Latest news with #Boehmer
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
'He wanted her dead': Jury hears graphic testimony in trial of teacher accused of sex abuse
Editor's note: This story contains descriptions of an attempted suicide and child sexual abuse that readers may find disturbing. WEST PALM BEACH — A former SouthTech Academy student walked into court wearing the high heels her teacher once told her not to. He preferred pigtails, no makeup and flats — anything that didn't make her look like a woman, she said. Now 17, she pointed to Damian Conti, the former AP English teacher who she says sexually assaulted her "almost every day." Conti, 37, is on trial for four counts of unlawful sex between a student and teacher and one of attempted assisted suicide. Prosecutors say he groomed and assaulted the girl over the course of the 2023–24 school year, then drove her to hang herself after his crimes were exposed. Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies found the teen hanging from a noose after school officials discovered inappropriate messages between the teacher and student. Deputies cut the rope and resuscitated her before taking her to the pediatric intensive care unit of St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where she slowly recovered. "He wanted her dead," Assistant State Attorney Alexa Ruggiero said June 24. "You'll see that when he's given the good news of her being alive still, you'll see and hear just how disappointed he is."' Ruggiero told jurors that Conti exploited his position of trust, slowly escalating the relationship from school emails to explicit Instagram messages and secret meetings for sex in secluded parking lots off campus. The prosecutor said he isolated his student from her friends and family, showered her with gifts and sent texts so explicit the jurors cringed. Conti's lead attorney, Assistant Public Defender Lily Boehmer, disagreed. She said the teacher had an inappropriate emotional connection with his student but never a sexual one. They said "I love you," she said. They talked every day. They went to the beach and drew hearts in the sand. They bought one another coffee, ran errands together, sent explicit messages to each other and "even kissed." "They pushed the boundary," Boehmer said. "But they never crossed it." She argued that the inappropriate messages discovered on the girl's phone caused authorities to jump to the wrong conclusion. As for why Conti admitted to sexually abusing the girl during his arrest, Boehmer said he was "willing to do and say anything" to protect the girl. Prosecutors said the opposite was true. They pointed to surveillance-camera footage of Conti accompanying the girl through a Home Depot near Lake Worth Beach where she bought enough rope to end both of their lives. The girl testified that she planned for the two of them to drive to a secluded area to hang themselves, though Conti told her repeatedly not to do it. Conti "said he didn't want to get charged with my murder," the girl testified. After she bought the rope anyway, she said he told her he wanted to go home to give his children a final goodbye. He remained in the Home Depot parking lot while she drove away with the rope. "I remember putting my head through the noose. I remember the rope holding me from the ground," she said. "I was dangling from the ground. I was losing oxygen." The last thing she said she remembers were her silent prayers for forgiveness. The girl testified from 11:30 a.m. until nearly 3 p.m., with a one-hour break in the middle, before prosecutors concluded their direct examination. Boehmer began her cross examination by alerting jurors to an ongoing civil lawsuit between the teen's family and SouthTech Academy. In the suit, the girl's parents accuse school administrators of turning a blind eye to Conti's conduct toward their daughter. "If you win the lawsuit, it's your understanding that you and your family will get a monetary gain?" Boehmer said. "Specifically, you and your family are asking for upwards of $75,000 in damages?" The teen said yes. Boehmer tried several times to ask the girl whether the outcome of Conti's criminal trial would affect the outcome of the civil lawsuit, but Circuit Judge Howard Coates struck the question each time as irrelevant. Boehmer moved on. She instead asked the teen to confirm whether she was the first to share her cellphone number with Conti, whether she was the first to kiss him on the cheek, whether she called Conti "Baby," "Sweet angel," "Sweet pea" and "Babe" in her messages to him. The girl agreed. This was a "relationship without a label," Boehmer said. She used that word — relationship — easily, though it had caused prosecutors to apologize each time they said it before her. "He never threatened you to have sex?" Boehmer asked. "He never physically pinned you down to force himself upon you? He never bribed you to have sex?" The girl said no to each. Coates paused the cross examination shortly before 4 p.m. and sent the jury home for the day. The girl will return to the witness stand when the trial resumes June 26. Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: SouthTech Academy student describes sex abuse by teacher Damian Conti
Vancouver Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Whitecaps eke out 2-2 draw against Valour FC in Canadian Championship quarterfinals
WINNIPEG — A late goal from Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed rescued a 2-2 draw for the Major League Soccer side against Canadian Premier League team Valour FC in the first game of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday. The three-time defending champion 'Caps controlled the game early, with Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Valour pushed back and drew even in the 38th minute when Rocco Romeo headed a shot in off a corner kick. The CPL club then went ahead in the 51st minute when Bruno Figueiredo blasted a shot in from distance. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Ahmed scored in the 80th minute to knot the score at 2-2 and kept the two sides level as the two-game aggregate series heads to B.C. Place on July 9. The result stretched Vancouver's unbeaten streak to 13 games (6-0-7) across all competitions. Valour earned its way into the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over semi-professional side TSS Rovers in the preliminary round. As defending champions, the Whitecaps had a bye through the tournament's first round. Vancouver struck just six minutes into the game, blasting a shot off from the top of the penalty area. The ball pinged in off the bottom off the crossbar to give the 'Caps an early 1-0 lead. Valour settled into the game over the next 30 or so minutes and came on strong toward the end of the half. The home side nearly levelled the score in the 31st minute when Vancouver defender Bjorn Utvik played the ball back to his 'keeper and Isaac Boehmer bobbled it. Valour's Jevontae Layne was in good position to poke the ball off the Canadian's foot, but Boehmer quickly covered it up. A corner helped get Valour on the board in the 38th minute. Themi Antonoglou curled it into the six-yard box where six-foot-five defender Romeo jumped up from the pack to head a shot in off the back post. Valour took the lead in the 51st minute when Figueiredo launched a rocket from above the penalty area, sailing the shot in over the diving Boehmer to make it 2-1. Tempers began to flare late in the game when Kris Twardek shoved Vancouver's Jeevan Badwal to the ground. The Valour midfielder received a yellow card, but on his team's touchline, assistant coach Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi was shown the red following a short interaction with officials. The Whitecaps made a series of substitutes, including bringing on American striker Brian White in the 64th minute, to inject some offence into the visiting side. The moves paid off in the 80th minute when Sebastian Berhalter — who came on for Belal Halbouni in the 54th minute _ curled a ball in on a corner kick. His initial service didn't create any chances, but when the ball fell near the top of the area, Ahmed _ who replaced Jayden Nelson in the 65th minute — collected it, turned and fired a shot in past Valour 'keeper Eleias Himaras to tie the match at 2-2.
Hamilton Spectator
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver Whitecaps draw Valour FC 2-2 in Canadian Championship quarterfinals
WINNIPEG - A late goal from Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed rescued a 2-2 draw for the Major League Soccer side against Canadian Premier League team Valour FC in the first game of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday. The three-time defending champion 'Caps controlled the game early, with Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Valour pushed back and drew even in the 38th minute when Rocco Romeo headed a shot in off a corner kick. The CPL club then went ahead in the 51st minute when Bruno Figueiredo blasted a shot in from distance. Ahmed scored in the 80th minute to knot the score at 2-2 and kept the two sides level as the two-game aggregate series heads to B.C. Place on July 9. The result stretched Vancouver's unbeaten streak to 13 games (6-0-7) across all competitions. Valour earned its way into the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over semi-professional side TSS Rovers in the preliminary round. As defending champions, the Whitecaps had a bye through the tournament's first round. Vancouver struck just six minutes into the game, blasting a shot off from the top of the penalty area. The ball pinged in off the bottom off the crossbar to give the 'Caps an early 1-0 lead. Valour settled into the game over the next 30 or so minutes and came on strong toward the end of the half. The home side nearly levelled the score in the 31st minute when Vancouver defender Bjorn Utvik played the ball back to his 'keeper and Isaac Boehmer bobbled it. Valour's Jevontae Layne was in good position to poke the ball off the Canadian's foot, but Boehmer quickly covered it up. A corner helped get Valour on the board in the 38th minute. Themi Antonoglou curled it into the six-yard box where six-foot-five defender Romeo jumped up from the pack to head a shot in off the back post. Valour took the lead in the 51st minute when Figueiredo launched a rocket from above the penalty area, sailing the shot in over the diving Boehmer to make it 2-1. Tempers began to flare late in the game when Kris Twardek shoved Vancouver's Jeevan Badwal to the ground. The Valour midfielder received a yellow card, but on his team's touchline, assistant coach Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi was shown the red following a short interaction with officials. The Whitecaps made a series of substitutes, including bringing on American striker Brian White in the 64th minute, to inject some offence into the visiting side. The moves paid off in the 80th minute when Sebastian Berhalter — who came on for Belal Halbouni in the 54th minute — curled a ball in on a corner kick. His initial service didn't create any chances, but when the ball fell near the top of the area, Ahmed — who replaced Jayden Nelson in the 65th minute — collected it, turned and fired a shot in past Valour 'keeper Eleias Himaras to tie the match at 2-2. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Vancouver Whitecaps draw Valour FC 2-2 in Canadian Championship quarterfinals
WINNIPEG – A late goal from Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed rescued a 2-2 draw for the Major League Soccer side against Canadian Premier League team Valour FC in the first game of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal on Tuesday. The three-time defending champion 'Caps controlled the game early, with Canadian defender Sam Adekugbe opening the scoring in the sixth minute. Valour pushed back and drew even in the 38th minute when Rocco Romeo headed a shot in off a corner kick. The CPL club then went ahead in the 51st minute when Bruno Figueiredo blasted a shot in from distance. Ahmed scored in the 80th minute to knot the score at 2-2 and kept the two sides level as the two-game aggregate series heads to B.C. Place on July 9. The result stretched Vancouver's unbeaten streak to 13 games (6-0-7) across all competitions. Valour earned its way into the quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over semi-professional side TSS Rovers in the preliminary round. As defending champions, the Whitecaps had a bye through the tournament's first round. Vancouver struck just six minutes into the game, blasting a shot off from the top of the penalty area. The ball pinged in off the bottom off the crossbar to give the 'Caps an early 1-0 lead. Valour settled into the game over the next 30 or so minutes and came on strong toward the end of the half. The home side nearly levelled the score in the 31st minute when Vancouver defender Bjorn Utvik played the ball back to his 'keeper and Isaac Boehmer bobbled it. Valour's Jevontae Layne was in good position to poke the ball off the Canadian's foot, but Boehmer quickly covered it up. A corner helped get Valour on the board in the 38th minute. Themi Antonoglou curled it into the six-yard box where six-foot-five defender Romeo jumped up from the pack to head a shot in off the back post. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Valour took the lead in the 51st minute when Figueiredo launched a rocket from above the penalty area, sailing the shot in over the diving Boehmer to make it 2-1. Tempers began to flare late in the game when Kris Twardek shoved Vancouver's Jeevan Badwal to the ground. The Valour midfielder received a yellow card, but on his team's touchline, assistant coach Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi was shown the red following a short interaction with officials. The Whitecaps made a series of substitutes, including bringing on American striker Brian White in the 64th minute, to inject some offence into the visiting side. The moves paid off in the 80th minute when Sebastian Berhalter — who came on for Belal Halbouni in the 54th minute — curled a ball in on a corner kick. His initial service didn't create any chances, but when the ball fell near the top of the area, Ahmed — who replaced Jayden Nelson in the 65th minute — collected it, turned and fired a shot in past Valour 'keeper Eleias Himaras to tie the match at 2-2. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Vancouver Whitecaps through to CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals with upset of CF Monterrey
The Vancouver Whitecaps toppled a giant on Wednesday. Going up against Spanish superstar Sergio Ramos and his CF Monterrey teammates in a hostile Mexican stadium, the 'Caps knew they were in for a tough test. Instead of wilting under the pressure, Vancouver rose to the challenge, earning a 2-2 draw that moved the club on to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. "I think that's what we showed tonight, that we were up for the challenge and that we can tango with them here," said goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer. The Major League Soccer club took a victory on away goals after the two-legged round-of-16 series finished with a 3-3 aggregate score. The 'Caps and Rayados also battled to a 1-1 draw at B.C. Place on March 5. The Whitecaps were granted the win because they scored two away goals in the series, while Monterrey had one. Vancouver is just the second MLS team since 2008 to beat a LIGA MX side to advance in the Champions Cup, following Columbus Crew who accomplished the feat against Tigres in the 2024 quarterfinals. "We knew it was going to be tough coming down to Mexico," said 'Caps striker Brian White, who came off the bench to score in the 78th minute. "A tough opponent, so credit to the boys for getting the result that we needed." Vancouver played without captain Ryan Gauld on Wednesday after the Scottish attacking midfielder went down in the team's 2-0 victory over CF Montreal in MLS play last Saturday. The Whitecaps have said Gauld suffered a left knee capsule sprain and will be out "a few weeks." "We have a lot of camaraderie. We have great depth on this team and we know that," Boehmer said. "So guys being out, we know some young guys can step up and do the job, which is important when you have a [packed] schedule." Monterrey's Sergio Canales opened the scoring in the fourth minute, collecting a cross into the box and slotting it in past Boehmer without hesitation. The Whitecaps regrouped and began to control play late in the first half, then carried the momentum into the second. "We know that we can play fast, we know that we have some players that can really move the ball fast, get to the right spots we want to go to and then we can attack from there," said Vancouver's head coach, Jesper Sørensen. "Really, we succeeded with that in the second half and I was really happy with that." Pedro Vite set up the equalizer in the 57th minute, chipping a pass to Ocampo. The Ecuadorean wingback blasted a shot past Monterrey keeper Esteban Andrada to level the score at 1-1 with his first goal as a Whitecap. White — who came on for Daniel Rios in the 58th minute — gave Vancouver the lead in the 78th, sending a right-footed shot in from near the penalty spot to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead. It was the American striker's fourth goal across all competitions this season. "The ball just seemed to pop out to me and I was able to turn and get the finish right," White said. "So just happy I was able to put that goal in and make it difficult for them to come out of this." Monterrey came within inches in the 81st minute when Canales sent a ball just wide of the post off a free kick. Nelson Deossa Suarez got the rebound and directed it on net, only to see the shot ping off the crossbar. Rayados were gifted a penalty kick in the seventh minute of injury time when officials determined after a video review that Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic took a ball off his hand inside the penalty area. Ramos — who did not travel to Vancouver for the first leg of the series — took the penalty kick. He stutter stepped, then sent a rolling shot into the bottom corner of the net to level the score at 2-2. Sorensen said he had "only praise" for his team after Wednesday's result. "I think the good thing is that the players always play with the right intentions," he said. "The way we want to play, we always try and execute. Sometimes it works better than others. And football is also a game of mistakes. But I think we are building confidence. And that's a good thing because then we can become a better team." The Whitecaps are now undefeated in their last six outings across all competitions (4-0-2) and will look to start the MLS campaign with a fourth straight league win when they visit FC Dallas on Saturday. It's been a busy start to the campaign, but one the team is relishing, White said. "I think it's been fun. I think everyone's really been enjoying it," he said. "Obviously it's tough, it's a lot of games. But I think we have such a good group that everyone's really enjoying the grind and we're getting good results. I think we're performing well." Vancouver will face either fellow LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM or Costa Rica's LD Alajulense in the quarterfinals. There's no preference between the two, Boehmer said. "Wherever we've got to go, we just want to get the job done."
