Prosecutors say former skateboarder’s conviction sends message to survivors

CHARLOTTE — A former professional skateboarder was sentenced to 116 years in prison for sexually abusing young boys; now, prosecutors and police are highlighting the case as a reminder to survivors that they can come forward no matter how long it’s been since a sexual assault.

Channel 9 Crime Reporter Hunter Sáenz spoke with people who fought for justice after the abuse, which dates all the way back to the 1990s. They said it was rewarding to see the verdict after all of these years.

“He did the exact same thing to each child,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Detective Misty James.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

For the first time, James and the two prosecutors who put Wayne Ray Goff in prison for the rest of his life are now speaking out about the harrowing case.

“We took 18 charges to the jury,” said Mecklenburg County prosecutor Terra Varnes. “That is also an unusual number because of the number of victims and the years that this behavior did transpire.”

Varnes and fellow prosecutor Katie Atwood prosecuted Goff, with the help of at least 10 courageous survivors who came forward and took the stand last month.

In the ‘90s, the now-disgraced skateboarder was admired by kids and was a mentor to many whose parents entrusted him.

“The defendant would use these opportunities to take overnight trips or overnight events at his house, and he would use those overnight visits as a chance to abuse the kids when they were asleep,” Atwood said.

James said she got an email from the first victim to come forward in 2022. By then, the victim was in his 40s.

“This grown man sat in front of me and started to cry ... and says that his son came forward and said, ‘Daddy, I want you to teach me how to skate.’ And he said, immediately, all the emotions that he had from being sexually assaulted by Mr. Goff came rushing back,” James told Sáenz.

Other victims came forward, and Channel 9 was there a month later when CMPD filed charges against Goff.

Wayne Ray Goff Former pro skateboarder sentenced to 116 years in prison for sexually abusing children

Goff, 56, was found guilty on all charges last week and sentenced to more than a century behind bars.

“To know that those victims got justice, it’s rewarding,” James said.

They said it also sent a clear message to other survivors out there.

“It tells them that it’s never too late to come forward, it tells them that they will be heard,” Varnes said.

There wasn’t a smoking gun in this case, or any DNA evidence. The conviction was because of the similar, traumatic testimony from the survivors.

Sáenz learned that even after this conviction, CMPD has been contacted by another potential victim whom they plan to speak with.

Goff was taken back into custody in Mecklenburg County on April 29, and he’s awaiting transfer to a North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections facility.