The Archdiocese of Baltimore will close one of the city's Catholic churches after its longtime pastor was suspended from ministry for making a payment to settle sexual harassment allegations.
Last month, Father Paschal Morlino was dismissed from his position at St. Benedict Church in southwest Baltimore, where he served for nearly 40 years.
Few details about the 2018 complaint against Morlino have been released. Church officials have said they were regarding "sexual harassment of an adult man."
A pastor at a Caldwell County church is facing child sex charges after the execution of recent search warrants.
Investigators served warrants against 51-year-old Ashley James Crouse on November 3rd, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said. Both deputies and agents with the NC State Bureau of Investigation participated in the searches.
Officials said both Crouse's home and New Vision Baptist Fellowship were searched. Items were seized from both locations are to be examined for material depicting child exploitation.
He is being held in the Caldwell County Detention Center under a $1 million secured bond.
Baptist School Teacher Arrested on Child Sex Charges
A teacher at an Orlando Christian private school faces several charges of sexual activity with a minor, according to Orange County court records. In addition, the victim is suing The First Academy, The First Baptist Church of Orlando, and her teacher for sexual abuse, and for failing to notify law enforcement after learning of the abuse, according to court records.
In court documents, the victim alleges that Harriet Sugg started to sexually abused her when she was 15 years old student at The First Academy. The First Academy is a private Christian school operated by The First Baptist Church of Orlando. Court records show that Sugg was arrested in Orange County, and faces several charges of sexual activity with a minor by a school authority.
According to the lawsuit, Sugg's husband reported her to the church, which is "asking for your prayers, understanding, and support during this difficult time."
Operator of Christian Youth Facility Sued for Child Sex Abuse
A federal lawsuit filed Monday against Ted Suhl, the mogul convicted of bribing a state official but set free by then-President Donald Trump, describes decades of "systematic and widespread" child abuse by staff members at Suhl's now-defunct Lord's Ranch.
The abuse at the residential facility included "premeditated sexual abuse and child rape, often under threat of force; extreme physical violence and abuse resulting in serious injuries such as broken bones; and psychological manipulation and torment, such as isolation closets and straitjackets," the 53-page complaint says.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight anonymous male plaintiffs sent to the facility as minors in the 1990s and early 2000s. All were victimized by one senior staffer: Emmett Alden Presley, the long-time Director of Social Services for Lord's Ranch.
The pardon for Suhl's bribery conviction was engineered by Mike Huckabee, who appointed Suhl to oversee facilities just like his in the 90s.
In 2006, Suhl gave Huckabee and his daughter—the current Governor of Arkansas—a ride on his private plane to a GOP event as Huckabee was running for president.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was notified by the Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center in regards to possible computer crimes by 40-year-old David Prince, who is a chaplain and associate pastor in McAlester.
Officials say on November 6th, the OSBI ICAC unit, along with other law enforcement agencies, served a search warrant at Prince's residence in McAlester.
Based on the evidence obtained during the search, Prince was arrested and booked into the Pittsburg County Jail on Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act charges.
Mormon Ex-Gay Torture Therapist Arrested on Rape Charges After Standoff with Police
Utah therapist Scott Owen was arrested Wednesday in connection with accusations that he sexually abused patients during sessions.
Owen, 63, was booked into the Utah County jail on suspicion of six counts of object rape and four counts of forcible sodomy. A Utah County judge has ordered that Owen remain in jail without the opportunity to post bail, finding that he could be a danger to the community and would likely flee if released.
Owen was arrested on allegations connected to two former patients, both who say Owen engaged in sexual contact with them during therapy sessions. That alleged touching included kissing, cuddling, and Owen using his hand to touch their anuses. One man also alleges Owen performed oral sex on him.
Owen agreed to meet with Provo and Spanish Fork police at the Spanish Fork Police station, so that he could be transported from there to the Utah County Jail. Owen did not show up at the station, and authorities said they began searching. He was located on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Thistle, which is nearly 24 miles from Provo.
Officer Janna-Lee Holland with Provo police said that he was located alone in his car, and a standoff with police occurred after he was found. Highway 89 was closed in the area while police worked to get Owen to safely surrender. Holland said tactical units were called in from the Utah County Sheriff's Office in order to do so.
Once he surrendered, Owen was booked on six counts of object rape and four counts of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies. "We are grateful to tactical units of the Utah County Sheriff's Office whose skillful work resulted in safe apprehension without injury to anyone," Holland said.
Baptist Youth Pastor Arrested on Child Sex Charges
Convicted of assaulting young boys as a Little League coach in North Carolina, Jonathan S. Russell relocated to Saginaw Township. He is now facing charges in two Michigan counties for allegedly assaulting numerous children by exploiting his position in a local church.
In February, Michigan State Police troopers began investigating allegations Jonathan S. Russell had been abusing children he encountered at First Baptist Church of Bridgeport. Russell had workedc at the church as a youth organizer.
Authorities say 42-year-old Jonathan Russell is facing 10 charges, including second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim 13 years old or younger. He remained in custody Thursday at the Saginaw County Jail on $100,000 bond after arraignment.
Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Captain's Chair, CA
Re: Mormon Ex-Gay Torture Therapist Arrested on Rape Charges After Standoff with Police
Mormons and Scientologist are still probably the two best churches at coverings up their sexual abuse scandals. Their members are just a bit more cult-y than the rest and more willing to shut up.
Pastor Gets Life Without Parole for Molesting Autistic Child
Samuel Lamar Taylor, 52, has been sentenced to life without parole after he was convicted by a Rankin County jury on September 20th 2023, of one count of sexual battery and one count of gratification of lust. Taylor served as a music teacher for over 25 years at schools across Mississippi, retiring from Richland Upper Elementary School in 2020. Taylor was also a minister at several churches throughout Rankin County, dating back to the 1980s.
On August 23rd 2022, the Richland Police Department received a call from Richland Upper Elementary School concerning an 11-year-old autistic child disclosing sexual abuse to his Region 8 counselor. During the investigation, authorities located and interviewed at least one other victim who alleged Taylor abused him from 1990–91 when Taylor worked as a counselor at the YMCA on Flowers Dr. in Jackson.
GOP Rep Blocks Bill Requiring Clergy to Report Child Sex Abuse
Republican Representative Quang Nguyen, Chairman of the Arizona House Judiciary Committee, refused to advance a bill that would require clergy to report confessions of child sex abuse, stating:
"The victim has parents, the victim has teachers, the victim has friends, the victim has relatives that he or she is close to. So, it doesn't need a priest to be able to go to court and testify."
Nguyen, a self-proclaimed devout Catholic, is a member of the violent extremist group, the Oath Keepers, whose leader is now imprisoned for his role in the Capitol riot.
A youth leader at a Macomb County church has been charged with criminal sexual conduct due to sexual contact with a minor who attends his church.
Clinton Township man Luis Mendoza, 29, was arraigned Wednesday, November 15th on multiple counts of criminal sex conduct, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office reports.
Mendoza, who is associated with the Mission 43:19 church in Macomb Township, is accused of grooming and engaging sexually with a minor.
Mendoza was given a $250,000 bond, with no 10% option, during his arraignment Wednesday. He was also ordered to not have any contact with anyone under the age of 18 years old, officials said.
Christian School Teacher Arrested on Child Sex Charges
A teacher at a Christian school in Sanford has been charged with sex offenses involving a student, Sanford police said Thursday. On November 8th, police received a report of misconduct by a teacher at Lee Christian School at 3220 Keller Andrews Road.
Further Investigation into the allegations led police investigators to bring charges against 57-year-old Daniel Jeremy Abraham of Spring Lake.
He is charged with indecent liberties with a student and sexual battery. Abraham was taken before a Lee County Magistrate where he was placed in the Lee County Jail without bond.
Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Captain's Chair, CA
Re: GOP Rep Blocks Bill Requiring Clergy to Report Child Sex Abuse
"The victim has parents, the victim has teachers, the victim has friends, the victim has relatives that he or she is close to. So, it doesn't need a priest to be able to go to court and testify." -snip
Notice how the **Trumper refers to abused child as an "it", it's to dehumanize the victims.
**I'm assuming the Oath Keepers are still staunch Trumpers
A pastor from Mission was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated sexual assault and practicing medicine without a license, court records show.
As part of his sentencing, Melquisedec Chan will serve 10 years probation and pay a $5,000 fine for practicing medicine without a license.
Chan was arrested in April 2018 on charges of sedating his patients and then performing sexual acts to them while they were unconscious.
A northwest Ohio priest was sentenced Friday, just over three years after he was initially arrested on charges of sex trafficking minors and adults, charges on which he was ultimately found guilty.
Michael Zacharias appeared in federal court Friday afternoon, where a judge sentenced him to life in prison on two counts and 20 years on three counts. These sentences will run concurrently.
A federal jury found him guilty in May of five counts of sex trafficking, some of which involved minors. Prosecutors said the crimes, which occurred between 1999 and July 2020, involved Zacharias using his position as a priest at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish to target victims and coerce them into sex acts.
A Quincy youth leader at Hope Lutheran Church in Quincy was sentenced Friday to 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Court records show that 22-year-old Isaiah Mikkelson was sentenced to six years each for two counts of criminal sexual abuse of a victim between 13 and 17 years old. Mikkelson must serve the two sentences consecutively and will receive 4 days credit on each count for time served.
In September, Mikkelson pleaded guilty to two of the seven total charges against him. One count of criminal sexual assault, two charges of child pornography, and two other counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
Nov 6th, 2023 05:18 PM
