Former High School Swim Coach Convicted of Molesting Boys

Excerpted from Ex-coach Receives 21 Years for Sexual Abuse, by Todd Ruger, published Sept 20, 2006, in (Southwest Florida) Herald Tribune:

…Although the abuse happened years ago, the emotional wounds seemed fresh for the first victim who testified Tuesday. The Herald-Tribune does not publish the names of sex abuse victims without their permission.

That man, age 40, recalled that he was the No. 1 seed at a state swimming meet. The night before the meet, in Gainesville, LaMorte forced the victim to stay in his hotel room.

LaMorte abused him that night. Emotionally distressed, the swimmer’s dream of a state championship ended when he was disqualified for twice starting too soon.

“And I never swam again,” the man said.

The man said LaMorte would pull him out of classes to abuse him in the locker room. The victim said he never fought back or quit the swim team because he “didn’t know how to.”

Staring at LaMorte, the victim said he suffers alcohol abuse, has been violent and has strained relationships with his children…

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