Families Quiet After Carrier Verdict

The 22 alleged young victims in the trial of a former Colorado Springs police officer said they and their families face more emotional turmoil after Tuesday’s verdict.

Rick Levinson, who represents 14 of the families, said the victims likely will have to testify again in a second trial, and in a civil trial expected to follow.

Former officer Joshua Carrier was accused of molesting wrestlers at Mann Middle School while serving as a volunteer wrestling coach. A jury convicted him on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child through possession of child pornography, but acquitted or failed to decide on more than 130 counts of sexual assault.

“The victims are more than willing to testify again, to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” said Levinson. “The families are a remarkable group of people. They’ve almost become a family to each other.”

Levinson said the potential for more trials, and the length of the recent trial, probably left families too exhausted to comment on the verdict.

“They feel that there’s justice in (Carrier) is no longer on the street,” he said. “That was very important for them.”

However, Levinson blames police and School District 11 for not keeping a closer watch on Carrier.

“We’re sorry that our kids aren’t going to get closure,” said Levinson. “I’m wondering when the school district and police are going to realize that they made some serious mistakes, and they’re responsible for much of the harm caused to our clients.”

Levinson said the school district and police department, among other parties, will be named as defendants in the civil trial, to be scheduled after the criminal process ends. Carrier also may be a co-defendant, said Levinson, because he’s considered an indispensable party.

The plaintiffs in the civil case are believed to seek $1 million in damages for each alleged victim.