New York Jets legend Joe Namath was accused of turning a blind eye to the sexual abuse that was taking place at his soccer camp greater than 50 years in the past.
Philip Lyle Smith, who filed the lawsuit in 2019 underneath the identify “John Doe,” spoke out publicly for the primary time in regards to the horrifying ordeal. He informed the New York Post in a narrative revealed Sunday evening that Brooklyn Poly Prep Country Club soccer coach John Foglietta was allowed to repeatedly assault Smith on the camp beginning in 1972, when he was simply 12 years outdated.
Foglietta was later revealed to be a serial sexual abuser on the faculty the place he labored and sparked a large 2012 settlement with a number of intercourse abuse victims. He died in 1998.
Joe Namath attends a sport between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Smith accused Namath and others as being “enablers and pedophile protectors.”
“Back in those days, Joe Namath was my idol,” he informed the New York Post. “And he went from my hero to a zero in my life.”
Smith stated that as he confronted abuse, he acquired alternatives to eat meals with Namath and John Dockery, who was additionally named in Smith’s lawsuit. He stated Foglietta used the particular remedy to justify his sexual abuse.
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“Every night he’d say, ‘See what I did? … You have pictures with so and so … Joe talked to you … How you can do that without me?’” Smith informed the newspaper. “That was part of his grooming to abuse me.”
Smith’s lawsuit was filed underneath the Child Victims Act, which is now expired. The legislation quickly reopened the statute of limitations to permit alleged victims to file civil lawsuits towards firms and people.
He stated within the lawsuit Foglietta had him sleep in his mattress, and camp counselors went so far as to insist that he accomplish that. He stated Foglietta informed him that as a result of he was not truly enjoying in camp, he must keep in his room. The camp was normally for highschool college students.
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath walks off the sector throughout a sport with the Miami Dolphins at Shea Stadium on Nov. 24, 1974 in Queens, New York. (Ross Lewis/Getty Images)
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Among the graphic allegations, Smith stated Foglietta would masturbate in entrance of him and tried to masturbate him, however he was solely 12 years outdated and “couldn’t achieve an erection.” He stated Foglietta would present him pornographic magazines on the camp after which the following morning would act like nothing occurred. He stated he was “violated manually for the first two to three years.”
Smith stated the Penn State intercourse abuse scandal obtained him to open up about his abuse to his spouse.
He amended his lawsuit in 2021 and accused Namath, Dockery and others of negligence, insufficient safety, breach of obligation, assault, battery and inflicting emotional misery. He is searching for unspecified damages.
Joe Namath, left, and John Dockery attend a Ring of Honor ceremony at halftime of the sport between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 1, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Al Pereira/New York Jets/Getty Images)
Lawyers for Namath and Dockery didn’t reply to Fox News Digital’s request for remark.
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