Fults adamant he did not commit rape: Says 16-year-old boy was out to get his money
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Fults says the charges aren’t at all accurate and he wants his side of the story told.
“I am not guilty of rape,” Fults told the Standard Friday. “There is no way a multi-sport Riverdale athlete of his size could be afraid of me in any form or fashion. I was trying to help him and apparently I was taken advantage of and used.”
Fults says the teen stands 6-foot-1 and weighs around 215 pounds. Fults says he is 5-foot-10 and weighs around 170 pounds.
While refusing to get into specific details of his relationship with the teen, Fults said their friendship lasted about a year. During that time, he says he bought the teen jewelry, shoes and clothes. He also said he gave him about $1,000 cash over the course of the year.
“It was always $50 for this and $50 for that,” said Fults. “I was his sugar daddy.”
The teen maintains he was afraid of Fults and that Fults threatened to tell other students he was gay if he didn’t consent to sexual acts. It’s that alleged threat which led prosecutors to seek rape charges, which carry an eight to 20-year sentence. The charge of statutory rape, where sex is consensual, carries a one to two-year sentence.
The teen has told officers he was afraid of Fults. But Fults says he received calls from the teen “a half dozen times a day” and said that doesn’t indicate scared behavior.
Fults also questions the credibility of the boy’s mother, who testified in court she had no knowledge of any relationship between the two. Fults said he was frequently invited over for dinner and had even bought the mother gifts.
In addition to the mother, Fults says the teen has spun a web of lies. During last week’s preliminary hearing, the teen blurted out, “You’re not going to make me crack” while he was being questioned by Fults’ attorney.
Murfreesboro resident Pamela Carper says Fults has been a coach and teacher for both her son and daughter and has nothing but praise for him. She also attended last week’s preliminary hearing and said she was appalled at the teen’s behavior.
“He was sitting there laughing and joking the whole time. He made a joke of the trial,” said Carper. “And he’s supposed to be so traumatized.
“I’m absolutely amazed by this case. This guy was around Craig all the time. He called him all the time and anybody who knows Craig knows that’s what was happening. Craig was being rolled by this guy. That’s the only way I know how to put it.”
Fults’ mother, Betty Fults, says she is concerned for her son’s safety. She said she started receiving threatening phone calls about the time her son became close friends with the boy. While having no proof who is making the calls, and not wanting to level any unfair allegations, Mrs. Fults says the calls have been terrifying.
“I go home and go to bed and just about that time I get a phone call telling me they are going to hurt Craig,” said Mrs. Fults. “Just about any mom would go hysterical. It’s always from a cell phone because I can hear the signal sometimes fade in and out and the number is always blocked.”
Mrs. Fults says it’s curious the caller, always the same boy or same woman, has asked for huge amounts of money and at one point demanded a car for around a month. She says the request for a car ended about the time she learned the teen had just gotten a car.
“The callers have told me they wanted money or they are going to destroy Craig and his career,” said Mrs. Fults.