CLAYTON, Mo. -- A 14-year-old girl and her parents, who filed a $1 million civil suit against former St. Louis Blues forward Doug Gilmour alleging he seduced the girl, have agreed to cooperate in a criminal investigation, a prosecutor said.
St. Louis County Prosecutor George 'Buzz' Westfall said Friday he met with the girl's parents for two hours Thursday in his office and the couple agreed to cooperate with a grand jury investigation into the case.
Last month, a county grand jury indicted Richard Schwartz, one of the attorneys for the girl's parents, accusing him of trying to obtain money from the Blues to keep from going public with allegations about an affair between Gilmour and the girl. Schwartz has pleaded innocent to the felony charge of concealing an offense.
The accusation against Gilmour was never reported to authorities but became known in August when the girl and her parents filed suit against Gilmour and his wife, Robyne Gilmour, and the Blues' organization. Gilmour filed a countersuit last month.
The girl was 13 years old when the affair with Gilmour is alleged to have begun.
Gilmour was traded to the Calgary Flames shortly after the allegations became public.
The parents said they refused to cooperate with Westfall on Schwartz's advice and asked for a special prosecutor in the case. They noted Westfall's friendship with Blues owner Michael Shananhan and critical remarks by the prosecutor after the suit was filed.
Westfall said the family's testimony before the grand jury could come as early as next week. Gilmour also will be expected to testify before the panel, the prosecutor said.
In another development in the case, Westfall has filed a motion in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to dismiss a lawsuit filld against them by Schwartz and the family, known only as the Does. The suit is aimed at halting prosecution of Schwartz. Westfall said in his motion that his office is immune to prosecution from acts arising from their prosecutorial duties.
