A string of sexual assaults in Ulster County recently led to the arrest of a Saugerties police officer Sydney Mills, Saugerties High School ex-wrestling coach Reid Kappler, and a prominent family chiropractor and his wife from Kingston. What do these felony charges have in common? The victims have been children.
The Saugerties officer and the wrestling coach both pled not guilty to the alleged rape of girls aged 14 to 16. Chiropractor Dr. John Boyle and wife Danielle Scofield have pled guilty to an array of felony charges, including promoting and possessing obscene sexual performances by children. Boyle’s charges involved graphic content, including bestiality and necrophilia involving children. His sentencing is set for September 19. He faces a prison term ranging from six years and eight months to 20 years.
New Paltz police officer Jerome Milton, 28, has been indicted on charges including official misconduct, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, filing a false instrument in the second degree, harassment in the first degree, and stalking in the fourth degree. Milton is accused of harassing and stalking a former girlfriend and conducting an unjustified traffic stop on her current partner while on duty.
The Ulster County Crime Victims Assistance Program (CVAP) and Family of Woodstock were contacted about the resources available for victims of sexual assault and abuse. A wide range of free services exist for victims of sexual assault.
“The first thing is to free them from danger,” said Paul Rakov, deputy director of Family of Woodstock. “That would likely be a 911 phone call if they’re in the midst of a violent situation. Once they are at a point of safety, they can call our 24-hour hotline and have a trained live person to talk to about their situation and provide them with the best services for that situation.”
Rakov noted that they can have the victim picked up and driven to their shelter in Kingston in the case of domestic assault. The building, operated by Family of Woodstock since 1980, houses women and children only, “and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
“It can help them get out of harm’s way, and the perpetrator does not know where they are as we keep that location private,” Rakov said. “There are times when the police will call their agency directly to get a survivor of a domestic violence attack to the shelter.”
What should a teenage victim of a violent assault do? Family of Woodstock has “two youth shelters for ages 14 to 21. “There are a lot of different situations that they might be in that are not safe,” said Rakov, “and we can provide them with housing that also has ongoing counseling and support.”
If a victim is frightened or unsure of how to extricate themselves from a dangerous situation, Rakov suggested they call the hotline and talk. “They will get a sympathetic ear as well as someone who is trained to respond to these calls, and just being heard can be the first step towards getting help.”
Family, CVAP work together
Family of Woodstock works hand-in-hand with the Ulster County Crime Victims Assistance Program (CVAP) located at 1 Pearl Street in Kingston. “We’re the best-kept secret in Ulster County,” said Jessica Jones, a senior crime victims counselor for CVAP. “They can call us anytime and we do not have caller ID. We will not ask for a name. We are completely victim-centered.”
Family provides victims of sexual assault with a certified violent-crime counselor, and if the situation requires it, a certified rape counselor. “We will let them know all of the ways that we can support them and what their options are,” explained Jones. “If they want to, we can get them a SANE (Sexual Assault Nursing Exam) and bring that certified sexual assault nurse to their home or a location of their choosing. They can do it in a hospital, but do not have to. They can choose whether or not to provide the results as evidence with a law enforcement agency or not.”
A SANE is encouraged for victims of sexual assault if done within a five-day period of when the assault happened. This can be used as evidence, or as Jones noted, as an exam for the victim to determine if any medical treatment is needed.
Once the victim has contacted CVAP they will have an advocate with them “every step of the way,” said Jones. “We let them know what their options are and if they want to talk with the police, we can accompany them and serve as their advocate. If it goes to a criminal investigation, we can help them break down the legal jargon and get a clear understanding of what the process will look like. We can accompany them to all court proceedings if they choose to go, but they are not required to attend.”
Costs and support groups
New York State laws allow a victim of any violent crime to apply for financial compensation to receive therapy, or for any costs related to court proceedings. “If the victim is a teenager, they might not have any interest in seeing a therapist at first. But this compensation lasts their entire life,” Jones said. “Years down the road, as an adult, maybe with children of their own, they could be having a really rough time and decide that they want to see a therapist. All of their co-pays into the future will be covered under this provision.”
Victims of assault may also write an impact statement to the judge of their case if it goes to court. They can choose to be in the courthouse or not.
CVAP works closely with the Ulster County district attorney’s office, which asks that any victim of a sexual assault or a violent crime be paired with a crime’s victim counselor and advocate. “I think the DA’s office understands how important our services are to victims,” said Jones.
Family of Woodstock and CVAP both provide support groups, individual counseling, and a host of other resources for those that are trying to untangle the physical, emotional and even spiritual damage these assaults can cause.
“They’ve been through enough,” said Jones. “Let us help them with everything else like SANE, or if they choose to go to the police, or if an investigation is launched a case goes to trial. We’re here to support them and advocate for them.”
Post-trauma living
Rakov noted that FOW is also interested in helping victims “get past the trauma and return to their lives.” This could mean ongoing counseling and support groups. It could mean help with job applications or finding a permanent place to live. By October, Ulster County will have independent living apartments for victims of domestic abuse and violent assault.
While the shelters are amazing, many of these women have children and would like to move from a communal living situation at the shelter and have their own place and their own key, said Rakov.
As for any upticks in sexual and violent assaults, Jones did say that there are times of year when they tend to see an increase in cases – typically summer months when school is out. “The other time we tend to see more cases is in early fall when college goes back into session,” she said. “September and early October.”
It doesn’t matter what age the person is who has undergone a sexual assault. “We serve everyone, regardless of age,” Jones said. “The person can be ten or a hunded and ten. It doesn’t matter. We’re here. We are 100 percent confidential and we have a number victims can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
On Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., calls can be directed to 845-430-3443. At night or on weekends, calls should go directly to the Crime Victims Assistance Program hotline at 845-430-3442. Family of Woodstock can be reached at 845-679-2488. If you are in an emergent and dangerous situation, call 911.
Dutchess County
Family Services offers an array of support options in neighboring Dutchess County, including one 24-hour hotline for rape crisis and crime victims (845-452-7272) and another for domestic violence (845-485-5550).
“These hotlines are a resource to community members in need, including primary and secondary victims, law enforcement, medical professionals, partner agencies, and other community members in need of assistance,” said Leah Feldman, chief executive officer of Family Services. Family Services also offers rape crisis services where they have trained staff on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dutchess County also has a leading Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), developed by Family Services in 2015 to provide victim-centered, trauma-informed response to sexual violence in our community.
Feldman said that their goals focus on “implementing trauma-informed training to all of our partners; creating awareness in the community about sexual violence and resources available; and developing a county-wide, victim-centered, trauma-informed protocol for responding to sexual violence.”
To learn more, contact Family Services at 845-452-1110.
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