The epidemic of red state conservative pedophilia extends itself to the
church.
Lake Wales, FL. The pastor at the Church of the Nazarene has been charged
with sexually assaulting a male 17-year-old youth leader three times in 2001.
The Rev. Gene Francis, 52, of Lake Wales, was arrested Tuesday and charged
with unlawful sexual activity with a minor. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 4,
2003)
Lake Wales minister arrested in sexual assault case
Tuscon, AZ. The Rev. David Valencia, 47, assistant pastor of a Pentecostal
church is expected in court Wednesday on rape charges issued by Pennsylvania
authorities. In Pennsylvania, Valencia was an assistant pastor at Christ
Church at Grove Farm, an interdenominational church that uses Anglican
liturgy. The pastor of Christ Church, the Rev. John Guest, told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Valencia was dismissed in late 2001 because he
was found to have pornography on an office computer after he was warned about
a similar incident months earlier. (Tucson Citizen, May 31, 2003)
Rev. David Valencia allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old girl he was
counseling
Fort Pierce, FL. Pastor Kenneth Johnson, recently convicted of having sex
with a minor, and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church -- where he reportedly
continues to minister -- were named in a sex-abuse lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Johnson, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday on one count of unlawful
sexual activity with a minor. He faces up to 15 years on the second-degree
felony. (The Tribune, January 22, 2003) .
Johnson to be sentenced Friday on 1 count of unlawful sexual activity with
minor
Athens, GA. Ralph Tulk, 63, was arrested Tuesday and charged with five counts
of child molestation for allegedly inappropriately touching five children at
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church over several years. He was superintendent of the
Sunday school program when some of the alleged molestations took place and
was treasurer of the church until last month, according to police and the
church. Dickerson and many other residents of this Northeast Georgia city --
most of whom were willing to share their thoughts about the case but not be
quoted -- said they worry about the church, but aren't yet convinced of the
allegations. "This is America, and you are innocent until proven guilty,"
Dickerson said. (MSNBC.com, Jan. 11, 2003)
Town reacts to molestation charges
Bryan, TX. A pastor was arrested and released from jail Monday night after he
was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Ford was indicted
earlier this month based on an allegation he had sexually assaulted a teenage
boy who went on a trip with the pastor to the Texas Panhandle more than two
years ago. Ford was pastor from the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in
Bryan where he had served for 17 years. (Bryan-College Station Eagle, Dec.
24, 2002)
pastor accused of assaulting Bryan boy arrested
Idaho Falls, ID. An area pastor is charged with inappropriately touching a
teenage boy. Idaho Falls police charged a long-time religious leader with
five counts of lewd conduct with a minor. 46-year-old Steven Michael
Sheridan, the former pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church has been
arrested-- this after police recorded two recent phone conversations between
the victim and Sheridan. Sheridan was the pastor of St. Paul's United
Methodist Church five years ago when the alleged crimes occurred. Since then,
he's been pastor of another church. The victim who was 13 at the time, and is
now 18, said Sheridan was like a mentor. They took trips together, and during
those trips, Sheridan touched him sexually. One time, the pastor allegedly
touched the boys genitals saying he was checking for cancer. (KPVI, Dec. 6,
2002)
AREA PASTOR CHARGED WITH INAPPROPRIATELY TOUCHING A TEENAGE BOY
Former Pastor Sex Abuse Case Moves Forward
Denver, CO. Denver police arrested a 26-year-old youth minister with St.
John's Church of God in Christ after a 15-year-old member accused him of
sexual assault.(November 15, 2002, Rocky Moutain News)
Youth Paster arrested
News Report
LINCOLN, NE. Three lawsuits have been filed against a Lutheran church school
for alleged sexual abuse by former officials, including a minister who served
as principal. The lawsuits against St. John Lutheran Church in Seward seek
millions of dollars for the alleged abuse. The Lincoln Journal Star reported
in Saturday's editions that two lawsuits were filed in Lancaster County
District Court on Friday by unnamed plaintiffs who alleged they were abused
by longtime principal David Mannigel. Mannigel, a Lutheran minister,
apparently killed himself last year. (ABC News, November 2, 2002)
Lutheran Church sued over abuse by Pastor Mannigel
LINCOLN, NE? Three lawsuits have been filed against a Lutheran church school
for alleged sexual abuse by former officials, including a minister who served
as principal. The lawsuits against St. John Lutheran Church in Seward seek
millions of dollars for the alleged abuse. The other lawsuit was filed in
U.S. District Court in Lincoln on Wednesday by T. Mark Kraft, a Colorado man,
for claims of abuse by retired teacher Arlen Meyer. That lawsuit seeks $1
million. (ABC News, November 2, 2002)
Lutheran Church sued over abuse by Pastor Meyer
Austin, TX. A former youth minister faces up to 20 years in prison after he
was convicted of nine counts of child sexual abuse. Charles Richard Willits,
Jr., 44, a former youth minister at Great Hills Baptist Church, was convicted
Saturday. Sentencing was scheduled for Monday. (October 18, 2002; Abilene
Reporter-News)
Youth Paster Convicted in Criminal Court
Lake Wales, FL. The pastor at the Church of the Nazarene has been charged with
sexually assaulting a male 17-year-old youth leader three times in 2001. The
Rev. Gene Francis, 52, of Lake Wales, was arrested Tuesday and charged with
unlawful sexual activity with a minor. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, June 4, 2003)
Lake Wales minister arrested in sexual assault case
Tuscon, AZ. The Rev. David Valencia, 47, assistant pastor of a Pentecostal
church is expected in court Wednesday on rape charges issued by Pennsylvania
authorities. In Pennsylvania, Valencia was an assistant pastor at Christ
Church
at Grove Farm, an interdenominational church that uses Anglican liturgy. The
pastor of Christ Church, the Rev. John Guest, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
that Valencia was dismissed in late 2001 because he was found to have
pornography on an office computer after he was warned about a similar incident
months earlier. (Tucson Citizen, May 31, 2003)
Rev. David Valencia allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old girl he was
counseling
An associate pastor of a San Fernando Valley chapel was sentenced to 32 months
in prison on Tuesday for failing to register as a sex offender. Ilger, a
former
second-grade teacher, was convicted in 1988 of molesting four students in his
San Luis Obispo classroom. After being released from jail, Ilger and his
family
moved to Los Angeles, where he took a position with Hope Chapel of the Valley
in
Canoga Park. "We've lived and learned a painful lesson," the Rev. Jeff Fischer
of Hope Chapel said outside court. Fischer has said he and about 30 church
elders knew that Ilger had molested young girls before he was hired.
Sentencing (Associated Press, April 3, 2003)
Marty A. Hynes, 33, is charged with eight counts of criminal sexual contact of
a
minor, three counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and one count of
attempted criminal sexual contact of a minor. Hynes was a youth pastor at the
First Assembly of God church when the alleged incidents occurred, between July
and December 2001. (Las Cruces Sun-News, March 24, 2003)
Trial of former youth pastor begins
Dayton, OH. A Trotwood minister, whose lawyer said he has been a "sex addict"
since age 10, sought treatment rather than face trial in a Brookville police-
run
Internet sting that presented a virtual 14-year-old boy in a chat room. But a
Montgomery County judge denied his plea for treatment Tuesday. Turner's
attorney, Dwight Brannon, wrote "He had his first sexual experience with
another
male at the age of 19 while in college. Shortly after he began surfing the Web
.
. . his addiction slowly began to grow." Turner had been pastor of Anchor
Community Church, 38 S. Fairgreen Drive, for seven years when he was arrested
last summer. (Dayton Daily News, 01.29.2003)
Minister arrested in police-run Internet sting
Riviera Beach, FL. A prominent minister, his church and deacon have reached a
$600,000 settlement with a mentally disabled man who accused the minister of
rape. The Rev. Thomas Masters, pastor of the New Macedonia Church of Riviera
Beach, and Church Mutual, insurer for the church, negotiated the settlement
with
the man, according to his attorneys and court papers filed Monday. The man,
who
has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old, attended New Macedonia and accused
Masters of coercing him to smoke crack cocaine and then raping him twice on
church property over Thanksgiving weekend in 1991. (The Palm Beach Post,
January
14, 2003)
West Palm Beach minister, church pay $600,000
Denver, CO. Denver police arrested a 26-year-old youth minister with St.
John's
Church of God in Christ after a 15-year-old member accused him of sexual
assault. (November 15, 2002, Rocky Moutain News)
Youth Paster arrested
News Report
Tulsa, OK. Son Minh Rockstroh, 48, was arrested Saturday on three counts of
rape
by instrumentation and one count of lewd molestation of a child. He was jailed
about 2 a.m. Saturday and is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail. The
allegations have no apparent link to his work as a schoolteacher but to his
leadership of a small religious group called Church Life, Tulsa police said.
The
victim and her mother met Rockstroh through Church Life, whose members meet in
each others' homes, Detective Chuck Haywood said. "There is not a pastor of
the
church, but everyone considered him to be the guy in charge," Haywood said of
Rockstroh. During an interview with police, Rockstroh admitted that he had
molested the girl on three occasions, jail records show. (Tulsa World,
11/12/2002)
Church Leader Arrested
TISHOMINGO, OK. Kentucky pastor accused of raping a 12-year-old Oklahoma girl
has surrendered to Johnston County officials. The Rev. Chadwick L. Keathley,
associate pastor of Ark of Mercy Church of God in Winchester, Ky., responded
Tuesday to an arrest warrant issued Aug. 26. Prosecutors charged Keathley, 27,
with lewd molestation, first-degree rape and rape by instrumentation. He was
released after posting a $25,000 cash bond and an Oct. 22 preliminary hearing
was scheduled. The alleged incident occurred during summer 2000 at a Church of
God gathering at Camp Bond Youth Camp near Tishomingo. (The Winchester Sun,
Sept. 2002)
Pastor surrenders to Oklahoma officials