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Tag: Sexual Assault

Black Collar Crime: Derek Taplin Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen Boys Under His Care at Prairie College

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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.

Derek Taplin, an Evangelical man who attended Prairie College (formerly Prairie Bible Institute) in Canada, stands accused of sexually assaulting teen boys under his care while he was a student.

The Calgary Herald reports:

A one-time student union president at a central Alberta Bible college has been charged with multiple sexual assaults at the school, alleged crimes dating back two decades.

Acting on a Canada-wide warrant, Winnipeg police on Tuesday arrested Derek Taplin, 43, who has been charged with sexually assaulting younger non-college students under his guidance while the accused attended Prairie College in Three Hills from 2002 to 2004.

At the time he attended the college, he was also a youth group leader, said RCMP.

“He was in charge of youth groups . . . (the alleged assaults happened) in all those scenarios,” said Sgt. Jamie Day of the Three Hills RCMP detachment.

On June 10, 2021, a man came forward to report he’d been sexually assaulted by Taplin when the accused attended the college in the town 134 kilometres northeast of Calgary, said Day.

Soon after that, three other men reported similar crimes, said the Mountie, adding it’s possible there are other unknown victims of Taplin.

“If someone’s out there, struggling and wants to tell their story, we’re here to help them,” said Day.

Day said some of the assaults occurred on the campus of the college, whose website says its educational programs are “all soaked — not sprinkled — with the Bible.”

“There were multiple assaults on each (victim),” Day said.

“They could have also happened in private settings, it didn’t have to happen on a (college) outing.”

Taplin was not employed by the college at the time of the alleged assaults, said RCMP.

All the victims at the time were classified as youths, he said, and one source said they were junior high students and not college attendees.

The accused was a student at the college from 2001 to 2004 and was president of the student union until he was banished from the role “because he wasn’t a model citizen but it had nothing to do with these alleged sexual assaults,” said college President Mark Maxwell.

….

The complexity, logistics and age of the alleged crimes explains why charges were laid nearly two years after the first complaint, said Day. Some of the victims and witnesses no longer live in Alberta “and we’ve had to confirm a lot of information and a lot of background,” he said.

Taplin is charged with four counts each of sexual exploitation of a young person, sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching.

He’s in the process of being returned to Alberta, said RCMP, where he’ll make a yet-to-be scheduled court appearance in a venue with close proximity to Three Hills.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Update: Black Collar Crime: Methodist Worship Leader Stacy Digby Accused of Sexual Assault, Charges Dismissed

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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 2018, Stacy Digby, a volunteer worship leader at Highfill United Methodist Church in Highfill, Arkansas, was arrested on charges of “sexual Indecency with a child and sexual assault in the first degree.” (Digby’s mother said he was the church’s worship leader. A Raw Story report says Digby was a lay leader.) Digby was also the mayor of Highfill, Arkansas. After his arrest, Digby resigned from office. According to an earlier NWA report, Digby has previously been investigated on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. When asked about the charges levied against Digby, Highfill pastor Russ Hall said, “I would vouch for his character.”

NWA reports:

On January 8, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a possible inappropriate relationship between Stacy Digby and a 17-year-old girl.

Community and church members voiced their concerns about the interactions between the girl and Digby. The police report lists one such instance at a local bowling alley where the bowling alley manager and a woman saw the teen sitting on Digby’s lap.

When taken in for questioning, the 17-year-old told police she did stay the night at Digby’s home, but only once when her sister, Digby’s kids and his girlfriend were there.

The teen told police she had known Digby for six years, but she started to really hang out with him about four years ago.

On January 10, police questioned her grandmother and younger sister. The younger sister confirmed the 17-year-old and Digby met up several times in public and private. She also stated Digby and the 17-year-old started the relationship about four years ago.

The younger sister also confirmed to police the 17-year-old kept in communication with Digby through text. The two would send each other numerous photos including pictures of genitalia.

On January 24, detectives went to Digby’s parent’s house, where they believed he was hiding his computer. During the conversation, Digby’s mother said he was the worship leader at Highfill United Methodist Church and was pretty much the second person in charge besides the actual pastor himself. After obtaining a warrant, detectives seized a 500GB external hard drive from Digby’s parent’s milk barn.

On January 29, investigators interviewed an ex-girlfriend of Digby’s about the case.

The ex-girlfriend told police Digby confessed to having pictures of the 17-year-old and to having sexual intercourse since she was 12 or 13 years old.

Digby was arrested on Wednesday, March 28, and faces charges of Sexual Indecency with a Child and Sexual Assault in the First Degree.

In 2019, the charges against Digby were dismissed.

40/29 News reported at the time:

Charges against former Highfill Mayor Stacy Digby have been dropped, Benton County Prosecutor Nathan Smith told 40/29 News, because the victim is not cooperating in the case.

Digby resigned from office shortly before his arrest in March 2018, according to Blake Webb, Highfill Police Chief. He was charged with Sexual Assault in the 1st Degree.

In January 2018, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office announced it was investigating Digby on the possibility of an inappropriate relationship between him and a juvenile. A search warrant was executed as his house on that date.

“The wishes of the victim are always important in deciding how to proceed in a criminal case. Over the course of multiple meetings between prosecutors and the victim, she repeatedly stated her desire not to participate in the prosecution of this case,” Smith told 40/29 News.

“The victim is now an adult and able to make her own decisions. Her decision not to cooperate made the continued prosecution of this case impossible. I respect the victim’s decision and wish her the best in her future,” Smith said.

Digby’s attorney, Shane Wilkinson, told 40/29 he always thought this was the end result.

Wilkinson said what Digby was arrested for wasn’t actually a crime, and he’s glad the charge was dropped.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Jose Lopez Sentenced to 186 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Two Young Girls

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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.

Jose Lopez, former volunteer at Pacific Hills Calvary Chapel and Compass Bible Church, both in Aliso Viejo, California, was sentenced to 186 years in prison for sexually abusing two young girls to whom he was related.

LA.com reports:

A retired Orange County pastor was sentenced Friday to 186 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two young girls with whom he is related.

Jose Andres Lopez, 70, of Mission Viejo, was convicted March 22 of 18 felony sexual assault charges dating as far back as 1991 through 2020. Lopez is a retired Orange County pastor, but jurors did not hear that fact during the trial because it was not deemed relevant to the allegations.

Lopez told Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary Paer that he should get a new trial because the victims did not tell the truth about him.

“Everything that was said was all hearsay as God is my witness,” Lopez said.

Paer pointed out to Lopez that the victims were “thoroughly question by both sides” in the trial “and the jury believed them.”

The judge added that their testimony was not hearsay, but evidence.

“Just because she says something under oath doesn’t mean it’s the truth,” Lopez said.

“You’re entitled to that opinion,” Paer said. “You don’t have to agree with (the convictions) and I understand there will be an appeal on this case.”

Deputy District Attorney Tara Meath said, “There’s multiple layers of evidence in this case” beyond the testimony of the victims.

After being convicted of “years of sexual abuse,” it was “outrageous” for Lopez to make those arguments, Meath said.

Paer said Lopez “violated a huge position of trust” in the case. His attacks showed “planning and sophistication,” Paer said, pointing to the defendant locking the door when he would assault one of the girls.

“He was the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Paer said, pointing to Lopez’s relationship with the victims and his position as a religious leader.

“He work the mask of a (relative), he wore the mask of a pastor,” Paer said. “But behind the mask he was someone very dangerous.”

Lopez “forfeited your freedom” with the attacks, Paer said.

The judge ordered Lopez to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

On Aug. 21, 2020, one of the victims was finishing up school work remotely during the coronavirus pandemic at the defendant’s home when he called her up to his room, she testified.

“I went upstairs and then he pulled down my shorts I was wearing that day,” she testified. “That’s when he started (sexually assaulting her).”

Lopez had lubricant and condoms next to his bed, she testified.

“He locked the door like he always would,” she testified. “He would usually put a towel under it, but I don’t think he did that day.”

The victim was 13 at the time, but the abuse started when she was 3, Meath said.

The victim’s brother, who is about a year younger, was also in the house and when he was finishing his remote classes, the teacher asked to speak to the defendant to let him know they had worked out some technical issues in connecting virtually, Meath said. The siblings would regularly stay overnights with Lopez on Fridays through Saturdays and major holidays, Meath said.

The brother “ran up the stairs, but the door was locked, so he knocked,” Meath said.

“My teacher wants to talk to you,” the boy said.

The defendant said, “Slide the phone under the door,” Meath said.

The boy said he heard his sister in the room say something to the effect, “Are you done? Is it in?” Meath said.

Then the boy heard “noise he describes as a rhythm that sounded like having sex,” Meath said. “He felt very uncomfortable.”

Later, the victim called her brother upstairs to her room and she was crying as she told him what was happening, Meath said. The next day, the brother told his mother and the tearful victim confirmed it, the prosecutor said.

When investigators spoke with the girl, she said, “He started touching me since I was 3 years old,” according to Meath.

The girl said the alleged abuse “progressed in stages,” Meath said.

“This basically took place every time he had an opportunity,” Meath said. “It occurred every Friday.”

When deputies began executing a search warrant, the victim told them where they could find a sex toy in his room and the color of the towel it was wrapped in, Meath said.

“It was exactly where she said it was,” Meath said.

During the investigation, deputies “stumbled on a police report” out of Massachusetts from a 12-year-old who said the defendant had molested her for years, Meath said.

Lopez is also related to that victim, who moved out of state with her mother when she was 7, Meath said. She would return to spend summers with Lopez for years, and she said the abuse began when she was 5, Meath said. The accuser is about 35 or 36 years old now, she said.

Lopez volunteered as a pastor at Pacific Hills Calvary Chapel in Aliso Viejo between 2003 and 2005, according to sheriff’s officials. He also volunteered at Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo between 2012 and 2019, according to sheriff’s officials.

Compass Church released the following statement:

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has announced that a member of our church was arrested on suspicion of the abuse of a child who “was known” to him. The press release from the Sheriff’s Department states he has “volunteered at Compass Bible Church” for the past eight years, and later in the release it states he has had “continued access and contact with children.” It should be clarified that this man was not volunteering with kids in children’s ministries at our church, nor was he given access to or had any contact with the children in our kid’s ministry.

This man has never served as a pastor at our church nor has he been on our staff. He served as a volunteer on a team of men that kept order in the parking lot. Whatever “access and contact” the Sheriff’s Department had in view, it was not at our church.

Our senior pastor met with the pastors and our kid’s ministry leaders today to investigate and confirm that this person has had no contact or involvement with our children. We have also had no complaints and nothing has raised suspicion while he has been on our campus or involved with any of our congregants.

We hold the protection of our children in the highest regard. We work to professionally investigate the backgrounds of any who would volunteer to work with our children. And of course, we are ready and willing to fully cooperate with any investigation from our local authorities.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Leroy Lane, Jr. Gets No Prison Time for Sexually Abusing Church Teen

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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 2022, Leroy Lane Jr., pastor of Straight Gate Pentecostal Power Church in Benton Harbor, Michigan, was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a church teenager.

WNDU-16 reported:

Leroy Lane Jr. preached at the former Straight Gate Pentecostal Power Church. Multiple allegations have been made against Lane, accusing him of preying on and inappropriately touching teenage girls from his church.

Back in September 2021, Lane was accused of inappropriately touching a 13-year-old girl who was interviewed by investigators about the allegations.

According to documents obtained by 16 News Now, the girl was helping Lane prepare for a Super Bowl party at his home. She told investigators she was in his basement when he asked her to come sit with him on a reclining chair. She proceeded to sit on the arm of the chair.

He then asked her to sit on his lap, but she did not want to. That’s when he allegedly grabbed her, picked her up and put her on his lap. The victim then says Lane began to touch her thigh and rub her leg from her knee to the upper thigh.

The victim told investigators she yelled for her sister to come downstairs because she was concerned that Lane would touch a private part.

The victim also told investigators that Lane rubbed her backside while she was standing near a table of food later that same day.

Meanwhile, an older teen who is considered an adult in the court claims she was sexually assaulted by Lane in 2018.

The victim told investigators that Lane was helping her while she was going through a tough time financially, and even helped her obtain an apartment. She says Lane required her to give him a spare key to the apartment in case she lost hers.

She claims she was sexually attacked multiple times while she was sleeping after Lane would enter the apartment unannounced. She also told investigators that Lane had a handgun in his possession during these assaults.

Lane is denying the assault allegations and claims the incidents with the older teen were consensual.

After being ousted from Straight Gate, Lane now preaches at Rhema Word Ministries on Napier Avenue.

Channel 57 added:

Leroy Lane Jr. has been a pastor in Benton Harbor for over twenty years, and preached at Straight Gate Pentecostal Power Church– the congregation on Pipestone Street– now re-named New Birth Apostolic Church after cutting all ties with Pastor Lane when several allegations were made against him preying on teenage girls from his church.

Lane refused to say anything after his hearing on multiple criminal sexual conduct charges was postponed Tuesday at the Berrien County Courthouse. 

According to court documents obtained by ABC57, Pastor Lane paid for an apartment for a teenage girl at this church whose family was struggling financially, and in 2018, he allegedly entered the apartment twice– without her knowledge– and sexually assaulting her, one time telling her that he wanted to do that for years after having intercourse with her, and another time he told her he came in to “tuck her in for the night,” before another assault. 

Lane is also accused of inappropriately touching a thirteen-year old girl in 2020– picking her up against her will and putting her on his lap, then touching her inner thigh and backside. 

Police began investigating Lane Jr. after the thirteen-year old came forward, though he denies the assaults and has claimed that any prior sexual encounters were consensual.

But Deacon Curtis Sherrod, who worked at Straight Gate Pentecostal with Pastor Lane for sixteen years, called him a predator. 

“He utilized and weaponized the pulpit in order to keep people silent and to pump fear into people instead of giving them the ability to be free as they should be,” said Sherrod. 

He added that two of the victims are people close to him– and said that Lane has harmed far more than just the two girls. 

“There are victims that are, from what I understand, that cannot be found, that I watched grow up in the church, that he took advantage of,” he said. “There are two, that while they may not be counted in the case as victims, two of them are my nieces, and as a family we were able to clearly see that he was plotting to head in the direction of grooming them in some way.”

After being ousted from Straight Gate, Lane now preaches at Rhema Word Ministries on Napier Avenue.

I knocked on the church doors to see if anyone there knew of the allegations, though no one answered. 

“He just continues to propagate,” Sherrod said. “I would like to see that no one deal with or have the experience of what me and my peers, who were a tight-knit spiritual family at Straight Gate Pentecostal Power, I don’t want to see anyone go through that.”

Sherrod added that others need to come forward to prevent any other girls from becoming a victim. 

“If we sit silent, he’ll only do it again,” he said. “He’s proven that. If someone actually stands up and says something—and it’s not just me—but someone has to do something. And if it’s me, so be it.”

In April 2023:

A Benton Harbor pastor pleaded guilty to lesser charges following accusations that he was preying on young members of his congregation, according to prosecutors.

Leroy Lane pleaded no contest to assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon.

These are reduced counts from his criminal sexual conduct charges.

Lane appeared in court on June 12, 2023, and was sentenced to five years of probation. He must register as a sex offender for 15 years, stay off social media, stay away from children, and serve 960 hours of community service.

Channel 57 reports:

Benton Harbor Pastor Leroy Lane Jr. will not serve any jail time for sexually abusing a teenage girl who was a member of his church at the time.

He was also accused of sexually abusing other young women while he was the pastor of the Straight Gate Pentecostal Church in Benton Harbor.

Lane received a sentence of five years of probation, he must register as a sex offender for 15 years, stay off social media and stay away from children, and serve 960 hours of community service.

His victim, Jacqueline Prather, appeared in court today to face lane during his sentencing.

She was very disappointed with the sentence, but felt it was important to be there.

Lane’s victim was at the sentencing. She expressed disappointment with the judge’s sentence. Disappointment? How about outrage? Lane sexually molested a 13-year-old church girl and was accused of sexually molesting other minors. And he gets a slap on the wrist? This is a miscarriage of justice; yet another reminder that some judges do not take sexual assault seriously. What possible mitigating factors could lead to such an offensive, harmful sentence?

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Tana Reneau Accused of Child Rape and Assault

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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.

Tana Reneau, a youth leader with North Whatcom County Young Life and a mother of six children, stands accused of first-degree child rape, second-degree child rape, third-degree child rape, and four counts of second-degree child assault. She also faces one count of drug possession involving prescription drugs that did not belong to her.

Yahoo reports:

Probable cause documents released by Whatcom County Superior Court detail the alleged child abuse by a Blaine mother of six, who is a former teacher and current candidate for the Blaine School Board.

Tana Perkins Reneau, 51, was arrested by Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies Friday, June 2, on charges of child rape and child assault.

The prosecutor’s office intends to formally charge her with first-degree child rape, second-degree child rape, third-degree child rape and four counts of second-degree child assault, according to court documents. She also faces one count of drug possession involving prescription drugs that did not belong to her.

The arrest came after Whatcom County detectives were assigned the investigation through the state Child Protective Services. Three female children ranging in age from 7 to 14 and one male child over the age of 10 known to Reneau came forward with allegations that she had been physically and sexually abusing them as punishment, documents state.

“Horrific is a good word for it,” Whatcom County Superior Court Commissioner Jonathan Richardson said regarding the allegations during Reneau’s first appearance in court on Monday.

….

Child forensic interviews conducted by staff at Brigid Collins Family Support Center found that some of the physical pain suffered by the children “was equivalent to that produced by torture.” Medical exams by a nurse found scarring and markings consistent with abuse. Two of the children were found to have chipped teeth, the documents state.

Some of the children were forced to sleep naked in the shower, in the garage or without blankets or pillows. All four children were forced to run laps, the documents state.

The children were physically abused using closed fists and household items including boards, cords and a shovel, the documents state.

One child was severely beaten and then, upon examination of the injury, sexually assaulted by Reneau, the documents state. One child was sexually assaulted as punishment for perceived stealing, according to the documents.

Three of the children are Black and reported that Reneau called them racial slurs, according to the documents.

“It’s a very egregious case,” said deputy prosecuting attorney David Graham “(The probable cause document) has some very specific and very disturbing allegations and, in the state’s view, there is a community safety concern.”

The court issued a domestic violence no-contact order that protects the four unnamed victims. Reneau’s bail was set at $500,000. She remained in custody as of June 6, according to jail records.

Reneau has six children, four of whom are adopted.

Reneau taught in the Kennewick School District for 13 years before moving to Blaine in 2011. It’s unclear whether she ever taught in Blaine schools, but she served on multiple curriculum and technology adoption committees.

….

Reneau has filed to run for an open seat on the Blaine School Board and will face two other candidates in the Aug. 1 primary. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the school board in 2019.

She also has been involved with North Whatcom County Young Life ministry and as a leader in a program called YoungLives, which aims to offer guidance, resources and support to teen mothers.

In 2021, Reneau opened a candy company called Better Buttermint Co., where she employed young adults with developmental disabilities.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest Scott Asalone Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teen Boy

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Scott Asalone

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.

Scott Asalone, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a single count of felony carnal knowledge of a minor in December 2022. Yesterday, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

WTOP reports:

A former Loudoun County priest has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually abusing a minor nearly 40 years ago.

On Tuesday, Virginia’s Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Scott Asalone, a former priest at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Purcellville, has been sentenced to prison on a charge of felony carnal knowledge of a minor.

“Today’s sentencing brings long, overdue justice to the brave victim who came forward and told their story. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute child offenders and I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police or local law enforcement,” said Miyares in a statement.

Asalone was convicted of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy in 1985 when he was 29.

In 2020, when charges were first brought, D.C. Council member David Grosso came forward and identified himself as the victim in an interview with The Washington Post.

In an interview with WTOP after Asalone was convicted in December 2022, Grosso said, “I just think more of us need to realize that there is an opportunity for justice out there. And if you don’t say something, nobody knows.”

Asalone, now 66, will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Fox-5 adds:

The victim in the case is former D.C. Council member David Grosso, who publicly identified himself as Asalone’s victim when the charges were filed in 2020.

Grosso previously said he wrote a letter in 1992 to Asalone, and the priest responded by admitting his misconduct. Grosso said the letter served as evidence to convict Asalone in a case that stretched back to 1985.

“I love the fact that justice never stops in Virginia,” Grosso said last December.

“Today’s sentencing brings long, overdue justice to the brave victim who came forward and told their story. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute child offenders and I encourage anyone who has been a victim of clergy abuse to contact the Virginia State Police or local law enforcement. I’d also like to commend the Virginia State Police and my Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section for their outstanding work on this case,” said Attorney General Miyares in a statement Tuesday.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Kevin Straughan Accused of Strangulation and Sexual Assault

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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.

Kevin Straughan, pastor of Agape Ministries Church in Ossipee, New Hampshire, stands accused of strangulation and sexual assault.

WMUR-9 reports:

A former New Hampshire minister is accused of strangulation and sexual assault and is being investigated for similar charges in Florida.

Ossipee police said at the time of the allegations, Kevin Straughan, 67, was the head minister of Agape Ministries Church in Ossipee and Moultonborough.

Straughan has been indicted on several charges, including four counts of sexual assault and second-degree assault. Police said the victims are people he knew, including children.

Police said Straughan is no longer preaching at the church but is still involved there. He is also under investigation in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Police said they worked with multiple agencies as part of the investigation, which started in October. Liz Kelley-Scott, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center, said she couldn’t speak to the specifics of the case, but she said the organization’s role is to make sure children are protected throughout such investigations.

“That’s why we really work as a team, to have an open line of communication between law enforcement and prosecutors and our child protective services, but also to make sure all the needs of the kids are being met,” she said.

People at the church said they had no comment on the investigation. News 9 left a message at a phone number for Straughan but has not heard back.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Christian School Coach Andre Johnson Accused of Numerous Sex Crimes

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andre johnson

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.

Andre Johnson, a coach at Sumter Christian School in Sumter, North Carolina stands accused of 1 count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, disseminating obscene material to a person under 18, assault and battery in the third degree, and incest. Sumter Christian is a ministry of Sumter Bible Church — a congregation similar to Independent Baptist churches.

The Christian Post reports:

A former coach at a South Carolina Christian school, who was accused of sexually exploiting a minor, now faces over 20 new charges for allegedly committing other sex crimes involving minors.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook on May 24 that 54-year-old Andre Girard Johnson of Dalzell had been rearrested on additional charges, having previously been accused of disseminating obscene material to one person under the age of 18 in March.

Charges include 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, disseminating obscene material to a person under 18, assault and battery in the third degree, and incest. 

The alleged crimes involve two juveniles and authorities do not believe there are any other victims. 

“Of the many cases our investigators work, the crimes against the most vulnerable in our society, like children, are always the hardest,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said, as quoted by WIS News 10.

In an earlier report, WIS reported that Sumter Christian School’s administration had initially reported to law enforcement in March that Johnson had been sending inappropriate text messages to a minor. 

The minor reportedly told school administrators about the messages as they made her feel uneasy, investigators confirmed. Investigators stated that Johnson also sent pornographic images and sent a text message to the victim telling her that he wanted to have sex with her.

Deputies said Johnson surrendered himself on March 20 and was then transported to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. At the time, he was then released on a $5,000 surety bond.

Over multiple weeks, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office continued to conduct a full and in-depth investigation, bringing to light over 20 additional alleged sex offenses carried out by Johnson against minor victims. 

Johnson was rearrested on May 23 and reportedly transported to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. He later posted a $28,000 surety bond and was subsequently released on Tuesday, May 24.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Caleb Toney Charged with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse, Pleads Guilty, Given Probation

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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.

Caleb Toney, a youth pastor at several unidentified Iowa Evangelical churches, stands accused of two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, as well as two counts of supplying alcohol to a minor involving the same teen and one other.

WHO-13 reported in December 2022:

A former youth pastor is facing charges in Polk and Story counties for allegedly sexually abusing teens and providing them with alcohol.

Twenty-six-year-old Caleb Toney of Elkhart is charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, one count of assault, three counts of supplying alcohol to persons under the legal age, and one count of permitting minors to consume alcohol.

Cmdr. Dan Walter with the Ames Police Department said the first charges stem from incidents in the fall of 2017 at a residence where Toney lived at the time. Toney is accused of giving a 15-year-old alcohol and once the teen was intoxicated Toney allegedly touched him in an “unwanted, insulting, and offensive” manner. Court documents show he provided alcohol for a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old on multiple occasions and allowed them to drink at his Ames residence.

The other incidents are alleged to have happened in Ankeny and Elkhart between January 2019 and May 2020. In court documents, the victim alleges Toney got into bed with him and touched his genitals when he and an underage friend spent the night at his home in Elkhart. Toney is also accused of touching the victim’s genitals while the two were sitting on a couch at an apartment where Toney lived in Ankeny.

Police in Ankeny and Ames did not have information immediately available about which church or churches Toney was a youth pastor at when the alleged abuse occurred.

Toney was arrested on Monday and bonded out of the Polk County Jail on Tuesday night. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on December 16th for the charges in Polk County.

The Des Moines Register reports:

A former youth minister from Elkhart has been sentenced to probation for sexually abusing an underage student.

Caleb Toney, 27, was arrested by Ankeny police in December. According to Polk County court complaints, Toney on multiple occasions had sexual contact with a teen boy, then a high school student, in 2018 and 2019. The teen told police that Toney was his youth pastor at the time.

Toney was charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, as well as two counts of supplying alcohol to a minor involving the same teen and one other.

….

In April, Toney pleaded guilty to two reduced charges of lascivious conduct with a minor and the two alcohol charges, all serious misdemeanors. On May 18, he was sentenced to two years of probation in lieu of a four-year prison term.

Toney also was ordered to register as a sex offender and remain on supervision for 10 years. As part of his probation, he was ordered to stay off Craigslist and other online personal ad or escort services.

He must pay a fine of $1,720 on top of other court costs and surcharges.

Toney also was charged last year with assault in a separate Story County case. According to that complaint, Toney provided alcohol to a 15-year-old boy at a residence in Ames, then after the boy was intoxicated, began touching the boy’s body until the teen stopped him and moved away. That charge was dismissed at prosecutors’ request in January.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Raymond Chang Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Child

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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.

Raymond Chang, the pastor of Resurrection Church and an employee of Sweetser Adult Crisis Residential Facility in Rockport, Maine, stands accused of sexually assaulting a child.

The Courier-Gazette reports:

Raymond K. Chang, who is both a pastor and works at a Sweetser crisis unit, was arrested by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant charging him with felony unlawful sexual contact and misdemeanor unlawful sexual touching.

Chang was taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland. Judge Sarah Gilbert set bail Wednesday, May 31 at $2,500 cash during Chang’s initial appearance in the Knox County Court in Rockland. The judge also ordered Chang to wear a GPS monitor, not have contact with the victim or her mother, and to have no unsupervised contact with people younger than 18 years old.

Assistant District Attorney Mari Wells had asked for bail to be set at $5,000, citing the seriousness of the charges.

Defense attorney for the day Daniel Purdy had asked for bail of no more than $1,200 which is the amount he said Chang could raise.

Chang is a pastor at his church and operates a Sweetser facility, Purdy said.

Sweetser Communications and Public Relations Director Justin Chenette said Chang works at a Sweetser adult crisis residential facility in Rockport but does not run it. Chang is on unpaid administrative leave, the spokesman said.

The affidavit filed in the court by the Sheriff’s Office stated that the victim said Chang had been kicked out of his last church and started a new one in Rockport called “Resurrection Church.”

The affidavit stated that the victim reported being sexually assaulted by Chang multiple times from when she was 12 to 14 years old. The initial criminal complaint filed by the district attorney’s office lists two counts in 2019.

Chang was not asked to enter a plea at Wednesday’s hearing because one charge is a felony and that must first be presented to a grand jury.

The affidavit quotes the victim as saying that she reported the sexual abuse to a family member and in response the family got together with members of the former church (which is not named in the affidavit) and she was told she needed to apologize and that both needed to forgive each other.

The victim reported the matter to police in early April and the Sheriff’s Office began its investigation.

The victim and her mother obtained a temporary protection from abuse order against Chang on April 21 from a state judge in Lewiston, citing sexual and physical abuse, according to the affidavit.

The Sheriff’s Office contacted Chang by telephone on April 27 and he referred Detective Justin Twitchell to his attorney. Chang said he did not have a contact number for the lawyer, and hung up. The man’s attorney Adam Sherman of Lewiston then called the detective back moments later, according to the affidavit.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

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.