Assaults and Sexual Crimes 03/03/2023

(February 28) Church Leaders Concealed Sexual Abuse Of Young Children, Lawsuits Allege | CA

Two churches with congregations scattered across Southern California covered up sexual abuse of children as young as 3 years old and financially exploited church members, according to multiple federal lawsuits filed since December.

Sixteen plaintiffs allege that leaders within the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and the International Christian Church (ICC) knew that their members had sexually abused adults and children, but instead of alerting the authorities they often “actively concealed” the abuse to “avert discovery by child protective services and the police.”

Read the full article click here

(February 28) Arkansas Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty To 13 Counts Of Sexual Assault | Littlerock, AR

A former youth pastor at First Baptist Church (FBC) of Bentonville, Arkansas, has accepted a plea deal for his victimization of children and pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault.

Former FBC youth pastor Keenan Hord, who also served about two years as a youth pastor at well-known Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault in the first degree. Hord also pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault in the second degree; one count of sexual indecency with a child; and three counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.

Read the full article click here

(February 28) Diocese Of Sacramento Considers Bankruptcy Due To Abuse Lawsuits | NY

For the second time this month, a California diocese has announced that bankruptcy is possible as it figures out how to best address hundreds of clergy sex abuse lawsuits.

Bishop Jaime Soto announced Feb. 26 that the Diocese of Sacramento faces more than 200 lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of minors, and that while nothing is set in stone, bankruptcy is one of multiple options being explored to adequately address the claims.

Read the full article click here

(February 26) Former New England Youth Minister Pleads Guilty To Child Rape | Salem, MA

A former youth minister has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three vulnerable boys that he met through church, prosecutors said.

Russell Davis, 70, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, and formerly of Newbury, Massachusetts, was sentenced in Salem Superior Court on Wednesday to up to four years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including child rape, according to a statement from Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker.

Read the full article click here

(February 24) Shocking Sex Assault Case, LDS Church Fined, And A Quarry Quarrel | Washington DC

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to pay $5 million for hiding past stock holdings in a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. More than 90 women allege that a Utah doctor sexually assaulted them. And a bill at the Legislature would shield new quarries from county or municipal oversight.

At 9 a.m. on Friday, Salt Lake Tribune reporters Tony Semerad, Jessica Miller and Brian Maffly, along with opinion editor George Pyle, will join Utah Public Radio’s Tom Williams to talk about the week’s top stories.

Read the full article click here