News of interest to former Christians


AddThis Social Bookmark Button
A youth group coordinator for a Mill Creek church was charged Tuesday with having repeated sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl on church grounds.

A judge Tuesday signed a $100,000 arrest warrant for Joshua Tanner Beals, 22. He's charged with two counts of second-degree child molestation in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Deputy prosecutor Mark Roe said in court papers that he sought the arrest warrant because "it appears that a number of adults connected with either the church or the defendant do indeed blame" the girl for the sexual activity.

He also said church authorities have been "evasive" with Snohomish County sheriff's detectives.

Roe declined to identify the church.

The girl told authorities the two had sexual intercourse at least three times, all at Beals' residence on the church property.

"They even memorialized some of the sexual contact by taking pictures" of the couple kissing, Roe said. He wrote that Beals told the girl not to disclose the photos to anyone "because he could get in trouble."

The girl told investigators that she told the pastor what was happening and the pastor said it would be a "horrible mess" if she told anyone else, charging papers said.

The pastor also said that the girl could keep the illicit contact quiet and Beals could move away quietly, documents said.

At one point, the defendant's mother heard about the situation and asked the girl to destroy the photos, Roe wrote.

The case remains under investigation, Roe said.

link
 
Blogger Micah Cowan said...
It is absolutely astounding that both the pastor and the girl's mother would seek to protect the reputation of the church and its staff at the expense of the girl's welfare. And yet I know this sort of thing happens all the time.

What assholes.


Blogger smbakk said...
Micah,
The defendants mother would be Joshua Beals, not the girls.


Blogger mike said...
Typical,
Christians always claim to have the truth, and preach "truth". Funny how they lie to protect "truth".


Blogger Steven Bently said...
It also goes to show that there are no required qualifications to claim to be a preacher or pastor, you just got to be foolish enough to profess that you love an imaginary myth and you're in, no requirements to qualify except, you must say that you love Jesus.

You could have just raped 10 women and children and walk into a church and say you love Jesus, you've got the job.


Blogger twincats said...
I guess they (churches and church schools, etc.) think it would be unseemly and insulting to conduct background checks and psychological testing on those who would be put in charge of youth ministries and young students.

Most public school districts do this, so pedophiles who would try to work there have to go elswhere. Somewhere where no one checks up on them.

Hmmm, wonder where THAT would be?

Those churches and parochial schools would do well to remember that "The Lord helps those who help themselves." Which is to say, God ain't gonna help you, but that's another thread!


Blogger FLBeachGirl said...
Unfortunately, Twincats, doing a background investigation and psychological test doesn't always weed out the pedophiles. Just last night the news reported that a local former head of the ACLU in our state was arrested for possession of child pornography. He'd also been a little league baseball coach and had been investigated by the league organization. Nothing turned up in his background investigation. Sometimes these perverts go along for years without being detected.


Post a Comment | Create a Link | Post in the Forums | Permalink



The first 200 comments appear here under the article. If over 200 comments are posted, click on the "newer" and "newest" links on the Post a Comment page to continue reading the latest comments.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

  Subscribe to this post's Comments (Atom).
Subscribe to every post's Comments (RSS).
Quickly catch up on all recent comments posted on ExChristian.Net on the Recent Comments page.

<< Home