Monterey diocese settles abuse case for $1.2 million

The Diocese of Monterey agreed Friday to pay a former Salinas man $1.2 million for years of sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of two priests.

Bishop Richard Garcia will meet with the man and his family to formally apologize for the diocese's actions. The settlement, which does not include a confidentiality clause, heads off a trial that was set to start Monday.

The victim's attorney, John Manley of Newport Beach, said his client got what he set out to obtain.

"What he always wanted was an apology and for the documents to come out," Manley said, referring to the diocese's agreement to release all records and depositions that do not reveal the victim's identity.

Manley said the documents will reveal the diocese "has blood on its hands." Because church leaders failed to notify local law enforcement when they learned the boy was assaulted, he said, one of his abusers went on to molest the boy's brother and others.

The priest, the Rev. Juan Guillen, is serving a 10-year sentence in Arizona for the subsequent molestations. The other priest, the Rev. John Velez, is believed to be serving the church in Latin America.

Manley said his client, who is 29, accepted the deal Friday so his mother would not have to testify at what promised to be an arduous and painful trial.

"It's all about his mom," said Manley, adding that the year after "John Doe" filed his lawsuit against the dioceses of Monterey and Tucson, Ariz., he donated a portion of his liver to save his mother's life.

The woman, a devout Catholic who migrated between Salinas and Yuma, Ariz., entrusted her son to priests in both parishes.

According to court records, Guillen began molesting the boy in Arizona shortly after he immigrated to the United States as an 8-year-old in 1988. After the boy's family moved to Salinas, Guillen continued to visit the family. He was so trusted, he was allowed to sleep in the boy's bed.

Velez began molesting the boy in 1991, when Velez was assigned to St. Mary of the Nativity Catholic Church in Salinas. Ironically, it was Guillen who reported Velez to local church officials after the boy told him about Velez's abuse.

Monsignor Charles Fatooh, who was heading the Monterey diocese at the time, admitted in a pretrial deposition that neither he nor anyone else in the diocese did anything to alert police, protect the boy or find out if there were other victims.

Instead, he said, he called the diocese's attorney, Albert Ham. According to court documents, Ham and Father Gregory Sandman, then pastor of St. Mary of the Nativity Church, met with the victim's mother and told her the abuse was the "sort of thing that happens to a lot of kids" and "not a big deal." She said they turned down her request for money to pay for her son's counseling.

Fatooh removed Velez from the parish and placed him in a retreat house in San Juan Bautista, where he tried to commit suicide. After he recuperated at the Catholic-owned Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, he was turned over to officials from the Marist order of Mexico and ushered out of the country.

Fatooh was later forced to resign after it was reported that another suspected pedophile priest, Robert Trupia, was living in his Maryland condominium. Fatooh and now-retired Bishop Sylvester Ryan hired Trupia to do canon law work in the diocese while he was under investigation for molestations in Arizona.

Fatooh is now a parish priest in Cayucos.

Friday's settlement was negotiated for the diocese by San Francisco attorney Paul Gaspari. While agreeing that the diocese would pay John Doe and apologize to him and his family, he reiterated a contention made in an op-ed piece in Friday's Herald.

"No priest with a credible allegation of sexual misconduct is in ministry in the diocese," he said.

The diocese promptly suspended the sacramental duties of the Rev. Antonio Cortes in April when he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy. Cortes, pastor of St. Mary of the Nativity, is also charged with possessing child pornography and faces a preliminary hearing next week.

Gaspari told Judge Lydia Villarreal on Friday he agreed to open most of the documents and depositions in the case, with the exception of records that could identify the victim.

Dressed in jeans and a black linen blazer, John Doe left the courthouse without comment Friday after embracing his attorneys and shaking hands with Gaspari.

Manley said he was "really happy" for his client, who received a $600,000 settlement from the bankrupt Diocese of Tucson. His total settlement of $1.8 million is well over the average $1.4 million paid out by the church to thousands of other clergy-abuse victims since 2003, he said.

"He's a courageous boy," Manley said. "He hung in there for six years and took the best shots the oldest multinational entity in the world could give him, and he's still standing."

Susan Mayer, general counsel for the diocese, referred requests for comment to the diocese spokesman, Warren Hoy. He did not respond to calls late Friday.

Hot Boys

California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8

The California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, the ballot measure that banned same-sex marriages in the state, by a 6-1 vote Tuesday, May 26. But the seven justices unanimously ruled that the 18,000 marriages that took place during the five months before the ban went into effect last November are still valid under California law.

In its 136-page majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, the court decided that Prop 8 is an not a revision to the state constitution, and therefore, can be adopted by a simple majority vote by the people.

The justices determined that Prop 8 carves out a limited exception to the constitution by reserving the official designation of the term "marriage" for the union of opposite-sex couples, but leaves undisturbed all of the other aspects of a same-sex couples' constitutional right to establish an officially recognized and protected family relationship and to the equal protection of the laws.

Justice Carlos R. Moreno, while agreeing with the majority's conclusion that Prop 8 applies only prospectively – and therefore the marriages that took place are legal – bucked the majority by writing a dissenting opinion stating Prop 8 is invalid because it is not a lawful amendment of the California Constitution.

The court's decision places California years behind states like Iowa and Vermont, where same-sex marriages recently became legal, and even the District of Columbia, where the City Council recently voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. LGBT advocates have vowed to return to the Golden State's ballot, likely as soon as the November election in 2010, to repeal Prop 8.

The decision, issued at 10 a.m., was widely expected by the LGBT community and its legal advocates following the March 5 oral arguments in the three cases filed with the court after voters approved Prop 8 by a slim majority last fall. Despite the justices' historic ruling last May 15 granting full marriage rights to same-sex couples, they signaled during the hearing that they could not see a legal reason to throw out Prop 8.

In their majority ruling, the justices decided that same-sex couples have the right to all the substantive rights of marriage but not the right to call it "marriage." Prop 8 only affects what the government calls a relationship, the decision said.

"...Nor does Proposition 8 fundamentally alter the meaning and substance of state constitutional equal protection principles as articulated in that opinion," the decision states, referring to last year's marriage ruling. "Instead, the measure carves out a narrow and limited exception to these state constitutional rights, reserving the official designation of the term 'marriage' for the union of opposite-sex couples as a matter of state constitutional law, but leaving undisturbed all of the other extremely significant substantive aspects of a same-sex couple's state constitutional right to establish an officially recognized and protected family relationship and the guarantee of equal protection of the laws."

With hundreds of people in the city's Civic Center to await the decision, about 100 moved to block Van Ness Avenue at Grove in front of City Hall immediately after the ruling was issued. Another 150 people stood near the protesters, many of whom were blessed by clergy.

It was inside City Hall back in February 2004 that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom kick-started the marriage movement by ordering city officials to wed same-sex couples.

His decision sent cultural and political shockwaves across the country. It also generated the first batch of cases the court heard last year that sought an end to California's anti-gay marriage statutes.

The mayor's stance also fueled the drive by anti-gay and conservative religious groups to place the constitutional amendment on the ballot. They successfully used Newsom's declaration inside City Hall last May after learning the court had ruled in favor of marriage equality that "like it or not" same-sex couples could now wed in their television advertisements pushing passage of Prop 8.

This morning it was LGBT ministers who led a service at St. Francis Lutheran Church in the gay Castro District to pray for justice and to also offer a prayer of protection to those individuals planning to participate in the civil disobedience actions.

Following the service, a group of 125 people marched from the Church Street sanctuary to join those in the Civic Center. Wearing T-shirts that said "Separate is not Equal," they walked behind a rainbow-colored banner that said "Faith Demands Justice."

"We plan to occupy Van Ness at Grove until we get arrested," said Kip Williams, one of the organizers of the protest.

The Reverend Dawn Roginksi, the lesbian pastor at St. Francis, said she planned to join the demonstration in order to "stand on the side of equality and the side of love."

"We can not stand by and let well-funded conservative voices be the only voices hear din California," said Roginski.

Faith leader Lawrence Ellis, who identifies as a Native American two-spirit, took part last year in the Shades of Equality Coalition that addressed communities of color about the need for marriage equality and pressed the No on 8 campaign to engage minorities. During the service, he told the more than 100 people in the audience that the passage of Prop 8 was a "desecration of democracy."

"The passage of Prop 8 showed humanity at its worse," said Ellis.

The vote laid bare not only how a majority of voters could take away rights from a minority group, said Ellis, but also the racism and transphobia within the LGBT community, noting of how African Americans were initially blamed for Prop 8's passage and how transgender people are still excluded by some gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

He said the LGBT community now has a "golden opportunity" to not only fight for its rights but deal with the issues within the community.

The fight to win back marriage rights has already begun. Equality California, the statewide LGBT advocacy group, is already running television commercials to educate people about why marriage matters to LGBT families.

Within minutes of the court's ruling being announced, the progressive Courage Campaign announced that a 60-second TV ad illustrating the effect of Prop 8 and the Supreme Court ruling poses to same-sex households would air in English and Spanish on TV stations across the state in the next 72 hours.

"I am disappointed the court ruled to deny marriage equality to Californians," said Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the group. "These are fundamental constitutional rights that cannot be abolished by a ballot initiative. While we were hoping the court would rule in favor of equality, we have been building the infrastructure to win marriage equality rights at the ballot box. Our members are ready to do the hard work needed to win."

Tonight a rally will begin at 5 p.m. at City Hall and a march will than set off at 6 p.m. for the MLK Memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens at 4th and Mission streets, next to the Metreon. Following the march will be speeches by community leaders from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The court's opinion resolves the three cases filed against Prop 8: Strauss v. Horton, S168047, Tyler v. State of California, S168066, and City and County of San Francisco v. Horton, S168078. The opinion is available online at www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/.

Pastor exposed himself online, police say

The pastor of a Salt Lake church has been charged with exposing himself on multiple occasions, using a Webcam, to a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

William J. Blanscet, 67, was charged in 3rd District Court by the Utah Attorney General's Office with four counts of attempted dealing in harmful material to a minor, all third-degree felonies. Investigators said more charges likely would be added.

Blanscet is the pastor of the Church of God of Prophecy, 425 N. 700 West.

Beginning in July 2008, an investigator with the Attorney General's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, posing as a 13-year-old girl, was contacted in a chat room several times over the course of several months by a person using the name "happyutahman."

The man used his Webcam to expose his genitals on four different occasions between July 2008 and February 2009. During some of those incidents, the man also performed a lewd act, according to court documents.

On Feb. 11 and 12, "happyutahman" contacted the undercover agent again, this time using his laptop from a local hospital where his wife underwent knee surgery, court documents state. He even turned the camera to his wife's hospital bed to show where he was, after pulling his pants down in front of the camera again, according to court documents.

Agents tracked the man down, and earlier this month they went to his West Valley residence. When asked what he did on the Internet, the pastor told investigators he "used the Internet for church," as well as to meet people on Facebook, court documents state.

When asked about using sexually explicit language with young girls, Blanscet eventually admitted to what he had done and said he "felt guilty" about it, according to the documents.

When asked about exposing himself, Blanscet originally gave a rambling explanation. He said: "I tried not to, you know I tried not to, again, again, I realize I showed them more stuff than I should have, but may have, I tried not to, but I may have," according to court documents.

Other agents with the Internet task force also may have case files on Blanscet, court documents stated.

Blanscet agreed to surrender at the Salt Lake County Jail next week, according to the Attorney General's Office.

A call on Tuesday to the Church of God of Prophecy was not answered.

Ex-pastor sentenced for lewd conduct with minor

ST. ANTHONY -- Reuben Elmer Floyd Jr., 49, has been sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for lewd conduct with a minor. He was pastor of Ashton Bible Church and a substitute teacher for Fremont School District.

The sentencing took place Tuesday at the Fremont County Courthouse.

Prior to the sentencing, 7th District Judge Greg Moeller told Floyd he had betrayed a public trust as a teacher and a pastor.

"As a minister, you were supposed to be a shepherd to a flock, and you became a wolf," he said

Moeller also imposed a $5,000 fine along with restitution to pay for any counseling for the victim, a boy whom court records say was 15 years old in September 2008 when the crimes were committed.

In addition, Floyd will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

The potential penalty for lewd conduct with a child under 16 is up to life imprisonment and up to $50,000 in fines.

Floyd will receive credit for the time he has served since he was arrested.

Floyd's attorney, Paul Butikofer, noted that Floyd had no previous criminal record and cited a psycho-sexual evaluation that was required by the court that contained a recommendation for supervised probation along with counseling.

Assistant Fremont County Prosecutor Gilman Gardner said the entire case was troubling because of Floyd's position as a substitute teacher and religious leader.

"He was using his position to groom other victims," he said.

At the sentencing Floyd testified in his own behalf, and asked for forgiveness from the community and leniency from the court.

"I realize I have done wrong and I take responsibility for it," he said.

Floyd was arrested on March 9 after an investigation that began that day, and he was charged with four counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16.

On March 24, Floyd pleaded guilty to one of the charges against him and in accordance with a plea agreement with the court, the other three counts were dropped.

At a preliminary hearing that day, Floyd waived the hearing and requested that a change-of-plea hearing be held in District Court that afternoon.

As part of a plea agreement, the court agreed to consider a recommendation that the sentencing not exceed that recommended in the presentence report, but the recommendation was not binding.

The court also agreed not to file additional charges from the initial police investigation unless other victims were identified, but no additional charges were filed.

After the sentencing, Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries, whose office assisted the Ashton Police Department with the investigation, said, "I feel the sentence was appropriate for the crime that was committed. It removes from society a predator who has shown the tendency to prey on young people."

Butikofer said his next step is to advise Floyd about his appeal options.

"He'll make a decision on those," he said.

DeKalb County preacher convicted of sex crimes arrested for sexually abusing boy

FORT PAYNE, AL- A DeKalb County preacher convicted of sex crimes eight years ago was arrested this afternoon for allegedly abusing a child sexually.

Billy Masters, 66, of Boaz was charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a boy under 12 and placed in the DeKalb County jail where he is being without bond.

Sheriff Jimmy Harris said Masters was arrested at his home. He said Masters also faces a charge of parole violation in connection with his 2001 conviction of sodomy involving three boys, also under 12.

DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris said the child was a member of the Harvest Baptist Church where Masters reportedly served as the pastor. The church is in the Kilpatrick community near Boaz.

Following his release from prison in 2007, Masters registered as a sex offender with the Sheriff's Department. Harris said Masters had a valid registration with the department at the time of his arrest.

Youth Group Pastor Gets Jail Time

A South County youth pastor was sentenced May 13 to 90 days in jail for having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl while working at Capo Beach Calvary Church. Daniel John Pedroza, 28, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two felony counts of oral copulation with a minor and one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object of a minor.

According to a release issued by the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Pedroza’s relationship with the girl began in July of 2008 and ended last December. He met the victim at his Dana Point home and at the girl’s home when her parents weren’t there. The victim later disclosed the relationship to the Orange County Social Services Agency and Pedroza was arrested.

Former pastor charged with sex crimes

Former Benton County resident, Michael James was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two sex crimes including aggravated statutory rape. James is the former pastor of Eva Baptist Church. Sources say he stepped down as pastor a few weeks ago amid allegations of the crimes.

Church members and law enforcement are keeping quiet about the investigation but arrest warrants filed in Benton County indicate the acts happened in July 2008 at James’ home on Eva Road. James has since moved to another county.

James is currently free on $7.500 bond and was scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court in Benton County on Wednesday. He is charged with a class C felony that carries a sentence of not less than three years and not more than 15 with a fine not to exceed $10,000. He is also charged with a class D felony that carries a sentence of not less than two years and not more than 12 years with a fine not to exceed $5,000.

Former Jacksonville pastor pleads guilty, will get 3 years

Former pastor Darrell Gilyard pleaded guilty this morning to molesting a teenage girl from his Jacksonville church and sending lewd text messages to another.

Gilyard will be sentenced June 11 to three years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender under terms of his plea agreement. His prison term will be followed by three years of sex-offender probation requiring him to avoid contact with children and limiting where he can live.

The mother of one of his victims told Gilyard in court that he "lived a lie" and that she would pray for him.

Gilyard and his lawyer left court out a back door to avoid reporters.

Gilyard, 47, was arrested 16 months ago and has been free on his own recognizance. He remained free until his sentencing. Circuit Judge Michael Weatherby warned him he would face up to 15 years in prison if he doesn't show up for sentencing.

The former pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church had faced two felony counts of lewd conduct involving sexually explicit text messages sent to a teenage girl and one felony count of lewd molestation for fondling a teenage girl whose parents sought counseling for her from the pastor. One of the texting counts was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

A Palatka native, Gilyard rose quickly to prominence after seminary, pastoring one of the nation's fastest-growing churches while still in his 20s. He left that church in Texas amid accusations of sexual impropriety and came to Shiloh in 1993.

some boys .... oh yeah

Pastor pleads guilty to child porn charges

ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. -- A former St. Lawrence County pastor has admitted he downloaded child pornography onto a computer at his church.

Merton Parks pleaded guilty Monday in St. Lawrence County Court. He was sentenced to ten years of probation and must register as a sex offender. He had previously pleaded not guilty.

Parks was a pastor at the First Baptist Church in the Town of Fine. He was arrested back in October after the Federal Immigration and Customs Cyber Crimes unit tracked purchases of child pornography to the computer he used in his church office.

Director of Amiel Christian School in Garland accused of sex assault

GARLAND – Police arrested the director of a small private school Monday morning on suspicion of sexually assaulting a young girl in his care there last week.

But the suspect's family contends the accuser's mother made up the story because of a financial dispute.

Cesar Najera-Zavala, 55, was arrested at the Amiel Christian School. He was being held at the Garland Detention Center on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child, who police said is younger than 10. Bond was set at $50,000.

Police say they are investigating whether other children may have been assaulted, though no one else had come forward as of Monday evening, said Officer Joe Harn, department spokesman.

"Our understanding is there are about 25 children there," he said. "And our understanding is he would have access to most of those, if not all."

According to police, the child's mother told them Friday that her daughter had been assaulted by Najera-Zavala a day earlier.

The girl told a forensic interviewer at the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center that the "pastor" – later identified as Najera-Zavala – sexually assaulted her while she took a nap, according to police documents. The girl said that no one saw what happened and that the other children were asleep, the documents said.

Najera-Zavala's son also runs the school in the 2800 block of West Kingsley Road, near South Shiloh Road.

Adrian Najera said the accuser's mother has owed them money for months for taking care of her daughter, including a $125 fee that was due in March. Najera said he thinks the woman made up the accusations because of the dispute.

"It's all put together by the mother," said Najera, who added that the accuser is 4 years old.

He said his father, who is also a pastor, primarily handles trips and other recreational activities for the children, who are preschool and elementary age. Najera said the private Christian school has been operating for six years, though not always at the current location.

"My dad is a great man," he said.

The accuser's mother could not be reached for comment Monday night. The Dallas Morning News is not publishing her name to protect the identity of her daughter.

It was unclear late Monday whether the school was properly licensed. Harn said police were checking with city officials whether the school had the appropriate certificate of occupancy.

Ex-Fresno minister guilty of rapes

A former Fresno minister was found guilty this morning of raping four prostitutes at knifepoint in fall 2007.

A jury of seven women and five men found Anthony Ireland, 25, guilty of four felony counts of rape while using a knife. He wiped tears from his eyes after the verdict was announced in Fresno County Superior Court.

Prosecutor Becky Gong accused Ireland of luring the prostitutes into his car by offering to pay them for sex. In each case, he drove to a secluded area, put a knife to the woman's throat and raped her, Gong said.

But attorney Antonio Alvarez, who defended Ireland, said his client was falsely accused of rape because he didn't pay the women for sex. Alvarez said a prostitute asked Ireland to use a knife on her to heighten the sexual experience. Ireland enjoyed the experience so much, he asked the other prostitutes whether he could hold a knife while having sex, Alvarez said.

Ireland faces life in prison when he is sentenced on June 12 in Judge Gary Orozco’s courtroom.

According to police, Ireland was a licensed minister at the International Crossroads Community Church in Fresno, where he taught Bible classes. Church leaders revoked Ireland's ministerial license shortly after his arrest.

The prostitutes worked streets along Parkway and Motel drives. Their descriptions of the rapist and his clothing matched that of Ireland, Gong said. The victims also gave police similar descriptions of the rapist's car, Gong said. Ireland was on the prowl when police arrested him in November 2007, she said.

Humble church leader with secret past accused of sodomizing girl

HUMBLE, Texas -- He was known to his neighbors as a kind, generous man who would go out of his way to lend a helping hand. He was a God-fearing man, who was not only active in church, but also a board member.

Now 56-year-old Dan Deleon Flores faces up to life in prison for allegedly assaulting a 9-year-old girl.

“It was a complete surprise to me,” said Lester Burton, who lives two doors down from Flores. “I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me three days ago, because he seemed real likable.”

Flores is being held without bond on a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.

“Probable cause indicates these were continuous acts. Consequentially, he falls within a new law where the punishment is 25 years to life,” said Assistant Harris Co. D.A. Darin Darby, a prosecutor with the crimes against children unit.

Dan Flores is accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl on at least two occasions.

Police say Fores assaulted the girl at least twice in March and April of this year. They are not releasing the name of the church where Flores served on the board. They say the assaults occurred at his apartment and the victim’s home, not the church.

Police also say this isn’t the first time Flores has been accused of sexually assaulting a child. In 1994, he was charged with molesting a five-year-old boy, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

He served two years behind bars but failed to register as a sex offender.

Police say he slipped through the cracks. Police also say while Flores denies the current charges against him, he made a startling admission of another sort.

“He admitted to having a sickness,” said Humble Police Detective Jackie Blanchard. “And he admitted that after he got out of prison, he tried to stay away from children.”

Neighbors at his Humble apartment say Flores would often drive elderly residents to the grocery store or to the drug store to pick up their medications. They also say he used his charcoal grill to cook for all of the residents in his complex during the power outages that followed Hurricane Ike.

“He’s carried my groceries up and took my walker downstairs for me. If I was taking a trip, he’d carry my suitcase down for me,” said one neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous. “He’d do anything he saw that he could do. Anything you would ask him to do.”

Others in the apartment complex have a less tolerant view.

“If it’s true, it’s not good. It’s like an animal being on the street looking for kids, and that shouldn’t happen,” said next door neighbor Joe Smith. “He shouldn’t be out on the street because he’s an animal.”

Smith says Flores had a close relationship with the alleged victim’s family. He says the girl stayed over on occasion and thought of him as a grandfather, often referring to him as “Pappy.”

Milford pastor detained, trial to go forward

A Brazilian woman ordered by a federal immigration judge to leave the country has been indicted on child rape charges and is scheduled to appear in Worcester Superior Court this morning.

Ana Paula Almeida, 31, was due to voluntarily leave the country by June 22 or face deportation for violating immigration law.

However, the Worcester Country district attorney's office, which has been prosecuting the rape case in Milford District Court, still expects to proceed with its case, said a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

"We have a victim who wants to go forward, and we have evidence and we felt as though this is a case that should go forward," said spokesman Tim Connolly.

Almeida is being held in lockup at MCI-Framingham on $50,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Worcester on two indictments - child rape and indecent assault and battery, Connolly said.

Almeida is accused of raping a teenage girl from her congregation.

Despite last month's ruling by a judge in Boston Immigration Court that she must leave the country or face deportment, Connolly said it's likely the rape case can be resolved.

"We have a defendant in custody and she faces charges in Superior Court," he said.

Almeida, a pastor who led the downtown Plenitude of God Church, was arraigned in district court in February after being arrested by Milford Police.

Authorities say Almeida inappropriately touched and had sex with her victim over a span of two years, starting when the girl was 14.

Almeida, of 13 Colonial Road home, Apt. 7, was indicted by a grand jury last week, Connolly said.

Some boys for a Tuesday

Former youth pastor to plead guilty to child porn charge

MUNCIE — A former youth pastor from Delaware County has agreed to plead guilty to a federal child pornography charge.

Charles S. “Chuck” Miller, 49, of rural Gaston, was arrested last September when federal agents raided his Harrison Township home. In court documents, a U.S. postal inspector wrote that Miller “admitted to being a member of an Internet-based bulletin board dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography.”

Miller — who remains in federal custody — has signed a plea agreement admitting that he knowingly received photographs of “an actual minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct” via the Internet.

The deal, which has been taken under advisement by U.S. District Court Judge William T. Lawrence, calls for a 15-year prison term.

Salida youth pastor guilty of molesting boy, 4

MODESTO, Calif.—Stanislaus County prosecutors say a youth pastor will serve three years, eight months in prison after pleading guilty to molesting a 4-year-old boy.

Forty-eight-year-old Timothy Ryan Jamison admitted to committing a lewd and lascivious act upon a child to avoid a trial.

Modesto police began their investigation in 2007 after the boy's mother, who rented a room to Jamison, reported seeing him fondle her son. A search yielded child pornography.

Deputy District Attorney Annette Rees said that after prison Jamison must wear a GPS tracker and register as a sex offender.

When he was arrested Jamison worked at First Congregational Church in Salida.

The boy did not attend the church and church officials say no children there were victims.

Update: Former Church Music Director Arrested On More Charges

For the second time in less than two weeks, deputies arrested 56-year-old David Pierce. Originally he faced just one count of sexual indecency with a minor, but Wednesday that number grew to 54 counts.

The one alleged victim turned into four. They are all male teens. Each one is or was a member of the youth choir at First Baptist Church in Benton, under the direction of David Pierce.

Pierce served at the church for 28 years before being fired last month.

"You never truly know somebody," says Karen Ray. She is a fellow church member and Pierce baptized her daughter. Her family even moved across the street from him two years ago because of the friendship they developed.

She explains, "We knew that being close to him meant that we would have some good neighbors and people that would look out for us and our family."

The alleged crimes reportedly happened at the church and at a cabin in rural Saline County. Sheriff Bruce Pennington says the three latest victims came forward after the initial arrest, and he believes there are more.

"We are asking that if there are any other youth that have been involved in this to please come forward," Pennington explains. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. They have done nothing wrong."

Investigators say they know that the alleged sexual acts happened over that last three years, but that they may go back even further than that to as many as 15 years.

According to the arrest affidavit obtained by Today's THV, Pierce has written two letters to the church.

Part of one reads: "I feel that it is important for you to know that while I fully acknowledge the sinfulness and immorality of my past behavior, I did not engage in actual sexual contact with any person."

Meantime, church members are relying on faith for healing.

Pam Ray says, "We just keep praying for one another praying for the church and praying for Pastor Rick."

If convicted, sexual indecency with a minor carries a punishment of one to six years in prison.

Pierce is married and has three grown children and several grandchildren. He had been with the church for 28 years and had no criminal history.

Pastor Dr. Rick Grant released a statement to Today's THV. It reads, "All I can tell you is that we have cooperated fully with the authorities and will continue to do that. Meanwhile, we are praying for wisdom in our words, strength of courage, and healing for everyone involved. We serve a great God and we refuse to lose sight of that."

Pierce is out on bond for this second arrest on the original $25,000 bond posted for the first arrest. The sheriff says he does not consider Pierce a flight risk.

Buckeye pastor indicted on sex charges, kidnapping

PHOENIX — Authorities say a pastor in Buckeye has been indicted on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, failure to register as a sex offender and kidnapping.

Maricopa County Attorney’s Office records show Charles Lawrence Carfrey, pastor of The Lord’s House Church, pleaded not guilty at his April 8 arraignment.

The indictment alleges that Carfrey engaged in sexual intercourse with four girls ages 15 to 17 between April 2004 and May 2005 and knowingly restrained another “with the intent to inflict death, physical injury, or a sexual offense on her.”

The 59-year-old Carfrey has been in custody since March 20 when authorities say he was arrested on suspicion of running a criminal syndicate, engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor and sexual abuse during counseling sessions.

Carfrey’s next court date is scheduled for May 22.

Youth Pastor Allegedly Molested Church Member, 17

TAZEWELL COUNTY - An unpaid youth pastor at The Rock Church in East Peoria allegedly molested a 17 year old church member, police say.

William Richardson, 33, was arrested Thursday and charged with 2 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault.

According to an affidavit obtained by WMBD 31 News, the 17 year old girl's father called the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office when he found sexually explicit text messages on the girl's cell phone. The affidavit goes on to say that Richards admitted to meeting the girl in a Wal-Mart parking lot and engaging in sexual conduct with her in his vehicle.

Richards is free on bond. He's due in court next week.

Ex-youth pastor in Ala. pleads guilty to sex crime

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—A former youth minister in Birmingham has pleaded guilty to a federal charge accusing him of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.

Federal authorities said Tuesday that William David Webb, who was a youth pastor at Word of Life Christian Center, entered the plea in federal court in Tuscaloosa and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. No sentencing date was set immediately.

The 35-year-old Webb, who was arrested Jan. 14 in Murrietta, Calif., was accused of taking a 15-year-old girl from Alabama to Oklahoma in the spring of 2004.

Webb's lawyer, Tommy Spina, told The Birmingham News the girl traveled with Webb's family as their baby sitter and was a member of Webb's church, but he said no sex act occurred on that occasion.

The Varieties of Biblical Marriage

We hear a lot about “biblical marriage” these days. Some of us might not be clear on what that means. The website Religious Tolerance has provided a helpful article on the types of marriage found in the pages of the bible.

Here’s a summary:

1. Polygynous Marriage
Probably the most common form of marriage in the bible, it is where a man has more than one wife.

2. Levirate Marriage
When a woman was widowed without a son, it became the responsibility of the brother-in-law or a close male relative to take her in and impregnate her. If the resulting child was a son, he would be considered the heir of her late husband. See Ruth, and the story of Onan (Gen. 38:6-10).

3. A man, a woman and her property — a female slave
The famous “handmaiden” sketch, as preformed by Abraham (Gen. 16:1-6) and Jacob (Gen. 30:4-5).

4. A man, one or more wives, and some concubines
The definition of a concubine varies from culture to culture, but they tended to be live-in mistresses. Concubines were tied to their “husband,” but had a lower status than a wife. Their children were not usually heirs, so they were safe outlets for sex without risking the line of succession. To see how badly a concubine could be treated, see the famous story of the Levite and his concubine (Judges 19:1-30).

5. A male soldier and a female prisoner of war
Women could be taken as booty from a successful campaign and forced to become wives or concubines. Deuteronomy 21:11-14 describes the process.

6. A male rapist and his victim
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 describes how an unmarried woman who had been raped must marry her attacker.

7. A male and female slave
A female slave could be married to a male slave without consent, presumably to produce more slaves.

and of course …

8. Monogamous, heterosexual marriage
What you might think of as the standard form of marriage, provided you think of arranged marriages as the standard. Also remember that inter-faith or cross-ethnic marriage were forbidden for large chunks of biblical history.

The important thing to realize here is that none of these models are described as better than any other. All appear to have been accepted.

So there you go. The next time someone says that we need to stick with biblical marriage in this country, you can ask them which of the eight kinds they would prefer, and why.

Pastor charged with rape

He's accused of raping a 16-year-old member of his church.

According to warrants, the victim spent the night at Ragland’s house on April 11 after Ragland told her parents she needed some counseling.

Investigators say Ragland gave the victim a cup of beer with a straw and told her to drink it. Ragland then told the victim he had something on his computer to show her, it was a video clip of people having sex.

Ragland began touching the victim and told her he wanted to do her a favor, but she said no. Ragland then began to fondle her. The victim told him no, but he proceeded to take her clothes off and began having vaginal intercourse with her. Ragland went to the bathroom, then returned and said he was going to order pizza and drinks.

A short time later Ragland returned to the room and told the victim to again take off her clothes. She said no. He then had anal sex with her. Ragland went to the bathroom again and when he came back he took the sheets off the bed, sprayed air freshener and put the sheets in the washing machine.

Ragland then ordered pizza and it was delivered at 9:42 p.m. After eating pizza, Ragland had sex with the victim again, even after she said 'no' once again.

According to the warrants, the victim says Ragland told her that he would "hit her so hard that she would need to wear a wig if she told anybody." Ragland also told her that if she told, it would hurt many people in the church.

The incident allegedly happened at Ragland's home on Melanie Lane in the Willow Springs community in western Johnston County on April 11. The victim reported the incident on April 12 after undergoing treated at WakeMed.

Ragland was charged with second-degree rape, second-degree sex offense, and sex offense - parental role. Ragland was jailed under a $35,000 bond and released.

Former pastor accused of rape

MOULTON -- Lawrence Coun­ty sheriff's investigators have ar­rested a former Morgan County church pastor accused of raping an 11-year-old girl and having in­appropriate sexual contact with at least two other people.

Investigators have charged 70-year-old Kenneth Dyar Wood of Danville with first-degree rape and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.

Wood had been pastor of Barn­ett's Chapel Pentecostal Church but resigned on Sunday. He is only charged in connection with the 11-year-old.

Authorities said he allegedly had sex with the girl in December 2008 and they aren't sure whether he will face more charges.

Sheriff Gene Mitchell said au­thorities learned of the other vic­tims during a two-month investi­gation.

Wood was arrested Thursday and taken to Lawrence County Jail where he was being held in lieu of $70,000 bond.

United Church leader arrested on several sex-related charges

When Rev. David Woodall joined the United Church of Canada's London-area executive staff, he foresaw himself as a bridge between national leaders and local parishioners' concerns.

But yesterday at the offices of the United Church's London conference -- which oversees eight presbyteries and 65,000 people -- it was a colleague filling in as executive secretary and reaching out to churchgoers stunned by Woodall's arrest on sex-related charges.

"(Our) priority is providing pastoral care to the people impacted by this development," said Peter Kingsbury, who took over Woodall's post Thursday.

"David would be well-known by a great many people. We've reached out to all our churches (and) hold everyone involved and impacted in our prayers."

Woodall, 53, was charged Wednesday with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual exploitation and one count of sexual interference.

Huron OPP started investigating after a man reported he was assaulted as a child.

Another adult made a similar complaint. Both said the incidents occurred on sleepover programs organized as church functions.

Woodall is accused of sexually assaulting one child in Clinton in the early 1990s and sexually assaulting a second youth at McGregor Point Provincial Park in Bruce County.

The church's area footprint includes 314 "preaching places," mainly churches, and more than 65,000 parishioners. It stretches from Windsor to Woodstock and as far north as Wingham.

"If you understand the church, we are in many ways a family like any other family," Kingsbury said in describing his own reaction to the charges.

"So think of (this) as if you just heard this news about your brother."

Asked if he had spoken with Woodall -who was released on bail after a court appearance Thursday -- Kingsbury said "of course."

Attempts to reach Woodall at his Woodstock home yesterday were unsuccessful.

Woodall served as Clinton United Church's minister from 1985 to 1994. He spent eight years at London's Hyde Park church and was at St. David's in Woodstock from 2002 to 2006.

It was then that he was appointed executive secretary, which he described as "an honour."

Though he saw the times changing, he told Sun Media in 2006 the church's future was bright.

"What we're good at is helping people," he said. "I'll act as a bridge . . . by helping the national church between (the) national church and local (followers) . . . understand local needs and concerns."

Woodall will return to Goderich court June 15.

Headmaster is arrested on child porn charges

An Episcopal clergyman and headmaster of a Christian grade school in Gardena has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, Los Angeles Police Department officials said today.

The Rev. Robert W. Bowman, headmaster at CrossRoad Christian Academy in Gardena, was booked Thursday at the 77th Street Regional Jail in Los Angeles after a search of his San Pedro home.

Bowman, also a rector at St. Luke's Reformed Episcopal Church in Santa Ana, was later released on $20,000 bail.

Bowman, contacted by phone, refused to give any details about the arrest.

"I have nothing to say," he said. "You'll have to speak to my attorney."

According to his Facebook profile, Bowman earned his graduate degree from the Reformed Theological Seminary, which has campuses in Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina and Washington, D.C.

The San Francisco native wrote on the Web site that he considers himself "very conservative" politically and his religious views are "Christian - Very Conservative

His Facebook page has since been either shut down or hidden from public view.

Los Angeles police Detective Carlos Monterosso said the investigation is ongoing. Officials began looking into the allegations after receiving a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"It led us to Mr. Bowman," he said.

Monterosso said there is no evidence that Bowman is involved in other illegal activity.

"This is a child pornography case only," he said.

Officials at St. Luke's Reformed Episcopal Church said they had just heard of the allegations and decided not to comment on the matter.

Scott Fairchild, pastor of CrossRoad, said school and church officials have been cooperating with authorities on the investigation.

Fairchild said Bowman called Thursday morning to resign from his post. He said Bowman worked at the school for about 18 months and described him as "upbeat" and "encouraging."

"He's been kind and considerate of people," he said. "A good listener; someone good to work with."

Fairchild said several concerned parents on Friday called about the safety of their children. He said the students are in no danger.

"We run, I think, an excellent program and we're always aware that we want to have safety," he said.

"And it's a Christian school, so we want the best integrity as followers of Christ would treat children, so safety has never been a problem with the kids."

Fairchild said he wouldn't speculate on the allegations about the arrest.

"That's really not my decision," he said.

Some parents picking up their children at the school Friday said they were shocked and angered about the news and wondered what background checks were done when Bowman was hired.

Others said they don't know what to believe because they've heard so many rumors.

Vicky Cathcart of Gardena said she first heard about the allegations Thursday night at a parent meeting with Fairchild.

She said she is reserving judgment until all the facts come out. It's important to remember, Cathcart said, that none of the allegations involve things that happened on campus.

"We need to support the church and the school because we are all going through this together," Cathcart said. "I am heartbroken this happened."

Mike Hooks of Carson said it's difficult to believe the allegations against Bowman because he was a quality educator with a good rapport with students.

"He was pleasant, cordial and knew my children by name. I held him to such high esteem since he was a leader of a Christian school," said the father of two daughters.

"My heart wants to believe that this is some kind of mistake. But if it's true, then it's really disappointing."

Hooks said his main concern at this point is how the school will fare after the allegations. The headmaster before Bowman also left unexpectedly with little explanation.

"We've been having some turnover at the top," he said. "What happens next to the school? We need to make sure to maintain the quality in spite of all this."

Former Southern Baptist pastor pleads guilty to sexual abuse

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) -- A former Southern Baptist pastor arrested in 2007 on charges that he sexually abused two teenage boys has avoided prison -- for now.

Steven C. Haney, 48, pastor of Walnut Grove Baptist Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, Tenn., for 20 years before his resignation in December 2006, pleaded guilty April 29 to rape and sexual battery by an authority figure in a settlement intended to allow victims and their families to avoid the stress of testifying.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Judge John Colton Jr. approved the settlement, sentencing Haney to probation for eight years and adding his name to the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. He was given suspended, concurrent sentences of eight and three years. Haney still faces federal child pornography charges in an indictment handed down in October 2007, punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Haney in July 2007, after a 21-year-old man told detectives that Haney molested him for more than five years beginning when he was 15. The alleged victim testified at a preliminary hearing in September 2007 that Haney lured him into a long-term sexual relationship by convincing him it was God's will and a test of his faith.

After the arrest, a former member of Haney's church told a Memphis television station she wasn't surprised by the allegation, because about 30 members left the congregation after similar accusations involving another teenager surfaced in the 1990s.

At one point police said detectives were interviewing as many as 10 people who may have been former victims of Haney.

In 2008 Haney's former church changed its name from Walnut Grove to Gracepoint Baptist Church, seeking a fresh start and break with the recent past.

Because Southern Baptist churches are autonomous, they make their own decisions about hiring and firing ministers. The Southern Baptist Convention offers guidelines for protecting against sexual abuse, including a link to a national sex offender database.

Christa Brown, Baptist outreach director for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says sex-offender databases aren't enough protection, because they list only those convicted of a crime and the vast majority of molestations are never prosecuted.

Two years ago Brown asked Southern Baptist leaders to create a national database of clergy convicted, admitted or credibly accused of sexual abuse and create an independent review board to receive and investigate allegations of sexual misconduct.

After study, the SBC Executive Committee opted against the proposal, saying the convention lacked authority to investigate local churches. Time magazine ranked that denial one of the top 10 "under-reported" stories of the year.

In an address to the convention in 2008, Executive Committee President and CEO Morris Chapman strongly condemned "those who would use our churches as a hunting ground for their own sick and selfish pleasure" and said that while the number of Baptist ministers who are sexual predators appeared to be small "one sexual predator in our midst is one too many."

SNAP has tracked media reports of dozens of Southern Baptist preachers arrested and convicted of sexual abuse in recent years.

Just days ago the longtime music minister of a prominent Arkansas Southern Baptist church was charged with sexual indecency with a minor.

Police say David Pierce, 59, music minister of First Baptist Church of Benton, Ark., arrested April 24 for alleged indecency with a teenage boy, is expected to face additional charges. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported April 28 that at least three men have come forward alleging they were abused by Pierce in incidents dating back several years.

SNAP issued a press release April 30 calling on all Baptist leaders who have worked with First Baptist Church in Benton during Pierce's 28 years on staff to "search their consciences" and report any relevant information to police.

SNAP also urged the church to reach out to any other possible victims with a public offer of independent counseling and applauded the teenager and men who have already come forward.

"When victims and witnesses speak up, there is a chance for justice, healing and prevention," SNAP said in a press release. "But when victims and witnesses stay silent, predators often walk free and kids get hurt."