Ex-pastor pleads guilty to child porn chargesNEW CASTLE A former pastor of a Slippery Rock Township church pleaded guilty this week to two counts of possession of child pornography. No sentencing date has been set for Robert D. Schmidtberger, 52, but prosecutors recommended a sentence of 12 months minus two days to 24 months minus four days with 15 years’ probation. Lawrence County Judge Thomas Piccione, who oversaw the guilty plea, ordered a psychological assessment to determine whether Schmidtberger might be a violent sexual predator.For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/01/28/news/doc47994ee49c77b089171946.txt
and he likes to kill his own son too!
Heathen,
The issue I take with it is that by being in a scientific section it lends a certain unearned scientific credibility to it. You wouldn’t find an astrology book in the astronomy section now would you? I think ultimately it just confuses the layman to what science actually is.
What I don’t understand is how anyone could feel sex is wrong and would willingly repress themselves. Sex is a natural drive, so why is it that so much of the world listens to an organization of anti-women hypocrites who pledge themselves to eternal virginity? I would guess that if the church can’t tax it, it must be heresy.
Funny how the trolls are staying away from this one…
Maybe the trolls are still busy trying to google atheist priests who abused children entrusted to their care.
Counting down until one comes up with a claim that Satanic Orgies involving children are performed by Atheists.
p.s. I believe that ‘repressed memories’ of childhood abuse discovered during therapy sessions are induced by the therapist.
That’s creepy, I work in New Castle.
That is the section I look forward to the most!
And it gives ample evidence that sex crimes among religious leaders are not committed by Catholics only:
Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and other Christians ? as well as non-Christians (Jews) ? are sexual deviants too?
[Aleshire, Lonny ?Joe?, Rev.]
SENTENCED
7 years: Rev. Lonny “Joe” Aleshire, Jr., 35, Hebron, OH, pleaded guilty to rhaep, 6 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, & 3 counts of sexual imposition. The associate pastor at Licking Baptist Church in Hebron admitted to sexually abusing 2 sisters, now 16 & 17, who were his parishioners. He was charged with having sexual relations with the younger sister, and with raping the older sister in 2004. His father is head pastor of the church.
Source: Newark Advocate 11/29/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 2, March 2006)
[Allen, Joshua, Rev.]
SENTENCED
4 years: Rev. Joshua Allen, 23, Jacksonville, FL, pleaded guilty to possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The minister at the Tyler Street Baptist Church resigned after being arrested for possessing more than 600 child pohrin images. Prosecutors said the images involved prepubescent minors & portrayed sadistic/masochistic material. Allen previously served as choir director at the church, giving private music lessons to students. He must register as a sex offender. He must serve 3 years probation after his release & cannot have unsupervised contact with children younger than 18.
Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph 06/22/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 6, August 2007)
[Bass, Curtis, Rev.]
SENTENCED
10 years: Rev. Curtis Bass, 53, Houston, TX, for 2 counts of indecency with a child. The pastor of the International Pentecostal Church in Aldine was convicted of sexually abusing a girl, then 16, in 1994.
Source: Forth Worth Star-Telegram 07/30/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 22, No. 7 September 2005)
[Bates, Richard R.]
CONVICTED
Taking indecent liberties with a minor, carnal knowledge of a juvenile, & possession of child pohrinography: Richard R. Bates, 33, Alexandria, VA, for engaging in a sexual relationship with a girl, beginning when she was 14. He is deacon at St. John?s Baptist Church.
Source: Washington Post 10/25/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Biles, Wayne, Rev.]
SENTENCED
17 years: Rev. Wayne Biles, Cleveland, OH, pleaded guilty in June to rhaep, gross sexual imposition, & kidnapping for sexually abusing 2 girls, 12. He later tried to recant his admission but the judge denied it. He was pastor of Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church. The 1st victim was his stepdaughter, whom he began abusing about 13 years ago ?as soon as [he and his bride] returned home from their honeymoon.? When the girl went to her mother, she was told to stay quiet & let God work it out. The abuse continued for 7 years. The 2nd victim was a deaf church member, whom Biles abused in 2005 after her parents sought marriage counseling from him. He told the couple to leave their children with him overnight so that the parents could spend time together, & that same night he abused the girl.
Sources: Cleveland Plain Dealer 08/01/2007, 06/21/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 6, August 2007)
[Davies, Shawn]
SENTENCED
12-20 years: Shawn Davies, 33, Greenwood, MO, for 25 counts of abuse, including statutory sodomy, furnishing pohrinographic material to minors, supplying liquor to minors, sexual misconduct with a child, 14, use of a child in sexual performance, & endangering the welfare of a child. The music & youth minister at First Baptist Church was earlier convicted of similar crimes in Kentucky. At least 7 boys at the Greenwood church were abused, & at least 13 victims have come forward from Missouri, Kentucky, & Michigan.
Source: Associated Baptist Press 01/18/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 1, January/February 2007)
[Dempsey, Gregory Stanley, Rev.]
SENTENCED
3 years: Rev. Gregory Stanley Dempsey, 44, Memphis, TN, for statutory rhaep & sexual battery by an authority figure. He will be on intensive probation after his release & must undergo treatment. He cannot be around young children except for his daughter, 12. He was convicted of sexually abusing a boy, 16, in 2003 while Dempsey was music minister at the Oak Street Baptist Church.
Source: Chattanoogan 03/05/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Domelle, Donald, Rev.]
SENTENCED
15 years to life: Rev. Donald Domelle, 65, Salinas, CA, pleaded guilty to forcible oral copulation & lewd and lascivious acts upon a child. The pastor of the Baptist Temple of Salinas was convicted of sexually abusing 2 girls. The 1st girl, a relative, was abused at age 13 in 1993. When she told her family about the abuse, they sent her away to a school in Texas. The 2nd girl, then 15, was a mentally disabled parishioner.
Source: Salinas Californian 01/20/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 2, March 2006)
[Enersen, Robert, Rev.]
SENTENCED
18 years prison & 10 years probation: Rev. Robert Enersen, 54, Douglas, AZ, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of lewd molestation. He admitted sexually abusing a boy, 6, in 1996 while conducting youth services at New Life Assembly of God in Wahneta, FL. He was pastor of the First Assembly of God Church in Douglas at the time of his arrest.
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal 08/14/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 22, No. 8, October 2005)
[Finley, Dr. James ?Jimmy?]
SENTENCED
2 years probation with deferred adjudication & 80 hours of community service: Dr. James ?Jimmy? Finley, 69, Dallas, TX, pleaded no contest to assault of a disabled person. The pastor at First United Methodist Church in Euless was charged with molesting a man. He resigned from ministry & must attend a sexual-misconduct class.
Source: Dallas Morning News 11/02/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Friedman, Philip, Cantor]
CONVICTED
2 misdemeanor counts of molestation: Cantor Philip Friedman, 65, Albany, NY, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a girl, 11, between 2004-05, while preparing her for her bat mitzvah. He was fired from Temple Israel, the city?s largest Conservative synagogue. He must register as a sex offender. He was forced to resign from the East Northport Jewish Center in Suffolk County in 1990, due to allegations involving at least one girl. That victim received a $60,000 legal settlement in 2000. The district attorney said there were more victims, & that East Northport ?had an obligation here to put all other temples on notice? about Friedman?s behavior.
Source: Times Union 08/25/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 8, October 2006)
[Gulley, Michael L.]
CONVICTED
Possession of child pohrinography: Michael L. Gulley, 45, St. Charles, MO, pleaded guilty to pasting photos of the heads of teen congregants onto pictures of adult pohrinography. The youth pastor at Grace Baptist Church had taken digital photos of the minors during social activities.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch 03/02/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Gunderson, Thad, Rev.]
SENTENCED
1 year deferred sentence: Rev. Thad Gunderson, Loveland, CO, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor failing to report abuse. The pastor at Gateway Baptist Church entered into plea agreements that will remove the conviction from the records after a year if he stays out of trouble. He was charged with knowing that a man was fondling children during church functions yet did nothing about it.
Source: Daily Reporter-Herald 12/16/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 10, December 2007)
[Hammons, Duane]
SENTENCED
180 days jail & 10 years community supervision: Duane Hammons, 47, San Antonio, TX, for 4 counts of sexual assault of a child & 2 counts of indecency with a child by contact. The preacher of Alta Joy Temple was charged with sexually assaulting a girl, 15, beginning in 1992. He is expected to be reindicted on charges of sexually assaulting his goddaughter when she was age 12.
Sources: San Antonio Express-News 07/28/2005, KSAT 07/27/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 22, No. 7 September 2005)
[Hardesty, Jeffrey]
SENTENCED
10 years jail & 10 years extended supervision: Jeffrey Hardesty, 26, Arpin, WI, for 3 counts of 2nd-degree sexual assault of a child. The youth group leader at First Presbyterian Church in Arpin must attend sex offender treatment, cannot have contact with anyone younger than 18, and must pay a $574 fine. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a girl from the church youth group.
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, 01/17/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 2, March 2006)
[Harris, Michael Anthony, Rev.]
SENTENCED
2 years & 10 ? months: Rev. Michael Anthony Harris, 43, Pensacola, FL, pleaded no contest to a 3rd-degree felony of attempted lewd or lascivious battery & using a computer to solicit the sexual conduct of a crime. The Lutheran minister was arrested after he attempted to solicit sex from a ?boy?, 14, over the Internet. The boy was actually an undercover officer.
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel 12/29/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 1 January/February 2006)
Hill, Danny O., Rev.]
SENTENCED
4 years jail & 2 years probation: Rev. Danny O. Hill, 54, Gibson City, IL, for 2 counts of criminal sexual assault involving a girl whom he sexually abused for 6 years, beginning when she was age 14 until last year. One of the assaults occurred when she was sedated, recovering from injuries received in a traffic accident. Hill, a Baptist minister at local churches, must pay $2,640 for the victim’s counseling, along with court costs, a Crime Stoppers fee, & probation fees.
Sources: Pantagraph 11/01/2005 & 11/02/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 22, No. 10, December 2005)
[Holthus, James Michael, Rev.]
SENTENCED
1 year jail, 10 years probation, $6,000 fine, & $6,219 restitution: Rev. James Michael Holthus, 52, Mankato, MN, pleaded guilty to felony 4th-degree criminal sexual conduct. The pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lake Crystal admitted to sexually abusing a male parishioner. He must complete sex offender treatment & register as a predatory offender.
Source: St. Cloud Times 11/16/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Hornbuckle, Terry, Bishop]
CONVICTED/SENTENCED
15 years: Bishop Terry Hornbuckle, Fort Worth, TX, for sexually assaulting 3 women. The founder & leader of Agape Christian Fellowship Church must also pay a $10,000 fine for each of the 3 convictions. Said one victim to him: ?You are evil in every way.? He still faces charges of sexually assaulting 2 other women, possession of methamphetamine, tampering with a witness, & retaliation. Several women have filed suit against him & the church. He has since been fired from the church.
Source: kristv.com 09/07/2006, Dallas Morning News 08/29/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 8, October 2006)
[Johnson, Danny ?Warren?, Rev.]
SENTENCED
2 years supervised probation: Rev. Danny “Warren” Johnson, 37, Baton Rouge, LA, pleased guilty to misdemeanor stalking. The pastor of Gospel Light Baptist Church, who has since left, was originally accused of having sex with a girl age 14-16 in 1997-98, but due to a plea bargain did not face trial on those charges. He was ordered to have no contact with the girl or her family, must get psychiatric treatment, & must pay up to $100 a week for the girl’s counseling.
Source: Advocate 11/11/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 22, No. 10, December 2005)
[Jones, Jaree, Rev.]
CONVICTED
Felony rhaep: Rev. Jaree Jones, 30, Syracuse, NY, pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with a girl, 14, between 2004-05. The minister at the Refuge Temple Church of Syracuse is also facing extradition to Connecticut for charges of raping a girl in 2000.
Source: Syracuse Post-Standard 08/10/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 8, October 2006)
[Kaye, David A., Rabbi]
SENTENCED
6 ? years jail & 10 years supervised release: Rabbi David A. Kaye, 56, Potomac, MD, for coercion & enticement, & travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The former vice president of programs at PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leaders and Values was ordered not to accept any job involving children or be around children younger than 18 without adult supervision. He was caught by police on Dateline NBC when he crossed state lines to have sex with a ?boy?.
Source: Washington Post 12/02/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 1, January/February 2007)
[Lee, Lewis, Rev.]
SENTENCED
7 consecutive terms of 1 2/3 ? 4 years: Rev. Lewis Lee, 54, Sherburne, NY, pleaded guilty to 7 counts of 3rd-degree rhaep. The pastor of Christian Baptist Church had disappeared with a girl, 15, fleeing to other states and performing a marriage ceremony between them.
Source: Syracuse Post-Standard 08/22/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 8, October 2006)
and then ?
[Lee, Lewis, Rev.]
SENTENCED
11 years & $67,000 restitution: Rev. Lewis Lee, 54, Sherburne, NY, pleaded guilty to 4 federal charges, including crossing state lines to have sex with a minor. In August, he was sentenced to 9 ? – 28 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 7 counts of 3rd-degree rhaep. He will serve 11 years & 3 months in federal prison, then spend the remainder of his sentence in state prison. He was also barred from having unsupervised contact with minors. The married pastor at Christian Baptist Church had disappeared with a female parishioner, 15, for a month, traveling to different states until he was arrested in Maryland in April. The state?s legal age of consent is 17
Source: NY Times 10/28/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Love, H. Willard, Rev.]
SENTENCED
3 days jail, community service, $500 fine & court costs: Rev. H. Willard Love, 57, Athens, OH, for public indecency. The senior minister at the Athens Church of Christ was charged with masturbating in front of an undercover park ranger at a state park restroom.
Source: Athens News 07/24/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 8, October 2006)
[Love, Ronald, Rev.]
CONVICTED
2 counts of gross sexual imposition: Rev. Ronald Love, 50, Springfield Township, OH, pleaded guilty to molesting his foster daughter, 13, between January & April. The minister of Carthage Baptist Church has since resigned. The girl is now being treated at a children?s psychiatric ward.
Source: Cincinatti Enquirer 10/25/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Malgren, William Allen, Rev.]
CONVICTED
2 counts each of lewd acts on a child under 14 & lewd acts on a child under 16: Rev. William Allen Malgren, 52, Moscow, ID, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a girl, age 7-14, between 1983-89. The abuse occurred in California while the girl was a student at Thousand Oaks Baptist School & Malgren was pastor at Thousand Oaks Baptist Church. He resigned from that church in 1989, & for the past 5 years was pastor at New Hope Baptist Church.
Source: Moscow-Pullman 10/19/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 9, November 2006)
and then ?
[Malgren, William Allen, Rev.]
SENTENCED
6 years: Rev. William Allen Malgren, 52, Thousand Oaks, CA, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of committing lewd & lascivious acts upon a child & 2 counts of oral copulation of a person under 16. The priest was accused of sexually molesting a student at Thousand Oaks Baptist Church school, when she was 7-14. Due to the statute of limitations, he could only be prosecuted for acts occurring between 1988-1989. He was asked to leave the church in 1989. He left the state, then lost his ordination. At the time of his arrest, he was assistant pastor of a Baptist church in Idaho.
Source: LA Times 03/29/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Marriott, Eugene A., Rev.]
CONVICTED
Intent to defile & unlawful wounding: Rev. Eugene A. Marriott, 42, Clinton, MD, entered an Alford plea to charges of beating & raping his ex-girlfriend in a parking lot. He is a married ?minister of men? at Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington. A witness said he saw Marriott beating the woman, ?pounding away on her.? The woman said Marriott rhaepd her between beatings. In 2002, he was charged with assaulting his wife, but the charge was dismissed after he completed counseling.
Source: Washington Post 11/08/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
and then ?
[Marriott, Eugene A.]
SENTENCED
16 months: Eugene A. Marriott, 43, Clinton, MD, pleaded guilty to simple abduction & 2 counts of misdemeanor sexual battery. The minister to men at Ebeneezer African Methodist Episcopal Church admitted to raping, sodomizing, & brutally beating a woman outside a hotel in 2006. He entered a plea to abduction so that he would not have to register as a sex offender. His attorney said he admired how Marriott ?has been able to fight to stay alive, because he has suffered so tremendously from this tragedy.? The prosecutor said, ?I wish Mr. Marriott well. I hope that his wife takes him back. I am very glad to see his church and his community are still supporting him.?
Source: Washington Post 03/17/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Mojecki, Steven Jacob]
CONVICTED
Criminal solicitation of a minor & criminal use of a communication facility: Steven Jacob Mojecki, 46, Susquehana Township, PA, was convicted of soliciting sex over the Internet from a ?girl?, 12, who was actually an undercover investigator. Mojecki is co-founder of Messianic synagogue Beit Hashem.
Source: WGAL 03/19/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Mowen, Eric, Rev.]
SENTENCED
1 year deferred sentence: Rev. Eric Mowen, Loveland, CO, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor failing to report abuse. The pastor at Gateway Baptist Church entered into plea agreements that will remove the conviction from the records after a year if he stays out of trouble. He was charged with knowing that a man was fondling children during church functions yet did nothing about it.
Source: Daily Reporter-Herald 12/16/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 10, December 2007)
[Oatis, John, Rev.]
SENTENCED
4 years: Rev. John Oatis, Racine, WI, for raping a girl, 15, at Holy Jerusalem Church of God 11 years ago.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal 10/08/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 1 January/February 2006)
[Paull, Jerry, Rev.]
SENTENCED
17 ? years jail & 8 years supervised release: Rev. Jerry Paull, 63, Amherst, OH, pleaded guilty to receiving & possessing child pohrinography. The minister at Christ United Methodist Church in Akron admitted to having more than 3,700 pohrinographic images, many involving children.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal 04/07/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 4, May 2007)
[Payne, Kenneth, Rev.]
CONVICTED
Taking indecent liberties & sodomy: Rev. Kenneth Payne, 70, Amherst, VA, for molesting a teen boy. The pastor at New Prospect Baptist Church met the boy in 2006 through a school tutoring program.
Source: Lynchburg News & Advance 01/12/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 1, January/February 2007)
[Rediger, Aaron]
SENTENCED
2 terms of 2 years prison, served concurrently: Aaron Rediger, 28, Ohio City, OH, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of sexual battery. The youth Pastor at Liberty Baptist Church was also placed on 5 years probation & must register as a sex offender. He was ordered not to live within 1,000 feet of a school. He admitted to a sexual relationship with a teen girl in his youth group. He was fired & his ministerial credentials were revoked.
Source: Times Bulletin 02/08/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 43, No. 2, March 2007)
[Rice, James, Rev.]
SENTENCED
1 year deferred sentence: Rev. James Rice, Loveland, CO, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor failing to report abuse. The pastor at Gateway Baptist Church entered into plea agreements that will remove the conviction from the records after a year if he stays out of trouble. He was charged with knowing that a man was fondling children during church functions yet did nothing about it.
Source: Daily Reporter-Herald 12/16/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 10, December 2007)
[Ritter, James D.]
CONVICTED
6 counts of 1st-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, 1 count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, & sexual exploitation of a minor: James D. Ritter, 33, Spokane, WA, for having sexual contact with a girl, 16, in 2004, & for asking another girl, 14, to strip & perform acts for him in front of a webcam in 2005. The Lutheran youth minister met both girls through the Holy Cross Lutheran Church youth group.
Source: Spokesman-Review 07/13/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 7, August 2007)
[Roelke, Russell F.]
CONVICTED
Using a computer to facilitate a sex crime & possessing child pohrinography: Russell F. Roelke, 45, West Bend, WI, pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a ?boy?, 14, who was actually an undercover officer. He [Roelke] was director of youth & children?s ministries at Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church. Before that, he was an assistant scoutmaster in Milwaukee.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 12/22/2005
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 1 January/February 2006)
[Ross, Michael Raymond]
SENTENCED
5 years prison, suspended to 2-5 years probation, 10 years parole, & $500 fine: Michael Raymond Ross, 28, Topeka, KS, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation by a counselor, 2 counts of providing alcohol to a minor, & simple assault. The pastor at First Baptist Church was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment, a substance abuse evaluation, & must register as a sex offender. He was charged with sexually abusing 2 girls in 2004 & 2005. He was then youth minister at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, IA. One girl was a member of the church youth group.
Source: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier 12/19/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 1, January/February 2007)
[Ruger, Steven Lynn, Rev.]
SENTENCED
6-16 years: Rev. Steven Lynn Ruger, Sturgis, MI, pleaded guilty to 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a girl and admitted having a sexual relationship with another girl. He is pastor at the Church of Christ.
Source: Sturgis Journal 11/21/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 10, December 2006)
[Shewsbury, Joseph Steven]
CONVICTED
12 counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor, 2 of aggravated sexual battery, & 1 of having carnal knowledge of a minor: Joseph Steven Shewsbury, 30, Blue Ridge, VA, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a boy, 14. The youth coordinator at Shady Grove Baptist Church molested the boy in 2005, telling him that the boy was possessed by a demon that would make him homosexual if he didn?t act on his sexual thoughts. He also said that if the boy told anybody, the demon would possess them too.
Source: News & Advance 11/29/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 1, January/February 2007)
[Smith, Leonard]
SENTENCED
At least 14 years & 4 months: Leonard Smith, 53, Asheville, NC, pleaded guilty to 7 counts of indecent liberties with a child. The youth leader & music director at Sycamore Temple Church of God in Christ was charged with sexually abusing 3 children, all related, dating back 20 years. In the courtroom, over 50 people, including 6 ministers, turned out in support of Smith. Said a spokesperson for the victims? family: ?We have been ostracized. Not one church leader has reached out to us.?
Source: Citizen-Times 11/29/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 10, December 2007)
[Smith, Matthew, Rev.]
CONVICTED
2 counts of carnal knowledge, taking indecent liberties with a child, and sodomy: Rev. Matthew Smith, 31, Lebanon, VA, pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with a girl, 13, who attended Shepherd?s Fold Church. He was then co-pastor & youth director of the church, which was since changed its name to Well of Grace Fellowship Church.
Source: Bristol Herald Courier 11/09/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 9, November 2007)
[Sweat, Richard Steven]
CONVICTED
2 counts of possessing child pohrinography: Richard Steven Sweat, 35, Jacksonville, FL, for having images of child pohrinography on his computer. He was youth pastor at Lake Shore Baptist Church on Blanding Boulevard.
Source: Florida Times-Union 05/26/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 5, June/July 2007)
[Tester, Thomas Dale, Rev.]
SENTENCED
11 months & 29 days jail: Rev. Thomas Dale Tester, 58, Briston, VA: ? The minister of Gospel Baptist Church also entered a ?best interest? plea to a charge of indecent exposure, & was sentenced to 5 months & 29 days, which was suspended to probation. He must pay $700 in fines, court costs, & stay away from downtown. He was arrested after urinating at a carwash in front of children while wearing a skirt. When police arrived, he offered to give the officers oral sex.
Source: Bristol Herald-Courier 10/26/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 9, November 2007)
[Warren, Jeffs]
SENTENCED
Warren, Jeffs, 51, Utah, 5 years to life, for 2 counts of rhaep as an accomplice for his role in the marriage of a 14-year-old to an adult cousin in his polygamist cult, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Source: AP 11/20/2007
(Freethought Today, Vol. 24, No. 9, November 2007)
[White, Eugene Paul, Rev.]
SENTENCED
180 years to life: Rev. Eugene Paul White, 71, Orangevale, CA, for 12 counts of lewd & lascivious acts with a minor under 14. The Baptist minister was convicted of molesting his 4 adopted foster daughters, 1 of whom was previously a victim of sexual assault. White was criticized by the judge for denying the abuse & for blaming the girls. The girls, ages 8-12, were abused between 1999-2004.
Source: Sacramento Bee 07/15/2006
(Freethought Today, Vol. 23, No. 7, September 2006)
Ha! Is that all ya got?
For those of you that think men are inherently more violent than women you might want to consider the following.
Lifetime prevalence of physical assault:
(1) 35% among women living with female partners.
(2) 20% among women living with male partners.
I will have to look into where these numbers come from but I simply remember them from medical school.
There are more religious leaders that fuck kids in the ass than there are school teachers
If, for whatever reason, you are looking for a pervert … go to church.
what,
I have seen men throw those statistics around before. In case you are unaware those include any type of physical contact i.e. pushing, grabbing, etc.
I myself have pushed a former partner who was aggressive, but this type of contact is not abuse.
Abuse is the continuous use of violence to dominate another person. It is methodical and not a one time occurrence.
Men are the LEADING cause of death for pregnant women.
I find it offensive when men try to minimize the threat women face by throwing out a few statistics to try and make it seem as if women are running around beating and murdering men.
There is no comparison. I want to encourage you to do some research and read some personal accounts of abused women. Some are kept in cages, they suffer broken bones, they are beaten and isolated and quite often they end up dead by their partners hand or suicide.
Women do not commit violent crimes of this magnitude. I am not, nor have I ever implied women can not be violent, but most violence is committed by males.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence
That’s 2 out of every 10 women who will experience violent crime compared to .3 out of every 10 men.
“Pedophilia: Not just for Catholics anymore”
never was; all superstition breeds sexual perversion.
what,
I’m sorry if my post seems harsh but I spent 2 tears volunteering at a women’s shelter and I saw some horrible things.
One guy repeatedly stabbed and sliced his girlfriend then would simply sew her back up again and again. One women had to wear a wig because her hair wouldn’t grow back from her spouse ripping out chunks of hair skin and all.
The beatings, the threats, the miscarriages, the burns, the broken bones, the isolation.
You have no idea.
Dawnisis,
I wish more people were as outraged but such horrors as you.
but = by
dawnisis, I hear you sister. I’ve been a victim of violence at the hands of four different men (not my dad or hubby, who are the greatest guys in the world), yet, other than defending myself from my attackers, I’ve never struck another person, child, or animal in my life.
Life without violence is a good life. There’s no excuse for violence. Period.
Thx DVan,
I am being overly sensitive lately about women’s issues. There have just been so many murdered, kidnapped and raped women in the news lately that it is really getting to me.
On a personal note, I love to go hiking and ever since Meredith Emerson was murdered my husband doesn’t want me going anymore without him
On a funny note the reason I go hiking is because there have been bigfoot sightings all around where I live. Google earth has all of the places marked so I am hoping to catch a glimpse! I always take my camera and look for tracks. It’s a great way to get exercise and amuse myself at the same time. LOL
cry4,
I have been very lucky in my life and although I have dated some aggressive types I have never been abused.
I credit the time I spent volunteering during college for opening my eyes to the importance of selecting good partners.
I am so sorry for your bad experiences. So many women fail to realize the capacity for violence until it’s too late. It just seems so unlikely to most of us until it happens.
I hope your future holds nothing but the best!
The high rate of “intimate partner” abuse against women just strikes me as very odd.
I can identify asshole personalities in about a 5 minute conversation, why do women not make that connection with someone that they spent much more time with?
dawn:
Please provide proof.
mx,
I haven’t been able to find any truly recent studies.
Also, MX, you bring up an important point.
Why do so many people choose to be in relationships with abusive partners. Why do they stay in abusive relationships? As a generalization, I agree with you, there are huge red flags when you meet someone of the opposite/same sex who is an abusive personality. Certainly there is some responsibility to be taken when choosing to have a relationship with an abusive partner.
But in the end, abuse should not be a punishment for poor choices made in regards to a relationship. Abuse, no matter what the circumstances, is unacceptable.
DVan
I was talking about this with some prosecutors the other day. One of the most frustrating aspects of a prosecutor’s job is trying to convict domestic abusers. The victims almost invariably decide not to press charges.
Among the reasons:
- They need the financial support of their abuser
- They believe they have nowhere else to go
- They think it’s their own fault
- They think all men/women are like this
The weirdest one I heard was the woman who stayed with her abuser because “at least I know what will be happening on Friday night.” Seriously. She stays with her abuser because of the predictability.
OT: God wants people to cheat!
http://www.physorg.com/news120833053.html
Rusty,
It is a terribly sad issue, all around.
DDDropout
For the record, my repressed memories began unfolding on their own, and I had to be taken to a psychiatrist to learn how to deal with them. I couldn’t even go by myself, because I was a basket case. I know many people believe as you do, but I know many people who have gone through this, and it just isn’t as true as you’d think.
Combine fear with low self-esteem and ‘learned helplessness’ and you get; “She stays with her abuser because of the predictability”.
mxracer,
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa2002/chapter9sup.html
Only vehicle accidents top murder as the leading cause of death for non-pregnant women.
http://crime.about.com/b/2005/02/24/us-pregnant-women-face-murder-risk.htm
Karen,
I agree with you. We are only just beginning to understand how the mind’s defense mechanisms for dealing with extreme physical and psychological trauma work. I think it’s too easy to say that all repressed memories are induced by the therapist.
I find this very interesting that you think you can spot a sociopath in 5 minutes.
You need to research personality types. Sociopaths fool EVERYBODY.
You think you would know in 5 minutes if you met a serial killer or a rapist? How about a pedophile?
These types of people hide their true colors as a survival tactics.
Your simplification of this issue is offensive. You cannot pick these people out like that.