Published: April 29, 2008 11:52 am            

TUESDAY: Alleged assault suspects identified (11:52 a.m.)

WILSON — Wilson Town Court records have revealed the names of the three Wilson High School students charged in connection with an alleged hazing incident.

According to court records, Geoffrey A. Seefeldt, 18, 3650 Randall Road, Ransomville, was charged Friday with three counts of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

Colton J. Sherman and Christopher A. Sidote, both 16, were charged with one count each of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

The teens are accused of participating in the alleged hazing incident in the back of a school bus as the varsity and junior varsity baseball players returned to Wilson from a game in Niagara Falls on April 17.

They were arraigned Friday and are scheduled to appear again May 22 in Wilson Town Court.

The misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. The aggravated sexual assault charge, a felony, is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

State Police Maj. Christopher Cummings said investigators learned about the alleged incident Wednesday.

Cummings said there were 30 students on the bus at the time, along with three to five adults.

“The investigation revealed that the hazing incidents involved junior varsity students being taken to the back of the bus and subjected to physical abuse involving slapping, punching and kicking,” Cummings said at a press conference Monday. “These actions progressed to a level of criminal activity.”

The court documents accuse that the three teens of “(inserting) a foreign object in the rectum of a male while he was being held down on the floor of the school bus.”

Cummings said there was more than one alleged victim, though he would not say how many.

No injuries were reported, but Cummings said the alleged victims suffered “minor bruising.”

As a result of the allegations, Wilson’s varsity baseball season has been canceled, and varsity coach T.J. Baia and junior varsity coach Bill Atlas have been suspended from coaching.

Wilson Superintendent Michael Wendt said the Baia and Atlas are also teachers, but have not been suspended from teaching because they are tenured.

Citing student privacy concerns, Wendt would not say whether the three students who were arrested had been suspended, but he did say the students were not in school Monday.

State Police are still investigating the alleged incident and talking with several posible witnesses.

Cummings encouraged anyone with information about possible hazing at Wilson to call the state police Lockport barracks at 434-5588.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

        

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