
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, January 24, 1994                   TAG: 9401240047
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.                                LENGTH: Medium

JOHN BOBBITT WILL TAKE PATERNITY TEST IN N.Y.

John Bobbitt, whose wife was acquitted Friday of malicious wounding charges for cutting off his penis, was scheduled take blood and DNA tests today to see if he is the father of a child born to a woman here, his lawyer said Sunday.

Michael A. Iacono said his client arrived in Niagara Falls over the weekend after his wife, Lorena, was found innocent by reason of insanity in Manassas, Va.

Lorena Bobbitt pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming that years of physical and sexual abuse left her psychologically devastated and that alleged abuse by her husband pushed her over the edge into temporary insanity.

John Bobbitt, 26, was cleared earlier of sexual assault. The couple has filed for a divorce.

Beatrice L. Williams, 21, of Niagara Falls filed a paternity suit in October naming Bobbitt as the father of her 10-month-old son, her lawyer, William D. Berard III, said.

In the suit, Williams said she had sex with Bobbitt, a former Niagara Falls resident, while he was visiting there in the spring of 1992.

She is seeking child support, which in New York is 17 percent of Bobbitt's gross earnings.

Berard said Bobbitt is scheduled to take the paternity tests Monday afternoon in his office, and results should be available in three to four weeks.

"She's alleging John Wayne Bobbitt is making all this money on this media case," Iacono said.

Iacono said his client has filed for bankruptcy, and everything he makes is going to medical and legal expenses.

"They've [Williams and her lawyer] been hearing a lot of rumors about the Howard Stern show," Iacono said. "That's being used to pay for other things."

Radio personality Stern raised at least $25,000 for Bobbitt's legal and medical bills. Bobbitt's lawyers have said their client's liabilities have climbed past $100,000.

But Berard disagrees, saying Bobbitt has raised money through media appearances and the sale of T-shirts with his name on the front and "Love Hurts" on the back.

"He is raising ungodly amounts of money between his appearances on Howard Stern . . . and he was literally out in front of the courthouse hawking his T-shirts," Berard said.

Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by CNB