Firefighter Accused of Sexual Assault on Fire Victim

Posted by: Curt Varone May 25, 2011 0

A volunteer firefighter from Fairfield County, South Carolina has been accused of sexually assaulting a legally blind fire victim over the weekend.

On Saturday, Ralph Marthers , 51, returned to the home of the female victim following a small fence fire to deliver a copy of the fire report when the assault took place. As unbelievable as the story sounds, it gets even worse: Mathers is a registered sex offender.

This is the second case involving a firefighter who is a registered sex offender in recent memory. Recall the case from North Carolina last year involving Red Oak Volunteer Fire Department Captain Robert O’Neal.

Marthers was suspended from the department. For more on the story.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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