Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

An upcoming exhibition of quilts at St. Bonaventure University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts aims to comfort victims of sexual assault while focusing on the need to create safer environments for all. “Discomforters,” an exhibition of quilts by fiber artist Ruta Butkus Marino, former curator at the Quick Center, opens Monday, April 1, and runs through Thursday, April 11. A panel discussion of sexual assault featuring Marino and panelists from the university and the local community will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Quick Center. The panel discussion is open to all. Words on Marino’s quilts are direct quotes taken from Project Unbreakable, a web-based photography project started in 2011 by then 19-year-old Grace Brown, the friend of a sexual assault survivor. Before disbanding the project, Brown collected more than 4,000 submissions from around the world, each photo showing a sexual-assault survivor holding a poster with a quote by his or ...

Jerry Sandusky’s latest appeal process is underway. Sandusky was not at the meeting in the Centre County Courthouse, where Judge John Cleland, met with the convicted child molester’s new lawyer, along with prosecutors. Cleland gave the new lawyer until early May to revise what’s already been submitted to the court for this appeal. Prosecutors will then have 30 days to respond. They also discussed how much of the original grand jury testimony can be used in the appeal. Much of it has remained sealed by a 2012 court order. Sandusky has been jailed since June 2012 when he was convicted on 45 child sex-abuse charges. He could be behind bars for up to 60 years. Pictured, Judge John Cleland The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Duke Center man has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Prosecutors say on December 12 38-year-old Walter Randall changed his address and did not notify the state sex offender registry within 10 days. Back in 1995, in Olean, he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 13. ~~~ A Bradford woman has pleaded guilty to a theft charge. 19-year-old Karlie Ryan stole property in Olean on September 13. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 11. ~~~ A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty to trying to have sexual contact with a child. Prosecutors say Larry Tadder of Olean tried to have inappropriate contact with a child younger than 11 on November 1 in Olean. He’s scheduled for sentencing on April 13. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police are investigating two sexual assaults – one on School Street; the other on Pleasant Street. We’ll have more information on these incidents when police make it available. Also on Wednesday, officers investigated an assault on Forman Street, motor vehicle accidents on West Washington, East Main and Congress streets, and disturbances on West Corydon Street and South Avenue. Police were also asked to look into disorderly conduct on Osborne Place and suspicious activity on Forman Street. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police are investigating two reported sexual assaults, one on South Center Street; the other on Cornen Street. Also Thursday, officers were called to reports of disorderly conduct on Lincoln and Bushnell streets, harassment on Mechanic Street, and trespassing on Bushnell Street. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man will spend the next two years in state prison for raping a child. 33-year-old Chad Springstead of Allegany had sex with a person younger than 15 in April of last year in the Town of Allegany. Springstead will be on probation for five years when he’s released from prison. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 41-year-old man already in McKean County Jail for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl is facing more charges – including rape. Police say Joseph Allen Snyder of Kane sexually abused the victim in late November at a home in the borough. On November 26 police filed charges of indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and corruption of minors. Additional felony counts of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, and unlawful contact with a minor have now been field. Snyder remains in McKean County Jail on $200,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

While investigating a property dispute in Smethport state police learned that one of the people involved was a Megan’s Law sex offender and required to register with them. 52-year-old Lawrence Meyer was arrested on a warrant and then sent to McKean County Jail on $10,000 cash bond. In 2007, Meyer was convicted of sexually abusing a child. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Coudersport man is in Potter County Jail for raping a woman over the weekend. Police say 27-year-old John Mayernik raped the 28-year-old woman at around 11 o’clock Saturday night in Summit Township. Besides rape, Mayernik is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A massage therapist has been accused of inappropriately touching his clients. State police charged 40-year-old Daniel Lee of Ellicottville with two counts of forcible touching and two counts of sex abuse following complaints by two people, and a subsequent investigation. Lee was giving the victims a massage at the Anew Beginning Massage and Spa when the alleged abuse happened. He is scheduled to appear in Village of Ellicottville Court. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call state police in Machias. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 55-year-old Kane man accused of having sexual contact with his girlfriend’s underage relative in 2012 has waived his preliminary hearing. The victim told McKean County Children and Youth Services that Steven Rolfe performed the sex acts on her without her consent when she was left alone with him, according to papers filed in District Judge David Engman’s office. Police say the victim’s friend saw through a window that Rolfe was “messing with” her. Rolfe remains in McKean County Jail on a quarter of a million dollars bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 41-year-old man is in McKean County Jail after being accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. Police say Joseph Allen Snyder of Kane sexually abused the victim between Sunday and Monday at a home in the borough. Snyder is charged with felony counts of indecent assault of a person younger than 13 and corruption of minors. His bail is set at $200,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old. Prosecutors say Andrew Hughes was 25 years old when he had sex with the teenager in February of last year. Hughes is scheduled for sentencing in McKean County Court on February 12. He remains jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 55-year-old Kane man is accused of having sexual contact with his girlfriend’s underage relative in 2012. The victim told McKean County Children and Youth Services that Steven Rolfe performed the sex acts on her without her consent when she was left alone with him, according to papers filed in District Judge David Engman’s office. Police say the victim’s friend saw through a window that Rolfe was “messing with” her. Rolfe was arraigned this afternoon on charges of sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors, and indecent assault. He is in jail on a quarter of a million dollars bail. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The 20-year-old Bradford man accused of raping a 14-year-old, and having sex with another teenager, has waived his preliminary hearing. Garrett Evan had sexual intercourse with the girl after she repeatedly told him she didn’t want to. At one point, according to court papers, he said, “Just let me keep going.” He also had sex with a 15-year-old old. Both incidents happened in October. Court papers say the meetings were set up on Facebook. Evan remains in McKean County Jail on $15,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man originally charged with nearly 900 offenses related to sexually abusing a girl for 10 years will spend the next 22 ½ to 45 years in state prison. 66-year-old Gordon Link of Port Allegany pleaded no contest in April to aggravated indecent assault and corruption of minors. He is accused of sexually abusing a girl between the time she was 5 years old until she turned 15. He has been deemed a sexually violent predator. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 20-year-old Bradford man is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, and he and his friend are accused of having sex with other teenage girls. Garrett Evan had sexual intercourse with the girl after she repeatedly told him she didn’t want to. At one point, according to court papers, he said, “Just let me keep going.” He also had sex with a 15-year-old old. Both incidents happened earlier this month. His friend Matthew Wells had sex with one 15-year-old girl three times at a party back in August, when he was 19 years old. He also had sex with a different 15-year-old girl earlier this month. Court papers say the meetings were set up on Facebook. Evan and Wells are each charged with aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault of a person younger than 16 and unlawful contact with a minor. Besides rape, Evan is also charged with sexual assault. They are in McKean County Jail and $30,000 cash bail each. The news leader of the T...

A panic alarm in a Warren woman’s house helped police catch a man who is now charged with attempted rape. They say the alarm went off at 3:30 Tuesday morning and, when they got to the woman’s house they heard her screaming and found 41-year-old Martin Chambers of Warren inside. Police say he had been lying in wait and forced his way into the back of the house. Besides attempted rape he is charged with aggravated indecent assault, burglary and related offenses. He is in Warren County Jail on $100,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A level three sex offender is back behind bars after allegedly being too close to a school in Dunkirk Wednesday afternoon. Police say 66-year-old Richard Conti was on a street corner watching students leave Dunkirk Middle School when there is a valid order of protection against him, saying he is not allowed within 150 feet of any school. Back in 2002 he was convicted of sexually abusing three children – ages 5, 6 and 8 – in 2001. He’s being held without bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A convicted sex offender has pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing a child earlier this year in Olean. 23-year-old Ryan Tarr had sex with a 16-year-old girl in 2011. Then in 2012 he was charged with failing to register as a sex offender. Now he’s charged with sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly having sexual contact with a child younger than 13 on July 16. The case has been adjourned for motions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947