Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger posed for a picture with Milledgeville, Ga., police Sgt. Jerry Blash as the NFL star visited nightclubs in the college town. A 20-year-old college student says Roethlisberger assaulted her the same night; Blash took her complaint and wrote the initial police report. (Photo by The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.) See group photo below

By Jonathan Jackson
CNHI News Service

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The police officer who initially investigated the sexual assault complaint against Ben Roethlisberger posed for photographs with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback an hour before his accuser filed her complaint.

Sgt. Jerry Blash, who subsequently wrote a sparse incident report that did not name Roethlisberger, had a closeup picture taken with the celebrity football player inside a local bar and, later, outside the bar with a group of other officers.

CNHI News Service

SALEM, Mass. — The long arm of the last reached back into the last century to convict Robin Abrahams of rape.

Abrahams, 46, was sentenced Wednesday to 45 to 60 years in state prison.

It took the jury just shy of three hours to unanimously decide that Abrahams had raped a 15-year-old Newburyport, Mass., girl nearly 20 years ago.

Bob Hertzel

By Bob Hertzel
CNHI News Service

Having once been married to a woman who could spend an hour and a half in a shoe store trying to decide if she wanted her pumps in red or blue, only to walk out with a pair of pink mary janes. I understand just how difficult it has to be for an 18-year-old kid to decide upon which college he will attend. That's especially true if this kid is among the best football players in the nation and getting sold a bill of goods from every direction.
"

CNHI News Service

SALISBURY, Mass. — A Massachusetts woman who pleaded guilty to embezzling $450,000 as the company's financial officer is receiving unemployment benefits from the business that fired her.

"We received a form noting she has collected two checks, each for $629," said Mike Gouin, who works in sales for White Magic, a company that makes cleaning supplies. "I didn't think people could collect if they were fired and pleaded guilty to charges."

By Susan Flynn
CNHI News Service

IPSWICH, Mass. -- Heidi Bratt started losing her hair her senior year of high school.

"I was angry. It was devastating. I said, 'Why me?'" Bratt remembers. "But now I know the reason why."