Now that my 2011 season is over I wish to address what at least one person has referred to as "the elephant in the room". http://sassbrassnbullets.com/2011/09/08/elephant-in-the-room/
Please rest assured, I am as shocked as anyone regarding the accusations involving Billy Abbate and a fifteen year old minor. It has been incredibly hurtful to hear some people are speculating that I may have also been involved. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me be clear: I am not a suspect, nor will I ever be. I also was not a witness to any inappropriate behavior between the two, nor did I have any reason to suspect much less know that Abbate was engaging in a secret and illegal affair with the minor girl.
I have heard criticisms that I somehow should have known about the secret relationship between the minor and Mr. Abbate. I don’t see how, especially when I was not told the truth about their “friendship”. In fact, the family of the minor and Mr. Abbate had a closer relationship than I ever did with either party. I have also heard rumors that I engaged in lewd or distasteful acts with the minor. Rest assured, these disgusting rumors are patently false. I don't know if a specific individual is purposely spreading lies or if people are just widely speculating that I must somehow be involved because of my recent departure from my old sponsor. Regardless, I want to set the record straight and hope this puts an end to these sickening rumors.
Throughout my eleven year association with my former sponsor (eight years of which I served as an employee), I was completely loyal to the company. I acted as a mentor to numerous shooting team members and built a winning record of 150+ major championship wins using products from this company. I am proud of what I have accomplished. Some have said that I am taking the rest of the year off. While I am done competing this season by choice, I will rise above this unfortunate incident and will work hard on building a brand that will endure, just like I did before.
Respectfully,
Dave Sevigny
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Public Statement by Dave Sevigny
I haven't touched this mess, but because this mess has touched a good friend of mine I need to put this up. Dave Sevigny has always been a stand-up guy, a straight shooter and a friend. This public statement was published today on his Facebook Page, and if Dave says it, it is true:
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17 comments:
Sorry to hear Dave got involved in this somehow but I really feel bad for Jessie. I met her at the NRA show and she's a sweet a kid as she is gorgeous. She didn't deserve this.
@Justbill...It wasn't Jessie, though she married Billy and was 19 yrs younger than him. The "victim" is still on the team. When something like this happens and there are arrests and criminal charges, it seems as if a giant fishnet is thrown by the legal eagles and they try to rake in whatever they can, regardless of the victim's feelings or how it effects others. In this case, Dave became the fall guy and we can only hope none of us end up in such a situation. The most we can learn from this is to make sure that minors are ALWAYS with guardians when traveling or training. That was never Dave's job.
The move to make shooting and the shooting sports the new rock n roll stars ends up with this kind of stuff going on. If you think that you can jazz up all the TV shows, show provocative pictures in ads, have models in bikini's at the NRA show without attracting the "wrong" crowd to our sport and heritage you're kidding yourself.
The TV shows are starting to really turn me off. The "sexed" up, yelling and screaming, trailer trash goober attitudes are ruining the outdoors, sportsman image we have had for two hundred years in America.
Being able to run a gun in competition didn't protect a young girl from a pedophile shooter.
Anon, What I meant was I feel bad for Jessie's marriage being ruined by the selfish acts of her perverted ex and his un-named girlfriend. Although I guess there's little doubt who she is after Googling the subject.
Could have been worse in a way. He could have been buggering R. Lee Ermy instead of Tori Nonanka.
Lets play "Devil's Advocate" here; Dave is no doubt the "fall guy" in this situation. Why is he no longer representing Glock? Is it because of his so called "close friendship" to Billy Abbate or that he didn't report information to his employer that he did NOT have in the first place. What spooked Glock into believing making Dave the "fall guy" was the right action? Sounds like someone put FALSE information into Glock VPs... Did anyone ever stop to think how did this minor and Billy Abbate become so close in the first place? Take a look at the date that this article, from Abbate's home county newspaper, reports as to when this relationship started: http://www.henryherald.com/news/2011/aug/19/shooting-coach-businessman-facing-molestation-char/?ts=1313830550
According to the date reported, this consensual relationship had been going on for well over a year before being reported to the police. Did anyone ever stop to think where the parents might be in all this or even perhaps the (now) ex-wife? But instead, the person who catches the worst bite is Dave Sevigny. He is not the one to blame. It wasn't his responsiblity to chapperone, that would be under the title of being a parent. No one is looking at the facts reported in the articles (mostly from the Henry Herald) as to when this all started, March of 2010. And yet everyone is going to believe that the parents were completely clueless and continuously allowed their daughter to spend hours with Abbate, knowing he was going thru a not so clean divorce with a woman that is 20 years younger than him.
Some speculators are only seeing the envious side of this situation, instead of seeing the ENTIRE picture! The adults who are RESPONSIBLE for the minor and have been since this relationship began with Abbate need to accept the facts in this case and own up to their negligence. Dave is not the one to blame. Him, along with the rest of the shooting industry had not one clue that this relationship was taking place between Abbate and the minor.
As far as the word "victim" being used... could be questionable. Has anyone ever stopped and actually defined it? One that is being forced, tricked or duped. After reading this article, it's hard to believe that the "victim" even sees herself as a victim; http://www.henryherald.com/news/2011/aug/25/conditional-100000-bond-set-abbate/?ts=1313830550
Trying to secretly visit Abbate after the parents went to the police doesn't sound like a "victim's" actions. But of course, the envious spectators can't use what little brains they have to read a few articles here and there and put two and two together to see this situation for what it is. After all there are numerous minors having consensual sex with adults everyday and committing first degree murder, but do not have the hammer coming down on them. The Henry Herald also reported that the minor has stated that it was consensual, meaning she was not forced. When do these minors/victims accept responsibility for their actions? The article also said there were explicit photos of their relations...
Everyone stop and take a breath, quit assuming and believing everything you "HEAR". Read the newspaper and use some commensense. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out!
Handling minors in professional endeavors requires more than a random adult becoming a "mentor" or "guardian". Look at the school systems in towns and cities. There are training requirements, legal counseling, and supervisory monitoring. And that isn't always enough.
These gun companies may think its just fine to hire a 15 year old kid as a pro but they are playing with fire. If they are not prepared to "fence in" the youngsters, protecting themselves from themselves and others, they risk this kind of event.
I have nothing against kids in shooting, but like the LPGA, Tennis or any other pro activity, they need dedicated watching. Either that or you put in place a minimum age for the industry.
Glock ultimately is to blame for this. They have one CFO going to jail, and I bet ya there is a multi million dollar law suit just waiting for them over this.
Well said... But if Glock were aware of a mutli million lawsuit than why is the minor still on the shooting team? Extorsion maybe?
I am so pleased to see people are finally getting the big picture! I didn't know anything about a Glock Executive getting in trouble? When did that happen and was there a report?
Glock exec goes on trial soon.
http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202517122328&Glock_ExGeneral_Counsel_Under_the_Gun_in_Racketeering_Trial
The Glock executive deal happened a while back... nothing real recent, it's just now going to trial.
It seems as though this is the only blog that actually has some good intel, being that it is anonymous. Goes to show many are cautious to provide gritty details. It's obvious reading info on other forums and facebook that the "rumor feeders" are quick to spit out what they might believe to be truthful facts, but can never back their statements with reliable sources.
Paul F. Jannuzzo, a former New Jersey prosecutor who served as Austria-based Glock's general counsel and top executive in the U.S. from 1991 to 2003, was extradited earlier this year from Amsterdam, where he fled in 2009 shortly before he was scheduled to go to trial on the charges.
Glad to know it wasn't related to this whole mess. I saw the article about the attempted murder on the elderly Mr.Glock himself by his partner. Seems as if the company has plenty of skeletons in their closet. Too bad they are so quick to the trigger and lost the one and only true Good Guy they had representing them! R. Lee Ermey is a nice guy..but not like Dave..a true class act and ambassador to the sport. Monkeys have run that asylum. Dave is too good for them!
I agree with you on this forum. Thanks Michael. It's good to know some people can still read and critically think for themselves! The rumor mill only has one concern. Throwing stones at the fruitful tree in order to deflect from their own part in all of this. I would love to see the parents be made responsible for what they have done to their girl. Those shorts and tight shirts! Leaving her alone with a guy who obviously loves them young..19 yrs the elder of Jessie and apparently had her pinned from a much earlier age. God knows what she's been through too! Abbate used his power and authority on so many levels to bring their minds to his. Its sad that they were corrupted but then...no one stopped it. Rather that image was encouraged. Parents are to blame..not Glock...though they are as dysfunctional as the family.
While I have heard nothing but good things about Dave! I have to say that a public statement on the issue was pretty dumb. As the fans, media and forums were wondering where Dave was going to land after leaving Glock, there was very little talk or speculation about this matter and any involvement on Sevigny's part. The Internet seemed (and still seems to be) universally supportive of Dave, and was wondering more about what company he would be shooting for next. You have to remember the internet is forever, and as this gets reposted and reposted the statement has switched the search engine's and internet's attention from his amazing shooting accomplishments and skills to this matter with every repost, comment, and google search, forever tying his name to it -involved or not. As an avid competitor and gun forum fan, II wasn't even aware of Dave being involved. Now it is getting replayed everywhere. Bad move. Get a good lawyer and PR agency Dave. Best of luck.
Funny how all those out there in the industry with platforms for driving home the sales of some new gadget, some new fabulous training school, some new something, fall silent when one of their own turns out to be a pervert. No more "my good friend", no more "shooting makes for good character". Billy who?
Where were all the industry types, match sponsors, match organizers, tv show types, the publicity types promoting the young kids, taking photos, approving interviews and appearances? That this was going on for at least a year? You think this was the first and only time this guy was hitting on an underage girl? You think he is the only cretin out there?
As Sgt Schultz of Hogan's Heroes used to say, "I see nothing".
" As an avid competitor and gun forum fan, I wasn't even aware of Dave being involved. Now it is getting replayed everywhere. Bad move. Get a good lawyer and PR agency Dave. Best of luck."
While that is true, the google searches haven't gone bad on Dave. Rather quite the opposite when you look at how many years he's been in the sport. This is only one unfortunate incident. Seeing the history inside Glock, he's damn lucky he wasn't involved in some corp. crap along the way before now. He's still at the top of his game. I suppose he could have stayed quiet and let rumors change and morph into something even more perverted, attaching those ideas with his name in the minds of those he thought as friends, fans and sponsors. I'm sure staying silent only fueled those who thought they could get away with that kind of malicious behavior and made it seem like he might have something to hide by not responding to them. I can see from the posts on his FB page that the fans obviously appreciate the fact that he addressed the issue rather than ignored it or let it be speculated on forever...which would have been even more damaging. Also, why would he need a lawyer and a whole PR campaign if he didn't do anything to start with? I think he's said it all and its done with now. I'm sure his sponsors appreciate clearing the air, as well. As a fan, I thought it was appropriate and classy. Thanks Dave for doing what's right...like usual.
So some have heard only about Sevigny's departure from Glock and others have heard the explanation behind it, and yes the flags are up on where he will go next.
Whether or not anyone had heard of this "situation" Sevigny made the appropriate move by releasing his "Public Statement". For the ones who had heard much speculation, his words answered their questions; For the ones who had not, let this be a form of proven loyalty by Sevigny that he wanted his friends, family and fans to hear of his situation from him first.
It looks as though Sevigny has had more support than anything else and it's pathetic of certain blameless people to have handle this matter the way they have.
As for this statement becoming public knowledge across the internet; let it be permanent. This was an act of truth and honesty coming from someone who has been well respected by the shooting industry and its' spectators for years. Sevigny has made a name for himself and is not one to sit back and let a handful of egotistical people attempt to ruin him.
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