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Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro announces charges against
four JWs for sexual abuse of 19 minors
BY SHELLEY BORTZ
OCTOBER 27, 2022 / 11:27 AM / CBS PITTSBURGH
Jesse Hill, a former resident of Berks County now a resident of Georgia; Jose Serrano of Lancaster County; Eric Eleam of Butler County; and Robert Ostrander, a former resident of Cambria County, now a resident of New York, are all charged for the sexual assault and exploitation of children.
All of the defendants' victims were minors, as well as members of Jehovah's Witness congregations.
"These cases are disturbing, the allegations hard to imagine, and all share one common tie - the 19 victims and the four men who are being charged with sexually violating them are all members of Jehovah's Witnesses," AG Shapiro said. "These children deserved to be protected and grow up in peace, not to be preyed upon. My office will not stop until these defendants are held accountable for their crimes against innocent children and until justice is achieved for these courageous survivors."
Serrano is accused of molesting his own daughter, along with five other young girls in 2011. He is facing charges of aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and endangering the welfare of children.
Hill is accused of using his milling business to attract young boys from the congregation with promises of alcohol, marijuana, and pornography in the 1990s. He allegedly exposed himself to the children, groped them, and forced them to perform oral sex. He is facing charges of rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, indecent assault, and the corruption of minors.
Ostrander is accused of sexually abusing at least two minors, including his own stepdaughter. He is facing charges of indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors.
Eleam is accused of sexually abusing his daughter and using sexual molestation as a form of punishment when she was a child. He is facing charges of rape, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.
When officers attempted to take Eleam into custody, he took his own life.
Charges were filed in Lancaster, Berks, and Cambria counties. Those charges all stem from a grand jury and the investigation found that these men in total abused and exploited 19 minors.
Elder convicted of killing wife attended church of pastor
who cursed congregation for Movado watch
It seems he murdered his wife because he was in love with a gay man. Good grief!
By Leonardo Blair,
Senior Features Reporter
The Christian Post
Elder Robert Harris, 30 (L), of Repairers Kansas City church in Missouri, is accused of murdering his late wife, Tanisha, 38 (R). She was an associate minister. | (Photo: Facebook)
Robert Harris, a former church elder charged with killing his wife after less than two years of marriage, has been convicted of first-degree murder.
Harris, who served as an elder at Repairers Kansas City, a charismatic non-denominational church in Missouri, was convicted last Friday of killing his then 38-year-old wife, Tanisha on Jan. 8, 2018. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3, The Associated Press reported.
Overland Park police say that at about 4 p.m. on the day of the murder, they were called to an apartment in the 8000 block of Perry Street about a domestic disturbance.
Harris was found alone in the apartment, but several hours later, he called the police to report that his wife was missing. When he was further questioned, officers became suspicious and admitted he had something to do with her disappearance. Tanisha Harris' body was later found in a field in Raymore. Her husband was taken into custody.
Several people gave testimony at Harris' trial at the Johnson County District Court, including a young man who testified that he was involved in a romantic relationship with the former church elder and Army veteran.
Steven Junior (pictured) testified that he was in a romantic relationship with former Elder Robert Harris, who was convicted of killing his wife. | YouTube/Dawson Speaks TV
The young man publicly identified himself as Steven Junior. In an intense, expletive-filled video recording on Facebook Live, he said he wanted justice for Harris' wife, who he said was a longtime friend.
He also accused congregants at Harris' church, where controversial pastor Carlton Funderburke served as lead pastor, of being hypocrites.
Pastor Carlton Funderburke | Screengrab: YouTube/Church at The Well Kansas City
Funderburke, who now leads Church at the Well Kansas City with his wife, was recently forced to apologize after he was shown in a now-viral video clip throwing a spiritualized tantrum from the pulpit in which he called his congregation "broke, busted and disgusted" and "cheap sons and daughters" for not "honoring" him with a watch from the luxury brand Movado.
"That's how I know you're still poor, broke, busted and disgusted because of how you've been honoring me. I'm not worth your McDonald's money? I'm not worth your Red Lobster money? I ain't worth your St. John Knits? Y'all can't afford it no how," Funderburke, who is married with three children, lamented over his congregation's refusal to buy him a watch from the luxury brand that ranges in price from $300 to more than $3,000.
Former elder Robert Harris (C) poses with his former pastor, Carlton Funderburke (Front L) and other young men from Repairers Kansas City. | YouTube/Dawson Speaks TV
Funderburke has since apologized for the video.
In an interview discussing Harris' arrest shortly after Tanisha Harris' murder, Funderburke, who presided over their wedding, said he was devastated and could never have predicted such an outcome for their relationship.
"They were a loving couple. ... They were a wonderful newlywed couple," he said.
"They were very involved, very engaged, active in the community of church. These were not regular attenders or regular parishioners," he added. "They're part of the background of what we do as a ministry. ... It's very shocking."
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston set to fight charge of
concealing his father’s child sex abuse
news.com.au
By: Adelaide Lang and Lauren Ferri
2 Nov, 2022 05:36 PM
Brian Houston will face court before Christmas to fight the charge that he hid his father’s sexual abuse. Photo / Marcus Ingram
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston will face court to fight allegations he covered up his father’s child sexual abuse.
The 68-year-old appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court after pleading not guilty to concealing the serious indictable offence of another person.
Police allege the megachurch founder has known since September 1999 that his father Frank Houston had indecently assaulted a young male in 1970.
Police claim Houston failed to inform authorities despite believing his father had committed the assault and knowing he had information that could be of use to the prosecution.
He is charged with withholding that information from September 15, 1999, to the day after his father’s death on November 8, 2004.
Mr Houston has vehemently denied the allegation, telling the church at the beginning of the year that the charge was a “complete shock” and he was prepared to “vigorously defend it”.
On Thursday, the court was told he would proceed to a special three-week hearing to fight the charge.
The court was told the hearing was set to proceed on December 2 and run until December 22, just before the courts break for Christmas.
The Crown prosecutor requested a remote room for witnesses to give evidence without needing to be present in court, as well as an audio visual link for witnesses who were unable to give evidence in person.
Mr Houston is no longer a pastor at the Hillsong Church, which he founded in the Sydney suburbs in 1983. The church has since expanded to 30 countries.
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