A former youth league baseball coach is on trial in Monterey, Calif., for allegedly molesting at least one underage boy. David Stamm, the defendant, says he’s not guilty and only engaged the boy in a sexual relationship once the boy 1) consented and 2) was 18. Stamm also says he’s gay and had been afraid to come out in the community in part because he was a youth baseball coach and owned a local batting cages business.
“It’s a jock place for guys to come in and talk about jock stuff,” Stamm said. “It’s just a very macho type of store, not the right place for me to be. I wasn’t a hairdresser where people would expect it. I just knew it would ruin the business if it came out.”
Interestingly, his accuser (who isn’t named) is now 23, is gay, and accuses Stamm of “making” him gay. Another man claims he was molested by Stamm 20 years ago. –Cyd Zeigler jr.
on Aug 4th, 2008 at 9:23 PM
You can take someone to court for making you gay? If only Jon-Erik Hexum were still alive…
on Aug 5th, 2008 at 12:02 PM
it’s a rough world for gays… you have sex with a guy one day and 10 years later he tries to sue you for “making him gay” — straights don’t go through this crap do they?
on Aug 5th, 2008 at 1:37 PM
It’s interesting that the guy would never be on trial in 13 different European countries, among them Germany (age of consent is 14) and Spain (age of consent is 13). I still think that the differences concerning the age of consent are totally weird.
“He’d traveled to Europe to practice his sexuality for that reason.”
- doesn’t that sound kind of sad? You shouldn’t feel the need to travel halfway around the earth to be yourself.
on Aug 7th, 2008 at 3:31 PM
A 23 year old gay man accuses Stamm of “making” him gay. Hell, if there is any justice, our 23 year old gay man would also be burdened with micropenis and being terminally butt ugly.
on Aug 8th, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Hung Jury in David Stamm trial:
On its fourth day of deliberations, a jury announced it was unable to reach a verdict on nine of 10 counts against a Pacific Grove man accused of molesting a teenage boy nearly a decade ago. The jury, which has been deliberating since Thursday, did find David Stamm, 46, not guilty on one of the charges against him — oral copulation with a person under age 18. Judge Terrance Duncan dismissed the jury and scheduled a court hearing for Aug. 22 to set a retrial.
Stamm, the former owner of a Monterey batting cage business, was accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy, showing him child pornography and attempting to bribe him to recant the accusation.
If this weren’t so serious, I’d make a joke about the hung jury. As it is, he’ll be retired in front of a new jury.
on Aug 8th, 2008 at 6:53 PM
I really have mixed feelings about this situation. I’m a closeted youth coach too, although I’m more than half the age of Mr. Stamm.
I don’t agree with the fact that people who are gay are put on trial all the time for things like this, yet when agree this happens with “straight” people its not big news. It’s sad.
However I feel as though he is wrong for the way he may have acted. As a youth coach you shouldn’t be trying to pick up boys that you coach. I’m a lot closer in age to the guys I coach and I would never EVER think of taking it to a relationship, even after that person turned 18. As a coach I am there to pass on my knowledge and build the skills of that kid. I have never once thought sexually about a kid I coach. I’m willing to bet, even if he waited until the kid was 18 and consented, he thought about it before the kid was 18.
Maybe I have a very unpopular view on this, but I believe in keeping things professional even if your working with kids. If I really want to hook up with guys who are 18 I would go to the gay bar by the college near me, not wait for one of my players to turn 18.
on Aug 12th, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Jeanne, we in America think it’s mighty weird that someone as young as 13 or 14 is considered old enough to consent to a sexual relationship with a much older adult. From our point of view those are still children, easily manipulated into things they are not emotionally ready for. If it’s true that he engaged in sexual activity with a minor under the age of consent (17 in most places in the US), then he deserves whatever punishment that merits, whether he be gay or straight, according to the law. If he’s being persecuted because of fear and misunderstanding, which I can easily see being the case, then hopefully the truth will “come out”.
on Aug 16th, 2008 at 3:53 PM
The problem is that it is an abuse of power…older man in a position to help or hurt a younger person – there’s no room for healthy sex in that situation. The coach isn’t brave enough to come out and potentially enjoy a relationship with another adult; that’s his problem. Grow the f*ck up, dude, and let the teens grow up without your predatory influence…The age of consent is debatable simply because people grow up at far different rates…but it’s there as protection and a deterrent because so often there is abuse…
on Aug 17th, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Only here in America can a man be sued for making someone gay. And for molestation? effectivly ruining this man’s life for having consentual sex with an 18 year old jock? This is crazy. They see this gay man as ruining this young, all american, jock and converting him to being gay. What a joke this young jock was always hard and wanted sex because of his age you just can’t help it. and was just as involved as the older man. He wanted sex too. For this poor man who was involved in what he loved to be persecuted like this is shameful. Gays are in all parts of society, and these people are just mad because the could not smoke this one out of their precious baseball “society”. Who corupted who here?
on Aug 17th, 2008 at 2:00 PM
you cannot assume he is a childmolester. Damn If I had the opportunity to have sex with an 18 year old jock, I would do it too. They are all just jealous. This does not mean he would touch any other players who are under 18. and once this guy is accused, here come all the money grubbing pigs who want to get into his wallet. Some guy coming forward after 20 years? Whatever. Just opportunity seeking pigs who crawl from under their rocks when they see a chance for free money…or so they think. i hope they don’t get one penny from this man.
on Aug 20th, 2008 at 1:20 AM
For me its not an issue of whether it was consentual or not or even if he corrupted the kid . It’s like Bryan said, it’s a clear abuse of power and as I said before unprofessional. It’s one thing to say he just had sex with an 18 year old jock. It’s another thing to say he had sex with one of the kids he coached. This kid (many people at even 18 are still kids…hell I’m still a kid and naive at 21) trusted this man as any youth athlete would trust any coach. I still look up to and trust the coaches I had when I was growing up, and I could understand how a kid could feel that he had to have sex with a coach (regardless if the kid said it was ok or not at the time) to try not to upset the coach or just because he feels like he has to for all the coach has done for him.
The kids that I coach look up to me and trust me, I would not abuse that power by trying to have sex with them even after they turned 18. It’s a clear conflict of interest. There are plenty of other guys this coach could hook up with, it honestly seems to me that he used the fact that he knew this kid and abused his relationship with the kid to get sex.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know if he is guilty or not of the things he is accused of, but he is wrong for even getting himself in a situation that would make these accusations believable. It’s stories like this that really make it hard for me to ever think about coming out of the closet when I would like to continue coaching youth sports in the future
on Aug 23rd, 2008 at 1:55 AM
Facts of the case:
John Doe was NOT affiliated with Stamms baseball team. Never.
Doe never played baseball or sports.
Doe is very flamboyant and came out of closet 7 months after allegations
Doe is an admitted herion additct, and admitted to getting high 2 days prior to trial
Stamm said net assets were 1 million prior to this ( prob dead broke now)
Stamm coached 1 year, 9-10 yr olds
Stamm admitted in court, how horrible and embarrased about the incident, even though it was legal, it was inappropriate.
Single people, straight or gay..a hot 18 yr old…hum..
on Aug 23rd, 2008 at 2:08 AM
forgot to add about the 20 yr ago thing:
that person stated taht Stamm rubbed his shoulder and kissed his lower back one evening. Stamm says he went to the boys room when he heard the boy crying in pain. Stamm lived with a mohter and the boy for 1.5 years. . Stamm took the boy THAT night to the hospital where the boy had his appendix removed. How shameful that Stamm saved this kids life ( mom was not home) and now that man says stamm “molested” him. How come Stamm didnt go for the goods if he indeed he was trying to molest him? stupid!