Youth pastor faces charges for sex with underage girl - ExChristian.Net

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Youth pastor faces charges for sex with underage girl

.: posted 3/25/2008 ::: by webmdave :::

A youth pastor had sex with a teenage girl in his offices at the Berea Baptist Church over a span of two years, police said today.

Jeremy Workman, 32, was charged last week with unlawful sexual contact with a minor and possession of criminal tools. He is being held on $250,000 bond. Workman resigned from the church in January. The girl was 15 and in the youth group when the two began their sexual relationship. She is now 19 and pregnant with his child, police said.

Workman served as the church's youth pastor since 2000.

"This kind of evil behavior takes place frequently in secular venues, but when it occurs in a holy setting like God's House, it is especially grevious," Pastor Kenneth Spink said in a statement.

Workman also worked part time in the weight room of the Berea Recreation Center, said police Chief Mark Schultz. No work-related problems were ever reported.

Workman resigned from his job at the church in January, weeks after he learned that the girl was pregnant. He left the church because of the affair, though it appeared there had been nothing illegal, Berea police Detective Dennis Bort said.

The police investigation began in late February, when a church official brought copies of seven e-mails Workman and the teenager exchanged that included discussions about sex.

The investigation took a bit longer because authorities had to track down Workman. After he left the church, he took courses to become a truck driver. Bort was able to locate him in California, and Workman agreed to return to Ohio.

Bort said Workman and the girl stopped their relationship when teenager was 17, when she had a boyfriend and later went off to college. During a break from school, the two met again, he said.

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7 Comments:

Wayne wrote:

""This kind of evil behavior takes place frequently in secular venues, but when it occurs in a holy setting like God's House, it is especially grevious," Pastor Kenneth Spink said in a statement."

Secular venues? Yeah...uh... This is just going on all the time. I was at the library, and a HUGE orgy was happening by the periodicals.... (insert sarcasm here)

posted: March 26, 2008 EST

Spirula wrote:

God's House

Judging by the picture on their blog, God goes for the cheap and cheesy architecture you'd expect from dull white people. Bet "God's house" has an "all you can eat" buffet too.

This kind of evil behavior takes place frequently in secular venues

If by "secular" you mean church youth groups, I'd agree.

Lying liar.

posted: March 26, 2008 EST

Heretic Zero wrote:

A 15 year old is hardly a child but they are still a minor, by law. The only thing that separates a 15 year old from an 18 year old giving consent is the law, which in itself is hardly a moral and reasonable law.

Statutory rape laws do not take into consideration whether the child pursued a sexual relationship with the adult. If a court can prosecute a 'child' as an adult in the commission of a crime, then the same standard should be able to be applied in a statutory rape case--how much does the 15 year old behave like an adult and how much of the affair was initiated by her? The adult should not have to bear all the burden for a sexual affair with a 15 year old.

posted: March 26, 2008 EST

Julie wrote:

Spirula:

Growing up Southern Baptist, I was taught that when we were all raptured up "home," we would actually eat dinner at the "wedding feast" of Jesus and the Church...it's kind of an all-you-can-eat buffet!

posted: March 26, 2008 EST

ou812 wrote:

Heretic Zero, I agree with you but if he popped her cherry does that make it different? Just curious. She was probably a permissive girl. I don't think the man should be charged with any crime and I do think if she keeps the baby he should support it.

posted: March 28, 2008 EST

Heretic Zero wrote:

Blogger ou812 wrote:

Heretic Zero, I agree with you but if he popped her cherry does that make it different? Just curious. She was probably a permissive girl. I don't think the man should be charged with any crime and I do think if she keeps the baby he should support it.
---------------------
No, I don't believe it should matter. 15 year olds get laid everyday, and there is a first time for everything. Virginity is a state of mind imposed for religious beliefs and has little to do with the real world. 15 year old kids are going to get laid whether they are a virgin or not, this is the year 2008, not 1135.

Everyone makes their own choice and 15 year old kids are old enough to decide if they want to marry or experiment with sex. The only thing that says a 15 year old is too young is the law which was based on political ideology--controls the population--, not biology and not the person's state of mind or interests.

posted: March 28, 2008 EST

.:webmaster:. wrote:

" The only thing that separates a 15 year old from an 18 year old giving consent is the law, which in itself is hardly a moral and reasonable law. "

I disagree entirely. A 15-year-old in today's society is generally not equipped either emotionally or materially to support a child. Since children quite frequently result from having sex, that's why the law matters. When a 15-year-old gets pregnant, or contracts an STD, it is not just the child's life that is fucked -- it is the parents.

I am not even slightly tolerant or interested in having my life screwed over by a son-of-a-bitch youth pastor who can't keep his god-damned dick in his pants with my little girl who has no job, no education, no car, no way to acquire any of those things, etc.

If a 15-year-old is supporting him or herself in the real world, then I don't care what he or she fucks. But until such time as that 15-year-old can support him or herself, he or she has no business getting it on with anyone, regardless of how much the hormones are raging.

What I'm saying is that it's not about morals, it's about responsibility. Certain benefits come with being an adult. You don't get to suck off mommy while you boff the youth pastor on the side, and then mommy is the one who has to deal with and try to solve any after effects, problems, etc.

Anyway, that's my opinion.

posted: March 28, 2008 EST

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