Prosecutor: Loopholes Helped ReVille

There were chances in 2007 to stop Louis “Skip” ReVille from victimizing more boys, but loopholes in the law and inaction allowed him to go on to victimize 14 or more young men.

That’s according to Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Solicitor Scarlett Wilson who on Tuesday laid out a 22-count indictment against ReVille, the coach and private school administrator who allegedly engaged in sexual contact with young boys for nearly a decade.

In 2007, a teenager told officials at the Citadel that ReVille, then a summer camp counselor at the public military college, had viewed pornography with him and engaged in sexual acts in a dorm room. The accuser was a summer camper.

School records indicate the Citadel dispatched a lawyer to take depositions in the case, but it was never reported to police. A grand jury returned indictments on that incident Tuesday.

Despite a wide-ranging mandatory reporter law in South Carolina, the Citadel was within the legal bounds not to report the incident, Wilson said.

“As it stands today, and as it did back then, the Citadel did not have a legal obligation to report the incident,” Wilson said. “They aren’t specifically listed in the statute. … Obviously that needs to change.”

Despite that, the college and others should recognize their duty as citizens to stop future victims.

“Despite our law not being in the best shape, citizens need to recognize their moral obligation … to get (victims) the help they need,” Wilson said.

The mother of one of ReVille’s alleged victims, whose son never attended a Citadel summer camp, is suing the college alleging the school could have stopped future abuse if it had reported the incident. Another parent has filed a similar lawsuit against Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville.

South Carolina should change its statute on mandatory reporting, requiring that all citizens be bound by the law to report apparent abuse when it’s noticed or reported, Wilson said.

“Every time there is an event (such as this), they realize there is a loophole and they change the law,” Wilson said. “Obviously, anyone with information needs to get in touch with authorities.”

On Tuesday, Wilson spoke about the 22-count indictment handed down Tuesday. It tallies ReVille’s alleged victims at 15, she said. Those teenage boys span three counties and could grow as the case progresses. Wilson is preparing for a June jury trial, if the case isn’t settled before then.