Response to Erroneous Accusation on the "Ripoff Report" Website

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Published on Wednesday, 03 October 2012 18:45

A posting to the website "The Ripoff Report" incorrectly accuses The Ave Herald of lying in its report on an incident at a pool in Ave Maria in which a 17-year-old youth was arrested on charges of sexual batterhy with special circumstances. The report is here.

Specifically, "Gabriel" states that  "The story was revised on Friday, Sept. 21 with this lie, "According to the police report, the girl had sent a text message to her father saying, 'Help me," which prompted her parents and others to begin searching for her.' There is no such statement about a text message contained in the police report, or anything even remotely close to it in nature. This outright lie propagates a false narrative of the events that allegedly occurred on Sept. 14, at the swimming pool at the Ave Maria town center.'

The police report, which The Ave Herald chose not to publish, states EXACTLY that, with the sheriff's deputy writing that the father "received a text from [name redacted] phone stating, "Help me," which I observed on his phone."

The specific page of the police report is viewable in PDF format by clicking here. Its veracity can be checked by calling the Collier County Sheriff's Office Public Information department.

The Ave Herald has no idea why someone would write such an incorrect and defamatory accusation. We'll also leave it up to people with more intelligence than "Gabriel" to ponder why, if The Ave Herald is a propaganda arm of the town of Ave Maria (which, of course, it is not -- it is independent) we would choose to report this incident at all.

The Ave Herald