The Predator in the Church Basement

How a millionaire pedophile inside New York’s Riverside Church built the model for a $40 billion youth-sports industry and destroyed children's lives. A Rolling Stone and Sportico joint investigation.

As alleged in multiple ongoing lawsuits against Riverside Church, Lorch terrorized and abused many of his players, using his money, power, and stature to satisfy his raging pedophilia. In that Massachusetts locker room, Lorch didn’t spank Walker after he pulled down his shorts; according to Walker’s sworn testimony, the then-47-year-old tried to rape the 16-year-old from behind. “This motherfucker, he fucking ejaculates on me,” Walker said in a court deposition. He felt he could do nothing to retaliate. “I was scared,” he testified. When asked what he feared, Walker, now 65, echoed what others interviewed for this article say: “The true nature of power and control. This man had power over my career as an athlete.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/riverside-church-basketball-ernie-lorch-abuse-lawsuit-1235446199/