Mother of Children Found Hanging in Basement
Is Charged With Murder in PA
The woman maintains that two of her children, ages 4 and 8,
killed themselves in their Pennsylvania home in September.
Lisa Snyder was arrested on charges of murdering two of her children.
Credit...Bill Uhrich/Reading Eagle, via Associated Press
By Mariel Padilla
New York Times
A Pennsylvania woman was charged Monday with murdering two of her children, more than two months after they were found hanging from a beam in the family’s basement, the authorities said.
The woman, Lisa Snyder, 36, who was arrested at her home in Albany Township, Pa., on Monday morning, had told the police that her 8-year-old son had been bullied at school and was suicidal, the authorities said. But their investigation found no evidence of bullying and also showed that the boy had a physical disability that would have made it nearly impossible for him to hang himself, prosecutors said.
“Eight-year-olds, generally that I am aware, do not commit suicide,” John T. Adams, the Berks County district attorney, said during a news conference on Monday. “So, of course we had questions.”
Ms. Snyder, who was also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of children and one count of tampering with evidence and is being held without bail, denies killing her children and maintains they died by suicide, according to Mr. Adams.
Dennis G. Charles, Ms. Snyder’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Connor and Brinley Snyder
The police were alerted to the hangings on Sept. 23, when Ms. Snyder called them around 4:30 p.m. and said she had found two of her children hanging from a beam in the basement and unresponsive. Eleven minutes later, emergency responders arrived and found Conner Snyder, 8, and Brinley Snyder, 4, in full cardiac arrest and hanging three feet apart with the ends of a wire cable wrapped around their necks, according to prosecutors.
The children were resuscitated, but pronounced dead three days later, Mr. Adams said.
Ms. Snyder told the police that she had ordered the cable, a 250-pound dog lead supposedly meant for her 50-pound dog, on Sept. 22, and picked it up from Walmart hours before she found her children hanging, Mr. Adams said.
During the investigation, Ms. Snyder told the police that Conner was bullied at school and had repeatedly said he wanted to die. The week before, she said, he told her, “I would have killed myself already, but I am scared to go by myself,” Ms. Snyder told investigators.
However, video footage from the school bus that brought him home on Sept. 23 showed a “happy child” with no signs of distress, Mr. Adams said.
Investigators found no evidence of bullying after talking with Ms. Snyder’s 17-year-old son, who also lives in the home, as well as school officials, classmates and other family members.
An occupational therapist who worked with the boy at school told investigators that the child had poor eye-hand coordination and difficultly pinching his finger and thumb together. She said he would have had “extreme difficulty operating the clasp” on the dog lead, according to the police. He had trouble tying his own shoes, prosecutors said.
One of Ms. Snyder’s friends told investigators that three weeks before the episode, Ms. Snyder had said she was depressed, could not get out of bed and did not care about her children anymore, according to the police.
Investigators seized a cellphone, two iPads and a laptop from the Snyders’ home. The devices revealed that one day before the episode, Ms. Snyder had searched “hanging yourself” and “short drop/simple suspension,” a website that described how to effectively hang someone, according to court documents.
On Sept. 30, autopsies were conducted on the two children, and the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office later determined the manner of the deaths to be homicide, the police said.
Mr. Adams said that in 2014, Berks County Children and Youth Services had removed the two children from Ms. Snyder’s care, returning them in February 2015, but that they had stayed involved with the family until November 2015. He would not comment on the circumstances of their removal.
Bestiality
In an unrelated matter, Ms. Snyder was also charged on Monday with one count of sexual intercourse with an animal and one count of cruelty to animals after the police found pictures of her with her dog in Facebook messages.
“This was a very difficult investigation,” Mr. Adams said. “Anytime that any of us have to investigate and prosecute cases that involve the abuse or death of an innocent child, it hits us in the heart.”
Albany Twnshp, PA
Sarasota, Fla, preacher sexually abused children,
young adults for more than four decades
SARASOTA, Fla. - Police say the founder of a Sarasota church used his position to sexually abuse children and young adults for years or even decades. Some victims were as young as 14 when the abuse started, and most of it occurred at the church or at church-related events, police added.
Henry Lee Porter Sr., a 72-year-old self-described bishop who founded Westcoast Center for Human Development on North Washington Boulevard, was charged Thursday with sexual battery of a child after Sarasota police say they interviewed 10 victims.
Detectives began their most recent investigation in October 2019 after receiving a video posted on Facebook regarding the alleged sexual abuse.
The following narrative includes information the Sarasota Police Department obtained after interviewing three potential victims, which is detailed in Porter’s arrest affidavit. Some may find the details disturbing.
The creator of the video, who is also an accuser, said he was sexually abused as a child by Porter. The video was titled, “Art of Manipulation – My survival of Molestation.”
Police said they interviewed him, and they were told the sexual abuse started around the age of 15 and continued until he was 21 years old. The alleged abuse occurred inside what was called the “Inner Office” which was located inside a structure that also housed the Westcoast Center for Human Development.
The victim said the sexual abuse included fondling, masturbation, oral and anal sex – all under the guidance of Porter. He added that other possible victims reached out to him for support.
From there, police said they interviewed two additional accusers.
Kim Kuizon FOX 13✔
@kkuizon
Arrested: @SarasotaPD arrests Dr.Henry Porter of WestCoast Center for sexual battery of a child. An arrest record shows abuse had been happening with young members of his church. The abuse had been happening for 4 decades @fox13news #Sarasota #Crime
The second accuser was interviewed in November 2019. He told police the abuse began at the age of 11. One of the incidents occurred while he was staying with the Porter family at their Sarasota home.
During the interview, police were told the sexual battery occurred inside the master bedroom, and included masturbation and oral sex. The victim also stated he was sexually battered on “numerous occasions” inside Westcoast Center for Human Development.
When Porter would request for the victim to come see him, he would have to enter Porter’s private office through a different entrance than Porter.
“That way Porter was not seen bringing a child back toward the inner/private office. Once the sexual acts concluded [redacted] would have to leave in the same manner,” the arrest affidavit read.
The victim also said the sexual abuse occurred during school hours, or immediately before or after church services inside the inner office, according to the court document.
The third accuser was also interviewed in November 2019. He was abandoned at Westcoast Center for Human Development by his father at the age of 12.
Within three to four months, Porter “started grooming him, first by touching him to see if [redacted] would tell anyone about it.”
The first encounter of sexual abuse occurred when Porter pulled the victim down on an air mattress in the inner office and placed his hand underneath the child’s clothing to fondle him. The victim said he was in shock and confused.
He thought if he told anyone, no one would believe him, he told police. Also, he was being raised by Porter and the church, and depended on him for shelter and food.
“[Redacted] stated he had nowhere to go, this was his home now,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The victim described other incidents of oral sex and masturbation. He said the sexual batteries occurred immediately before or after church services, about three or four times a week in the inner office.
He also had to enter the office in a different entrance than Porter.
Police said in addition to the three accusers, they interviewed eight other victims with similar experiences.
Detectives also noted this isn’t the first time Porter was the center of an investigation. Back in 1990 and between 2001 to 2002, the Sarasota Police Department investigated similar allegations of sexual abuse by Porter. In the 2001-2002 investigation, the agency received an anonymous letter identifying 40 possible victims of sexual abuse.
The Westcoast Center sign lists Porter as the founder and his son as the current pastor.
According to Porter’s arrest affidavit:
“Those prior investigations provided more than twenty similar fact victims who provided statements to law enforcement outlining the abuse they suffered by Henry Lee Porter Sr. The alleged sexual abuse occurred while they attended Westcoast Center for Human Development; on mission trips throughout America, and abroad on church sponsored trips.
All of these incidents of sexual abuse were outside the statute of limitations when the victims provided statements to law enforcement which prevented criminal charges.
In summary, this current investigation, along with the two prior investigations, demonstrated more than four decades of children and adults suffering sexual abuse by Henry Lee Porter Sr.”
Porter was ordered held without bond in his first court appearance on Friday.
Bradford County, PA, man arrested for
sexual abuse of a child in his custody
by: George Stockburger
Your Erie
MILAN, Pa. (WETM) – An unnamed 25-year-old Bradford County man was arrested after admitting to producing and sharing explicit images of a child while online and sexually abusing the child in Bradford County.
On December 30, 2019, at approximately 6:27 pm, the suspect was identified by Detectives in Washington, DC and later arrested in Milan, PA by Members of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and charged with crimes in connection with Production of Child Pornography and Child Sexual Abuse.
The child was taken into custody by local child protection personnel.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division and Special Agents from Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Philadelphia Field Office participated in the investigation.
Montgomery, AL, man indicted on child sex abuse charge
Melissa Brown, Montgomery Advertiser
A 25-year-old Montgomery man has been indicted on a first degree sexual abuse charge.
Rodreguize Tyson was indicted by a grand jury in December of engaging in "deviate sexual intercourse" with a female victim, who was younger than 12 at the time of the abuse.
The indictment, filed Friday, offers little information about the alleged crime.
It is unclear when Tyson was arrested, though he remained Friday in Montgomery County jail on a $60,000 bond.
Tyson previously served jail time for a third degree domestic violence conviction. In 2017, court documents state Tyson choked and punched the mother of his child during an argument inside a vehicle.
High-Ranking NYC Schools Official Bought Hotel Whirlpool Suite for Teen Sex: Complaint
By Andrew Siff and R. Darren Price, NBC4, NY
A now fired New York City schools official allegedly bought a whirpool suite at a Wisconsin hotel to meet up with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, according to a criminal complaint revealed Friday.
David Hay, who was arrested at an airport in Milwaukee on Dec. 29 on a charge of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, started corresponding with the "teen," who was actually an undercover officer, on a popular dating app. Hay, a former Wisconsin resident, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the child and made plans to meet up for sex, prosecutors in the Badger state say.
Hay was a deputy chief of staff to New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza; he was fired after his arrest. After he was in custody, a search of his phone revealed sexually explicit images of a former high school student in Wisconsin where Hay had been principal for several years prior to his arrival in New York City, prosecutors said.
In addition to the computer facilitation charge, Hay is accused of possessing child pornography and faces up to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted of the enticement charge. He faces up to 10 years on the child porn charge.
"These allegations are incredibly disturbing and absolutely unacceptable," New York City schools spokeswoman Miranda Barbot said after his arrest. "We took immediate action removing Mr. Hay from payroll and are terminating him. We referred this to the Special Commissioner of Investigation and we will fully comply with any investigation."
DOE officials say that Hay had no contact with students in his position.
It's not clear how long authorities in Neenah, a small town between Milwaukee and Green Bay where he had been principal, had been investigating Hay.
NBC New York previously reached out to Hay seeking comment; attorney information for the man wasn't immediately available.
Nixa, MO, man Accused of Sexual Abuse of 8-Y/O Boy
A Nixa man is in the Christian County jail after being accused of sex crimes against an 8-year-old boy.
Donald Dewane Whitworth, 68, is charged with three counts of Statutory Sodomy or Attempted Statutory Sodomy, Deviate Sexual Intercourse, with a person less than 12 Years Old, and two counts of first degree Child Molestation.
Whitworth could be jailed for life if convicted on all charges.
Whitworth allegedly performed sex acts on the victim and told the victim it was a “secret” that shouldn’t be talked about with anyone. Whitworth allegedly also confessed his crime to a relative.
Whitworth is being held without bond after pleading not guilty. He is scheduled for an appearance before Judge Douglas Bacon on January 7, 2020 for a bond hearing and application for a public defender.
Manchester, NH, man sentenced to prison after admitting
to sexually assaulting girls age 8-10
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
A Manchester man will spend at least 20 years in prison after admitting he sexually assaulted two girls and manufactured child sexual abuse images.
The details of pedophile Bryan Mathieu’s crimes were so disturbing one attorney fled the courtroom,
while prosecutor Amy Manchester, right, had to compose herself before outlining the facts of the case
(Pictures: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office/WMUR)
Bryan Mathieu, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday to several felony charges in connection with assaults that took place over the course of a year. The nature of the crimes were such that the prosecutor had to take a moment to compose herself as she outlined them to the court. Another attorney left the courtroom, saying she couldn't listen to any more.
Mathieu's victims, who were known to him, were 8 and 10 years old at the time that they were sexually assaulted, prosecutors said. The assaults started in April 2018 and continued until one of the girls revealed what was happening to a school official.
The investigation showed the girls were assaulted in Mathieu's apartment numerous times.
"Because the defendant in this case did plead guilty and took responsibility for the charges that he was facing, those victims will not need to testify in a trial," said Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Amy Manchester.
The judge commended the victims for showing up in court, saying she knows it wasn't easy, but it was important that they be there.
"It really illustrates how quickly innocence can be taken and how loyal people can be to their offenders," said forensic interviewer Amy Lynn Sullivan.
Sullivan is from the Child Advocacy Group and helped interview the victims.
"The police are commended, the prosecutors are commended, but in this situation, the victims did the work, and their bravery and willingness to come in and tell us what happened cannot be underestimated," she said.
The plea bargain calls for Mathieu to serve 25 to 50 years in state prison. He can get five years off the minimum sentence by successfully completing sex offender counseling.
When Mathieu is released, he will have to register as a sex offender. He also will not be able to have any unsupervised contact with the victims or anyone under the age of 16.
White City, OR, babysitter's husband arrested
for child sexual abuse
by KTVL
WHITE CITY, Ore. — The husband of a woman who was babysitting a child in her White City home was arrested on child sex abuse charges.
According to a press release sent by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Marcial Palomares-Aguilar, 78 years old of White City was arrested on Jan 1 at his residence in the 2700 block of Falcon St.
According to the DA's charges, the incident occurred on Dec 18 and 19. According to the charges Palomares-Aguilar is accused of inappropriately touching the minor child.
He faces two counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree for which he is scheduled in court today at 1:45 p.m.
He was lodged at Jackson County Jail and is held on $255,000 bail.
Anyone who may have further information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective Steve Bohn at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line 541-774-8333.
Please, please, please, parents - don't leave your children with caregivers where men are likely to be present. There are way too many stories like this on this blog.
Convicted Auburn, NY, drug dealer will serve more time
for child sexual abuse
Mary Catalfamo AuburnPub.com
AUBURN — An incarcerated man with a history of selling drugs in Cayuga County will spend four additional years in prison for sex crimes against two girls.
Saleem Tariq Spencer, formerly of Auburn and now an inmate at Mohawk Correctional Facility in Rome, pleaded guilty in October to charges stemming from the sexual abuse of two girls that occurred at a residence in Auburn about four years ago.
In Cayuga County Court on Oct. 31, Spencer admitted that he abused a girl younger than 13 at least two times between June 2014 and June 2015 and another girl between June 2014 and October 2015.
Judge Thomas Leone sentenced Spencer on Thursday according to the terms of the plea deal, which he previously called "a bit light." It will keep Spencer in prison for four more years, after he finishes the three remaining years of his current sentence.
Most plea deals are a bit light. It appears defense lawyers are much better negotiators than district attorneys.
Cayuga County Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather DeStefano said in court that she confirmed the plea was acceptable with the victims' families. "They were perfectly fine with that," she said.
Spencer, 36, was convicted of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and first-degree sexual abuse, both class D felonies. He will serve 15 years of post-release supervision, and permanent orders of protection were also issued for the victims.
He is currently serving out a sentence of 5.5 years in prison that began in October 2016, after he was convicted of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Prior to that, he was convicted of fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision inmate database.
Sandy, UT, man injected teen with meth,
engaged in sex, charges say
By Pat Reavy, KSL
SALT LAKE CITY — A Sandy man was charged Thursday with injecting a girl with methamphetamine and engaging in sexual activity with her.
Dustin K. Scott, 44, of Sandy, is charged in 3rd District Court with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and four counts of endangering a child, all third-degree felonies.
For three days in October 2018, a girl who was 15 at the time, went to Scott’s home where he “injected her with methamphetamine four times,” according to charging documents. “(The girl) disclosed that the defendant engaged in sexual intercourse with her on four occasions during this time.”
Scott told the girl to “say she was 18 if anyone asked,” the charges state.
Police received a forensic report in November 2019 that linked DNA between Scott and the girl, according to the charges.
Scott, who has a lengthy drug-related criminal history, according to court records, was also convicted of an amended charge of attempted child sex abuse in 2001 and sentenced to six months in jail.
Richmond, KY, man indicted on child sex crime charges
Sara Kuhl skuhl@richmondregister.com
A Madison County grand jury indicted a Richmond man on a superseding indictment Dec. 11 that charges him with first-degree sodomy (victim younger than 12), use of a minor in a sexual performance, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse (victim younger than 12), 30 counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor and distribution of obscene matter to a minor.
Jason Baldwin was originally arrested in November on a complaint warrant that charged him with first-degree sexual abuse of a victim younger than 12, use of a minor (younger than 16) in a sex performance and possessing/viewing matter portraying sexual performances by a minor, according to a previous Register article.
During an investigation of another case involving Baldwin, a search warrant was obtained for Baldwin's cellphone leading police to discover 928 images of child pornography depicting juvenile males and females nude and performing sexual acts between the dates of June 2017 and January 2019.
On the phone, there were five images of the victim nude. Officers were able to identify the victim as someone that Baldwin knew through pictures of the victim on Christmas wearing the same shirt in the pornographic videos, the previous article states.
In an interview with the victim, when asked about Baldwin, the victim stated, "He's weird. He would touch me." The victim stated the defendant touched their privates on more occasions than can be recalled, according to the warrant.
Violent Bayard, Neb, pervert held on $500,000 bond facing slew of child abuse charges
By Will Wodka
BAYARD, Neb. - (KNEP) - A 46-year-old Bayard resident is in Morrill County Jail while facing ten child abuse charges (7th story on link), one count of strangulation and a first degree sexual assault of a child charge.
According to the affidavit, Kearney Police notified Nebraska State Patrol of a woman and five children fleeing Bayard for a shelter in Kearney.
The investigation details, James Albrecht allegedly forced two of the children to perform sex acts on each other. One of the victims told an official at the Family Advocacy Center that she was taught by Albrecht who allegedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him as well.
The affidavit clarifies that one of the other kids was hospitalized last August after he tried to harm himself. When asked why he would do this, he reported being constantly hit and even choked by Albrecht. That incident is alleged to have occurred a month after another child was sent to the hospital after getting hit.
Documents state a Domestic Violence Assessment was performed on Albrecht where he scored a 16 out of a possible 20. The affidavit details that a score above a 12 correlates to 94% of the lethality or near lethality that occur in domestic violence cases. On July 31st court documents detail a protection order was granted against Albrecht as well.
During another interview with the Family Advocacy Center, one of the victims stated Albrecht would withhold food from them.
Albrecht’s next court date is January 13th but he is currently being held at the Morrill County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
Scottsdale, AZ, man arrested, accused of child sex crimes from 25 years ago
By: Joe Enea
ABC15, AZ
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — A man has been arrested, accused of child sex crimes after an alleged victim came forward 25 years later.
Scottsdale police report that in September of 2019, a man came forward saying he was sexually abused by Gregg Richard Kropp, 45, between 1995 and 2000.
The victim, then 14 years old, allegedly told police that Kropp was a roommate of one of his friends. He described Kropp's home near Scottsdale and McDowell roads as "the party house," where they would drink alcohol and smoke marijuana.
The victim described several incidents when Kropp allegedly abuse him sexually when he was "super drunk." He said that Kropp "often paid him in money, drugs or alcohol for various sex acts."
Kropp also reportedly took the alleged victim on out of state trips where he recorded sexually explicit videos of the boy.
Police say before reporting Kropp to the authorities, the victim contacted Kropp on Facebook, where Kropp corroborated much of what the victim told them.
On December 17, Kropp was arrested near his home at 43rd Avenue and Union Hills Drive. When investigators asked him if he was bothered that the victim was underage, he replied, "I wasn't too worried, because you were turning 17. I kinda like the thrill of almost getting caught. I don't regret it, though."
Investigators reportedly found numerous videos containing child sex abuse materiel in Kropp's home.
Kropp has been charged with multiple counts of sexual conduct with a minor and sexual exploitation of a child.
Plea deal allows predator to walk
leaving victim and family suffering
Reno County child sex offender gets probation
By John Green
The Hutchinson News
A Hutchinson child sex abuse victim spoke during a sentencing hearing Friday about the significant and continuing impact on her life from the abuse.
The victim, now a young woman, asked that Lynn Conrade Hase, a Buhler man who had repeated sexual contact with her starting when she was 14 and including during community theater practices, receive prison time.
The girl’s mother also spoke, calling Hase “a predator and pedophile.”
In the end, though, a Reno County judge followed a plea agreement reached in the case — which a prosecutor previously said the family agreed to — and sentenced Hase, 37, to two years of probation.
The conviction carries a 25-year sexual offender registration requirement and lifetime post-release supervision.
Hase declined to speak during the hearing before District Judge Tim Chambers.
“When I was younger my favorite time was spent on the Family Theatre stage, beginning when I was 5 years old,” the victim, who is now an adult, told the court. “My love to act and perform was taken away. My childhood and innocence were taken away by this man for his own sexual gratification.”
Growing up, they were welcomed by the Hase family into their home, the victim said, participating in shows together, with the victim and her sister both babysitting for the family.
That, however, allowed Hase to groom her, the victim said, and then to strain her relationship between her boyfriend and her own family. When she realized what was happening, she began to fear for her sisters, that they might also become his victims.
“I still have nightmares about that,” she said. “I suffer from depression and anxiety and PTSD.”
She still has trouble being touched by anyone, the woman said.
The cost to her family wasn’t only strained relationships, but also financial implications in having to keep her phone, which remained turned on and locked away as evidence for four years. The phone, she said, “contained 80 pages of text messages about what he’d done and what he wanted to do in the future.”
Good grief! And the DA needed a plea deal rather than prosecuting this creep?
There were also costs for psychological counseling, not just for her but for other members of the family, which will continue.
“He knew my age, that my brain was still young and moldable,” she said. “In the darkest times, I wanted to shorten my life ... He knew no boundaries. This started in his home, with his children upstairs. I hope he does time and that no one else will fall into his trap. I believe he’s done it before and not been caught.”
“He’s over 30 and my daughter was 14,” the girl’s mother told the court. “He chose to act on his impulses. He’s a pedophile and a predator. He took what he wanted ... He led shows because he was a good actor. He put on an act and then he acted sorry for what he did. He’s not to be trusted.”
Hase’s brother, the girl’s mother charged, is also a convicted child sex offender and she suggested the court order sexual counseling for the Hase children.
Online KBI records show Scott Allen Hase is a registered sex offender, with multiple aggravated indecent liberties and child porn convictions out of Harvey and Sedgwick counties in 2001, 2003 and 2011. The records show he now lives in Hutchinson.
Reno County Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton asked Chambers to follow the plea agreement, sentencing Hase to the aggravated sentence on each charge but granting him probation.
Why? Did Mr Stanton forget who's side he was on? Did he forget he is supposed to be protecting the children of Reno County? How does this plea deal do that? It certainly leaves the victim(s) feeling revictimized.
In exchange for Hase pleading guilty to two counts of indecent solicitation of a child, the least severe of nine charges in the case, prosecutors dropped the remaining counts, including aggravated indecent liberties and criminal sodomy.
Chambers followed the agreement, sentencing Hase to sentences of 19 and 21 months, to run consecutively, but from which he was granted probation under Community Corrections.
Chambers agreed to keep the sentencing open for 30 days so the family could file for restitution for counseling services. He also ordered Hase to have no unsupervised contact with children under age 18, other than his own.
This is disgraceful and disgusting! Plea deals for child sexual abuse ought to be extremely rare, and then should result in relatively minor concessions by the DA.
Arkansas Baptist State Convention failed to report abuse allegations against pastor, lawsuit claims
By Samuel Smith, CP Reporter|
A Southern Baptist leader in Arkansas has been accused of violating state law by failing to report allegations that a Hot Springs pastor sexually abused a minor on church property, according to a lawsuit filed in December.
The civil lawsuit filed Dec. 16 accuses Arkansas Baptist State Convention Executive Director Sonny Tucker of failing to report suspected child sexual abuse to authorities after he was contacted by the ex-wife of Millcreek Baptist Church pastor Teddy Leon Hill about concerns that Hill might've been abusing minors.
It's unknown whether Hill's ex-wife, Carolyn Latham, made any attempt to contact the police to report her suspicions.
Attorney’s representing an unnamed plaintiff referred to as "John Doe" claim Hill met Doe when Doe came to the church at 13 years old seeking refuge from a troubled home. The lawsuit accuses Hill of sexually molesting and abusing Doe starting in 2014.
In 2016, Hill became Doe's legal guardian, the lawsuit adds. Doe then moved into Millcreek's parsonage, where Hill was living.
"Such abuse was perpetrated by Hill in his role as guardian, mentor, counselor and Pastor to Doe and occurred on the church property of Millcreek," the lawsuit alleges. "The abuse perpetrated included multiple acts of sexual battery with Doe and involved deviate sexual activity."
The lawsuit alleges that Latham contacted Tucker and ABSC in February 2018 to report her suspicion that Hill was sexually abusing Doe and possibly other minors. A few weeks later, Latham reportedly met with Tucker to discuss her accusations concerning Hill.
"Based on Ms. Latham’s reports to ABSC and Tucker, ABSC and Tucker had a reasonable basis to believe Hill had engaged in sexual conduct with a minor," the lawsuit claims. "Regardless, neither Defendant ABSC nor Tucker reported Hill to the Child Advocacy Hotline."
The lawsuit adds that illegal conduct allegedly continued "unabated" until July 2018, about two weeks before Hill resigned as the church's senior pastor.
Hill, who retired in July 2018, told The Houston Chronicle that he retired because he was “old.” Hill added that he was unaware of the lawsuit or the claims in it.
Listed as defendants in the suit are Hill, Millcreek Baptist Church, the Diamond Lakes Baptist Association, Tucker and the ABSC. The attorneys claim that Tucker had an obligation under the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act to report the allegations against Hill to the Child Abuse Hotline.
In a statement released last week, the ABSC explained that no criminal charges have been filed against Hill or anyone else listed in the lawsuit nor have there been any criminal convictions related to the matter.
The state association stressed that it's taking the allegations “very seriously.” ABSC is represented by the law firm of Friday, Eldredge & Clark.
“So far, our lawyers have seen no indication of impropriety on the part of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention or Dr. Tucker,” the ABSC statement reads. “Rather, it appears the plaintiff does not understand the relationship between the Arkansas Baptist State Convention and the local church and pastor.”
That was the tact that the Vatican first took - they are not responsible for their individual dioceses. It didn't work for them and it won't work for the SBC.
The ABSC contends that the plaintiff “mistakenly believes that the Arkansas Baptist State Convention somehow controls the local church and should have been monitoring this local church pastor’s actions.”
The lawsuit contends that "defendants are part of a hierarchical institution in which there exists a system of oversight and control by ABSC over Diamond Lakes and Millcreek and Hill and by Diamond Lakes over Millcreek and Hill."
The Southern Baptist Convention is not a top-down denomination but rather an association of autonomous churches that govern themselves.
“In any event, the Convention has no responsibility in this case for his and/or the local church’s actions,” the ABSC statement argues.
“The Arkansas Baptist State Convention has long placed a high priority on ministry and safety for children and students. For several years, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, under Dr. Tucker’s leadership, has been involved in an intentional, statewide safety and training emphasis to equip churches to better prevent and respond to sexual abuse.”
Might seem like their program needs some updating.
The convention added that it will cooperate with attorneys to defend “what appears to be false accusations.”
The lawsuit comes as the SBC and the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Petersburg Baptist Association were added to a similar lawsuit earlier this year.
The Virginia lawsuit alleges that Baptist leaders mishandled complaints about a youth minister convicted of abusing young boys. The Virginia lawsuit contends that the convention can be held liable for the actions of local churches, according to The Houston Chronicle.
“These organizations are working together in harmony,” attorney Kevin Biniazan told the newspaper. “The success of one benefits the other. And vice versa.”
At SBC’s annual meeting last June, SBC delegates approved a resolution to expel churches accused of mishandling claims of sexual abuse or racism. They also amended SBC bylaws to give SBC’s Credentials Committee the power to investigate complaints against churches in instances of sexual abuse or racism.
A&E show to air story about Nacogdoches Co, TX,
child sexual assault fugitive pastor
By Gary Bass
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - “Live P.D.” on A&E will be airing information on a Nacogdoches County fugitive who is wanted on a continuous sexual assault of a child charge and has been on the run since 2018 this weekend, according to a post on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
“Jose Uriel Rendon is wanted by the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child a 1st-degree felony,” the Facebook post stated. “In our efforts to help capture this fugitive from justice, we are airing his information on Live P.D this weekend.”
The post said that Rendon has been on the run since 2018. It also said that Rendon has family in Tyler, Dallas, and Mexico City.
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for continuous sexual assault of a child for Rendon in September of 2018.
When the arrest warrant was issued, Rendon was a pastor at Templo De Fe Church in Nacogdoches County.
He allegedly used his position at the church to "take advantage and sexually assault a child" between the years 2004 and 2005. The sheriff's office reported Rendon is accused of sexually abusing the child over 50 times while maintaining his position with the church.
Where's the discernment? Is nobody listening to the Holy Spirit?
Rendon was supposed to meet with NCSO investigators on Sept. 10, 2018, to discuss the allegations. However, he never showed up.
Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for the first, most accurate tip called in or sent directly to Crime Stoppers that leads to Rendon’s arrest.
“All information is confidential, and you never have to give your name,” a post on the Nacogdoches Crime Stoppers Facebook page stated. “You may call CRIME STOPPERS at 936-560-INFO (4636) or send us a secure tip on our website at www.ncstips.com.”
Convicted PA child rapist pleads guilty to soliciting murders of prosecutor, victim
by WJAC Staff
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — An Altoona man who was found guilty of child rape in 2018 has pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of the 6-year-old victim and the assistant district attorney who prosecuted him, the Blair County District Attorney’s office announced Friday.
Authorities said Alex Plowman pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit homicide and criminal use of a communication facility and admitted to soliciting arson and retaliation against a prosecutor.
Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith prosecuted Plowman’s three-day jury trial in May 2018.
During the trial, the 6-year-old girl testified to being raped by Plowman repeatedly, authorities say.
Plowman was convicted of all counts, which included multiple counts of rape of a child and other sexual assault charges.
He was sentenced to serve 27 to 54 years in a State Correctional Institute.
After the trial, investigators found that Plowman was trying to arrange the murders of the girl and the ADA while he was in prison.
Plowman pleaded guilty Friday and was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison which will not begin until after he serves his 27 to 54 year sentence related to child rape.
ADA Nichole Smith said: “I’m extremely pleased with the resolution of this case. This case certainly drives home the stark truth that this job is not free from threat, but it’s a risk all prosecutors—and unfortunately their families—shoulder. This case also illustrates the dangerous intersections of child sexual assault, violence, and drug abuse. These crimes can often overlap, and when the people who commit them demonstrate that they are capable of wide-ranging acts of violence across a broad spectrum of victims, it illustrates why it’s so vital for a county to have strong prosecutors who fight for strong sentences.”
As opposed to weak prosecutors who seek the quickest plea deal to avoid trial. You're my hero Nichole Smith, God bless you.
First Assistant District Attorney Pete Weeks, who prosecuted the case, said: “This conviction and sentence sends an important message to fellow prosecutors and law enforcement officers: you and your families will be protected. It is likewise a crucial vow to criminals who seek to do us harm: you will be held accountable if you come for those who uphold justice.”
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