused Me too wrote:

<quoted text>Shame is exactly right and that is why it is SO NORMAL not to report this type of abuse. Shame on YOU for revictimizing ME. Thanks to comments like yours. less people will be willing to speak up. Don't worry... relevant authorities know my story and have all the reports.

The dupree dude is not the one to dump on SHAME on you for not speaking out!

[kathy millard]

Stop it! To S.Smithers & D. Dupree. It's quite obvious that you know nothing about sexual abuse and how deeply victims are affected; nor do you understand the concept of shame. If you were really reading what's being said in these blogs by people whose lives have been forever alterd by Don King's behavior as a sexual predator, you'd be a heck of lot more sympathetic and not so acusatory. For heaven's sake, one young woman is now dead because of the shame and her inability to deal with the horrible reality that he RAPED HER! She was a teenager for Heaven's sake as were the women who have mustered up the courage to as adults now, finally deal with all of that pain. You know nothing of what you speak and give blogs a bad name because of your blatant ignorance! However, in this great country in which we live, we do have freedom of speech and you're simply exercising your "rights" (to be oh so wrong!)...

[Thanks]

Coming forward in this case is the hardest thing I've ever done and I am well into my forties. I made police statements in the several cities where Don King sexually abused me. I am a witness for Lake Oswego School District and they have been very gracious to me and thankful that I stepped forward. I have made a police report with Lake Oswego and I am assisting with the USA Swimming investigation.
It is very difficult to speak of what happened to me. Just finding the right words to describe it is enough to make me cringe. New women have come forward and all of us are outside the statute of limitations for a criminal case. Still, we can put our best effort forward to stop Mr King from abusing other young girls.
Every day I have to live with the fact that had I come forward many years ago, the woman who was raped may still be alive. I have had the opportunity to speak with her mother and to explain how sorry I am that I did not have the courage to come forward. She is a gracious and lovely person who is simply grateful I've come forward now to help prevent future abuses, even though nothing I can do will ever return her precious daughter to her.

[Bull Shit]

Shut up If he is guilty shame on anyone who dident say anything cowards !!!!!!!