The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
In 2015, Michael Sperou, pastor of North Clackamas Bible Community (previously named Southeast Bible Church) in Happy Valley, Oregon, was convicted on three counts of first-degree sexual penetration of a child under twelve and sentenced to twenty years in prison. In 2019, the Oregon Supreme Court:
ordered a new trial for Sperou after concluding that witnesses had improperly referred to the accuser as a victim. The court found that the reference may have undermined Sperou’s presumption of innocence and affected his right to a fair trial.
Sperou was later convicted a second time.
Fox-12 reported:
Michael Sperou was convicted by a jury Friday on two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.
The victim was under the age of 12 when the assaults occurred on two separate occasions between 1993 and 1996, according to investigators.
….
The district attorney’s office states the members gathered and lived among rental homes they shared and, as part of its evidence presentation, the state reported Sperou had a sexual interest in children; that he allowed minors to spend time with him in his bed; that he provided alcohol to minors; that he emotionally and financially manipulated church members; that he abused alcohol; and controlled nearly every aspect of church members lives, including how they raised their children.
Two other women testified in court that Sperou had sexually assaulted them while they were children in the church, but prosecutors said the statute of limitation has passed in those cases.
Sperou’s second conviction was also tossed on a legal technicality.
In May 2023, Sperou faced a third trial. Once again, he was found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison. It is expected that this conviction will stick.
A former pastor was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after he was found guilty on his third trial for a sex abuse case.
Michael Sperou, 72, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration back in May.
The conviction followed two previous guilty verdicts that were overturned by legal technicalities.
The sexual abuse took place back in 1988 to 1996, when Sperou was a pastor. Investigators say he sexually abused seven young girls whose families went to the church.
When the case went to trial, charges for the abuse against six of the seven survivors was outside the statute of limitations. Still, all seven women were allowed to testify.
Sperou was convicted on all counts, however, the Oregon Supreme Court overturned the convictions in 2019 after finding the use of the word “victim” by witnesses was impermissible.
The case went back to trial in 2020, and the jury delivered an 11-1 guilty verdict. Later that year, however, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that verdicts must be unanimous for serious crimes.
The third trial took place in May 2023, where he was found guilty on the two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration.
“It’s been a long and difficult road to today’s verdict for the victims in this case—all seven of them. The criminal justice system is hard on victims, and the strength and perseverance that the victim has shown through repeated trials is admirable and important,” said Senior DDA Melissa Marrero.
“It sends a message that she will not be silenced, and that abusers will be held accountable,” Marrero continued. “We’re thankful that the jury was able to see the truth, and that Ms. Clark and the other victims of Mr. Sperou remained committed to achieving justice over the near-decade that it took to get here. They are amazing women who went through the unthinkable, and their strength led to this result.”
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Connect with me on social media:
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.
