Ex-BBC presenter committed 40 sex offences against kids and adults over 30 years while working as church pastor
Ed Southgate
He is a former BBC Wales reporter and presenter on Ffeil, a Welsh language news show for young people, and Wales TodayCredit: BBC
The former BBC Wales presenter and once-respected preacher from Flint, North Wales admitted ten counts of sexual activity with a child, eight sexual assaults, and four attempts to commit sexual assault.
Benjamin Thomas also pleaded guilty to nine indecent assaults, seven counts of voyeurism and two counts of making indecent videos of children as early as 1990 and as recent as last year.
He was a reporter and presenter on Ffeil, a Welsh language news show for young people, and Wales Today.
Thomas, who offended in north Wales, Shropshire, London, and Romania, appeared at Mold Crown Court and will be sentenced there on August 18 having been granted bail until then.
Judge Niclas Parry warned a "significant custodial sentence" was inevitable despite his early plea, North Wales Live reported.
'AWFUL BREACH OF TRUST'
North Wales Police DC Lynne Willsher said: "Ben Thomas' offending involved the serious sexual abuse of vulnerable young children by a religious leader.
"It is an awful breach of the trust placed in him by the victims and their families, and I cannot begin to imagine what impact the revelation of his offending has had on them.
"Today in court, Ben Thomas has admitted perpetrating 40 sexual offences. As a result of this, his victims have been spared the harrowing ordeal of a lengthy trial.
"North Wales Police are very grateful for the strength and courage shown by all victims and their families; this has greatly assisted our investigation to ensure justice has been done today. I am also grateful to the Evangelical Church and their safeguarding team for their assistance during the investigation."
Thomas left the BBC in 2005 to preach on the streets of London, before returning to Wales in 2008 as pastor of the Criccieth Family Church in Gwynedd.
A Criccieth Family Church spokesperson said: "We are now devastated by the revelation of such sin and grieve over the pain caused to the innocent victims, the betrayal and deception."
You should also be devastated by the lack of discernment in your church. Is anyone listening to God?
Coptic Orthodox Church defrocks priest over
child sexual abuse claims
Egypt Independent
Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church has defrocked Reweiss Aziz Khalil, a priest of the Diocese of Minya and Abu Qurqas residing in the US, over claims of sexual assault.
Pope Tawadros II
A woman belonging to the Coptic Church in the US published a testimony about a sexual assault against her during childhood when Reweiss allegedly visited her family at the time.
After the church investigated the complaints against Khalil and testimonies on social media, it decided to strip him of his rank and returned him to his pre-ordination name of Yousef Aziz Khalil.
Tawadros, in a letter directed to churches in the US, said: “After reviewing the records of the recent investigation related to Reweiss Aziz Khalil…and after taking into consideration the prior decrees defrocking him for his repeated infringements that are unacceptable to the Priesthood and its ministry, we have decided in addition to our previous decree dated Feb 26, 2014 defrocking him from all ministry in the Coptic Orthodox Church, effective immediately, he is hereby laicized and must return to his former pre-ordination name of Yousef Aziz Khalil. He is hereby stripped of his priestly rank.”
“By this decree, we notify all the civic authorities in Egypt and in the United States of America to revoke any recognition of Yousef Aziz Khalil as a priest of the Coptic Orthodox Church,” the letter added.
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Pastor John Ortberg resigns from Menlo Church for allowing son attracted to minors to work with kids
By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter
Pastor John Ortberg of Menlo Church preaches in June 2020. | YouTube/Menlo Church
Pastor John Ortberg of Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California, has resigned as the congregation’s leader just over two weeks after a “supplemental independent investigation” was launched into the circumstances under which he allowed his son to work with children despite confessing he was attracted to minors, elders announced Wednesday.
“In recent days and after a process of mutual discernment with John and in consultation with the Presbytery, it is with a heavy heart that the board unanimously concluded that John should resign as Senior Pastor of our church. He agreed and tendered his resignation last week,” the church’s elder board said in a statement posted on the church’s website.
Ortberg was first asked to go on personal leave from the church on Nov. 22, 2019, while an investigation of concerns raised by a third party about a then unidentified church volunteer was conducted. Earlier this month, Daniel Lavery, a trans-identified woman who is Ortberg's estranged daughter, revealed in an extensive thread on Twitter that the volunteer is her brother — John Ortberg III.
Good grief! He has an estranged daughter who is trans, and a son who is a pedophile, and he was lead pastor of major church!!!! It seems like Ortberg's judgment is not the only one that should be questioned.
In January, without revealing Ortberg’s relationship to the volunteer, the elders said their leader exhibited “poor judgment” but no harm had come to any minor in the Menlo Church community based on the findings of an investigation.
Ortberg, returned to the pulpit in March and apologized for his "shortcomings" in a letter to the church on July 6. Pressure from blindsided members of the church who felt betrayed about the details of Ortberg’s familial connection to the volunteer, however, forced the ongoing supplemental investigation.
Located in Menlo Park, Ca, near San Jose, the Presbyterian church has a membership of about 4000
In their statement Wednesday, the elder board explained that asking Ortberg to resign was based on a “collective desire for healing and discernment.”
“Our decision stems from a collective desire for healing and discernment focused on three primary areas. First, John’s poor judgment has resulted in pain and broken trust among many parents, youth, volunteers and staff. Second, the extended time period required to complete the new investigation and rebuild trust will significantly delay our ability to pursue Menlo’s mission with the unity of spirit and purpose we believe God calls us to,” the elder board said.
Ortberg, they also argued, needed time to “focus on healing and reconciliation within his own family” too.
While Ortberg is expected to address the congregation directly on his last day at the church on Sunday, Aug. 2, he also expressed in a statement that he had previously offered his resignation to the church on several occasions during the saga.
“Over the last several months I have offered to resign in numerous conversations with our elders, if it would help our church. Last Thursday as we talked it became clear that I could not continue my service as your pastor, and I agree that at this time resigning is the best path forward,” Ortberg said.
I have seen this many times since beginning this blog; church boards' loyalty to their pastor exceeds both their discernment and their loyalty to the congregation which should be their primary concern.
“I feel enormous sadness in this, because I love our church and cherish dreams for our future. I have considered my seventeen years as pastor here to be the greatest joy I’ve had in ministry. But this has been a difficult time for parents, volunteers, staff, and others, and I believe that the unity needed for Menlo to flourish will be best served by my leaving,” he continued.
Ortberg reiterated his regret for not exercising better judgment concerning his son’s work with the church and asked for prayers for his family.
“I want to express again my regret for not having served our church with better judgement. Extensive conversations I had with my youngest son gave no evidence of risk of harm, and feedback from others about his impact was consistently positive. However, for my part, I did not balance my responsibilities as a father with my responsibilities as a leader. I am hopeful that my leaving can mark a new beginning in our church’s ministry, and will also appreciate your prayers for our family,” he said.
Menlo Park, Ca
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