Sentencing set for Rossok

Saturday, December 4, 2010
Rossok

GREENCASTLE -- A former youth softball coach has pled guilty to Class D felony sexual misconduct with a minor and Class A misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Elizabeth Anne Rossok will be sentenced in Putnam County Circuit Court on Jan. 27. She could face up to four years in jail.

A warrant for Rossok's arrest was issued on Nov. 10, and she turned herself in to authorities. At her initial hearing on Nov. 12, Rossok's attorney Todd Sallee informed the court that his client wished to set a change of plea hearing.

That same day, 10 percent of a $20,000 bond was posted and Rossok was released from jail.

The charges against Rossok, who coached a local softball league for girls 14 and younger and had served several times as a substitute teacher at Putnam County schools, stem from an alleged relationship Rossok had with a girl on a softball team she coached.

An investigation began on Sept. 24 when the Putnam County Department of Child Services was alerted that Rossok might be having a romantic relationship with an underage girl.

When interviewed, the victim told authorities that she began a relationship with Rossok in August 2009, a few months after the two met.

Court documents said the girl told police that at first she and Rossok were "kissing and making out," and that soon the relationship became sexual in nature. The victim said the last time she and Rossok had been together romantically was a couple of days before the investigation began, and that most of her encounters with Rossok had taken place at Rossok's Greencastle apartment.

Rossok and the victim used various forms of communication throughout their relationship, including cell phone calls, text messages and online social sites.

Police seized the victim's and Rossok's cell phones, which court records said held images of Rossok and the victim in romantic situations. When police searched Rossok's apartment, Rossok's roommate said that she, the alleged victim and Rossok had watched pornographic videos together. Police also found notes written by Rossok to the alleged victim, court documents said.

The alleged victim also told police that Rossok had provided her with alcohol and the two had consumed it together on several occasions. Because Rossok was not old enough to purchase alcohol her roommate, Candace Wesley, would buy it.

Wesley, 21, has been charged with two counts of Class A misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. An initial hearing in that case is set for Dec. 15.

Court documents said several people close to the victim including her parents, had become suspicious of Rossok's relationship with the victim, and that the victim said she and Rossok had discussed the fact that Rossok could be arrested if the true nature of their relationship were uncovered.

The victim's mother had entrusted the care of the victim and the victim's younger siblings to Rossok on several occasions, court records said.

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  • She deserves much more than 4 years in jail.

    This case thoroughly disgusts me.

    -- Posted by grossedout! on Sun, Dec 5, 2010, at 2:18 PM
  • let the court figure that out and mind your own business.

    -- Posted by justducky on Sun, Dec 5, 2010, at 8:06 PM
  • Why does the Banner-Graphic continually report a story in its entirety and then add a little additional information each time an added part is released and repeat the entire story again and again? It's just filler, filler, filler, filler.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Mon, Dec 6, 2010, at 12:09 AM
  • It is SICK! YES, it should be reported and maybe these sick people will learn to leave the young kids alone. Whatever adults choose to do is completely their own business but don't start bringing in underage kids and thinking it's okay and too much 'reporting' by the Banner... It's obvious that she knew better but continued anyway. Bad bad judgement! Now, she should get what she deserves!

    -- Posted by bannerstuff on Mon, Dec 6, 2010, at 8:27 AM
  • This offense is public knowledge, therefore it IS our business. She was a coach, a public figure, that chose to commit this horrendous crime. What makes her case so special that the public shouldn't be updated on her status? People that violate children, in my opinion (as many others would agree), are the most disgusting people that walk the earth. Yet we should mind our own business? WRONG.

    -- Posted by taxpayer21 on Mon, Dec 6, 2010, at 5:32 PM
  • This stuff has been going on for years and years-just so happens that we have advanced that something is being done about it. People use to know about this kind of stuff and kept their mouth shut. Thank God times have changed.

    -- Posted by peace2019 on Thu, Dec 9, 2010, at 5:00 PM
  • Everybody gets what they deserve in the end! Have fun in DOC

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Sun, Dec 12, 2010, at 6:50 PM
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