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Suspects in school sex attack freed from house arrest

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The judge told Randall Moye, Diemante Roberts, Raymond Price-Murray and Lee Myers (not pictured) to have ''zero contact'' with the victim.

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2009

Updated: 05/26/2009 08:05 pm

TAMPA - Four middle school students accused of sexually assaulting a flag-football teammate in the school locker room were freed from house arrest and electronic monitoring Tuesday after their arraignment was delayed.

Prosecutors have not decided whether to charge the teens as juveniles or adults, said Assistant State Attorney Kimberly Hindman. She said her office is still sifting through forensic evidence and investigating the allegations.

The arraignment was rescheduled for June 9.

Because of the continuance, Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Christopher Sabella removed the teens from house arrest and electronic monitoring.

He said court rules gave him no choice after Hindman said the state wasn't ready to charge the teens, who were arrested three weeks ago. Sabella reminded Hindman of the consequences, which she accepted as part of the continued investigation.

Sabella admonished the teens to have "absolutely zero" contact with the alleged victim.

Three of the defendants were in court: Raymond Price-Murray, 14; Randall John Moye, 14; and Diemante Roberts, 15.

The fourth, Lee Louis Myers, 14, did not attend. Myers' attorney waived his appearance.

None of the parties commented after the hearing.

Hillsborough sheriff's deputies say the teens assaulted a 13-year-old classmate at Walker Middle School on April 30 using a broomstick and hockey stick. Deputies say two of the teens held down the boy in a locker room at the Odessa-area school while the other two assaulted him.

The victim was harassed and bullied by the four suspects for nearly two months before the assault, deputies said.

All five teens were members of the school's flag football team, officials said.

Parent Cheryl Donish said it's "scary" to think what happened at her son's school.

"Bullying happens at every school, but you never think it's going to come to this," Donish said. "What they did is not normal bullying. I think they should be treated as adults. I don't think they should be allowed to walk the streets."

The victim's name has not been released because of the nature of the alleged crime.

The four suspects were arrested May 6 and released from juvenile detention the next day.

After their arrests, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi, a spokeswoman for the state attorney's office, said the teens would be charged as adults.

Hindman said Tuesday that any formal charges would be filed once prosecutors decide whether to deal with the suspects as juveniles or adults.

Bobbi Flowers, a professor at Stetson University College of Law, said the delay could mean prosecutors aren't sure whether all the suspects are equally responsible.

"Maybe they are looking at different levels of participation," she said. "Prosecutors could want the additional time to determine which of the kids were directly involved and who might have been a lesser player."

She said the delay also could be part of potential plea negotiations if prosecutors believe some of the teens are less culpable.

The four teens recently completed their 10-day school suspensions and the Hillsborough County School District held a hearing to determine where to place each of them.

Citing privacy laws that govern student records, district officials won't reveal the outcome of the hearing, except to say the students won't return to Walker Middle.

A change of placement would determine the best schooling options, which could include any of the district's five alternative schools, or home and charter schools.

Tribune reporter Adam Emerson contributed to this report. Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698.

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