Wolves Among the Sheep > Millionaire Priest; Choir Director; Teacher; Scottish Cult; Hispanic Church Leader

Search for victims of multi-millionaire paedophile priest

may have abused children in Wales and across Europe

Victims of Michael Studdert could be able to claim against his estate after a judge said he was 'satisfied Studdert had committed historic sexual assault in England and Wales'

Authorities are searching for victims of a multi-millionaire paedophile priest who may be entitled to part of his estate.

Former Anglican minister Michael Studdert is believed to have abused children in Wales, England, Poland, Denmark, and Italy.

Studdert, who died aged 78 in August 2017, was convicted on three occasions of various charges relating to the possession, importing, making or distribution of indecent images of children between 1988 and 2006.

His £4.7m estate – most of which he left to a charity he set up to support families of clergy of the Church of England – cannot be spent while potential victims are found, the High Court has ruled. A judge has also ordered the executors of Studdert's estate to set up a website to try and find those who may have been abused by him.

He was jailed alongside Paedophile Information Exchange founder Thomas O'Carroll in December 2006 after more than 100,000 indecent images were found at his home in Surrey. Studdert was banned from exercising any priestly function within the Church of England for the rest of his life shortly after that conviction.

Thomas O'Carroll

He is not known to have ever been convicted of the sexual assault of a child but a judge has said he is "satisfied Studdert had committed historic sexual assault in England and Wales" as well as in Poland, Denmark and Italy.

Evidence compiled by a firm of solicitors appointed to manage his £4.7m estate found Studdert was "likely" to have had sexual contact with children in Poland, where he had "strong connections", and had also travelled with O'Carroll "extensively" in eastern Europe.

The executors also received two letters sent to Studdert after his death by disgraced former Radio 1 DJ Chris Denning, who is currently "serving a 13-year sentence for sexual offences committed against boys" and "has a history of sexual offences committed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia".

Studdert left most of his millions to the EAC Educational Trust, a registered charity he set up in 1985 to "relieve poverty and to advance education for the benefit of the public and particularly amongst the families of clergy of the Church of England, single-parent families, and other poor families".

But his executors applied to the High Court "because they were rightly concerned that the estate might be subject to claims from survivors of historic abuse", Chief Master Marsh said in a ruling on Friday.

Following a series of hearings between January 2019 and this April the court found "there is a real prospect that the deceased may have committed historic sexual assault both within the jurisdiction of England and Wales and outside the said jurisdiction in eastern Europe and in particular within Poland".

The court also found that these historic assaults "may have given rise to personal injury claims against the deceased and hence his estate" although "no claims have been intimated and the (executors) are not aware of the identity of any possible claimants".

Chief Master Marsh previously ordered the executors to pay the "relatively small" amounts Studdert had left to his "Polish friends" and also to contact the police and the Church of England to find out if they had any further information about potential abuse by Studdert.

By April the judge said he was "satisfied Studdert had committed historic sexual assault" in England and Wales and Poland, Denmark and Italy, and ordered Studdert's executors not to distribute any of the rest of his estate.

He also ordered them to "create dedicated websites" in English, Polish, Danish and Italian with details of Studdert's date of death and criminal convictions as well as advertising the website on Twitter, Facebook, and Wikipedia.

The judge concluded: "It remains to be seen what emerges from the steps that are taken by the (executors). It is clear, however, that a complete bar on the distribution of the estate should not remain in place indefinitely."

Chief Master Marsh added: "Consideration may be given to setting up a compensation scheme if one is warranted."

Lowville, NY UM Church Sued for Child Sex Assault

by Former Choir Director

By Diane Rutherford

LOWVILLE, N.Y. (WWNY) - A church named in a Lowville child sexual abuse lawsuit says it’s taking the allegations “very seriously.”

Earlier this week, a lawsuit was filed in State Supreme Court, claiming a former choir director at Lowville United Methodist Church sexually assaulted a teenager 40 years ago.

On Friday, the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is named as a defendant in the suit, issued the following statement:

"We are taking this very seriously and are investigating. When it comes to terrible acts like the ones that are being alleged, we, as United Methodists, support survivors and their families in their search for justice. We pray for healing for all such survivors."

The man accused of the sexual assault, A. Ronald Johnson, who is now 75 and living in Cooperstown, denies sexually abusing the plaintiff.

According to the lawsuit, Johnson also assaulted the plaintiff while working as a former teacher at Lowville High School.

The sexual abuse allegedly took place between 1979 and 1981, beginning when the student was approximately 15 years old.

A second alleged victim stepped forward after seeing our original report on Wednesday. One of the attorneys handling the case said the second person will be added to the lawsuit as a plaintiff.

Former Christian School teacher sentenced to 6 years

for child pornography

Author: WCNC Staff

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A former teacher at Covenant Day School in Matthews was sentenced to six years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.

Christopher David Muggler, 27, of Indian Trail, pleaded guilty in January to receiving child pornography. According to court documents, FBI agents were notified of a person accessing child pornography last year using the website Dropbox, specifically videos of underage boys being abused. 

Detectives were able to track the account back to Muggler. On March 26, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Muggler's home and seized two cell phones. During sentencing, Muggler was found to have been in possession of 110 photos and 34 videos of child pornography. 

Muggler was arrested on multiple sex charges in March of 2019.

Muggler's case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.

Covenant Day School is a ministry of Christ Covenant Church

Child abuse victim who was repeatedly raped by

Scots paedo in God cult says she’s been ‘set free’

after monster jailed

Grant McCabe Caitlin Hutchison

Scottish Sun

A CHILD abuse victim who was repeatedly raped by a member of a God cult says she’s been “set free” after her abuser was finally jailed earlier today.

she had her childhood and adolescence “cruelly stolen” from her as a young girl due to the sex attacks by Scottish cult member Derek Lincoln.

The twisted beast, now 74, received a sentence of 11 and a half years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow for the abuse of two young children.

In a statement from victim Hope Bastine issued by Police Scotland, she said: "Words cannot describe how I feel today after the conclusion of my 16-year fight for justice.

"My childhood and adolescence were cruelly stolen from me by a man who repeatedly abused me within a religious cult which legitimised his actions. By incarcerating my abuser for 11 and a half years, Lord Matthews has set me free. Finally, I can give myself permission to pursue happiness and peace.

"Now, my greatest wish is that other victims of abuse living in silence and shame will see that justice can be done and seek freedom too.

"I could not have walked this challenging road alone. I wish to thank every friend and family member who has stood by me and the incredible Scottish police team who spent the last 5 years engaged in a tireless battle to bring this case to court. 

"In particular, I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) staff member who conducted the harrowing forensic interviews with the sort of compassion and sensitivity which showed me that a man can be good and true and kind.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today."

Lincoln used his position in the 'Children of God' religious cult to prey on the youngsters - who were just nine and 10 when he first struck.

The pervert OAP committed the crimes at various locations in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire between 1989 and 1996.

Lord Matthews told him: "I have no idea if your remorse is genuine or not. You had told your victims that you were sorry, but you continued to abuse them. You say 'it just happened', but it did not just happen. You sacrificed their dreams for your own perverted desires."

The judge said that if Lincoln had not pleaded guilty, the jail term would have been 13 years.

The court previously heard how the Children of God group lived communally, performing missionary work with little contact with the outside world – but cult member Lincoln was keeping a dark secret.

The first victim was raped, beaten with a belt and also had soap shoved into her mouth. After one attack, she described it as if "the light went out inside me".

Excellent description! Heartbreaking, but excellent!

Lincoln also raped in a wooded area while out together jogging. When she begged him to stop he put his hand over her mouth.

Prosecutor Kath Harper said: “The abuse continued daily and sometimes after raping her he would say 'thank you’”.

The victim, who suffered in silence, ended up being tagged "the weird kid" by other youngsters – and tragically tried to take her own life.

The second girl was preyed upon in a similarly horrific way, with Lincoln buying her gifts to keep her quiet.

Cops began investigating Derek Lincoln after a victim reported him in 2014. He was arrested in France – where he was retired and living - in 2019, and extradited to Scotland to face trial in July 2020.

Detective Sergeant Neil Wilson from Police Scotland’s National Rape Task Force said: "Lincoln used his position within the Children of God to perpetrate violent sexual abuse against two young children. My thoughts continue to remain with the victims and those impacted by Lincoln’s deplorable actions over the many years.

"Thanks to the bravery of the victims in reporting the abuse to police, witness testimonies and the co-operation of international agencies, he is now being forced to face the consequences of his crimes after more than 30 years.

"I hope Lincoln's conviction and sentencing sends a clear message to sexual offenders that time and borders are no barrier to justice. Police Scotland and our partners are committed to bringing perpetrators before the courts.

"We would encourage anyone with information about sexual offences to report this to Police Scotland via 101, where it will be treated with the utmost seriousness."

Euan Dow, defending, today said: "The social worker in the (pre-sentencing) report is sceptical of the expressions of remorse. "However, he (Lincoln) has stated his shame."

Lord Matthews put Lincoln on the sex offenders list indefinitely, and he’ll spend 11 years and 6 months behind bars.

Church leader accused of sexually abusing 9y/o boy;

Houston police fear there may be more victims

Author: Doug Delony

HOUSTON — Houston police have announced charges against a church leader accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy, and they say there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.

Jose Abel Mena, 60, is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child for crimes dating back to January 2019. Police believe he began sexually assaulting the little boy in January 2019 and continued until April 2020.

Police said the child was assaulted multiple times at the suspect’s home in the 9600 block of Fulton in north Houston.

The victim's mother later admitted she let the boy spend the night at Mena's home.

Investigators said the child eventually broke down in tears and told his family about the crimes, who then contacted investigators.

“After a lengthy investigation and obtaining a positive identification from the victim's family, detectives contacted Mena and spoke to him regarding the allegations. Mena admitted to committing the sexual assaults and, on July 27, turned himself in to police,” police stated in a press release Friday.

Police said the man is a leader at a local church group called “Pueblo de Dios” and held services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

“Because of his position, investigators believe there may be other victims,” the police department stated.

Anyone who has information on other possible victims is urged to contact Houston’s Children's Assessment Center at 713-830-3259.