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Friday, June 19, 2009

Religion Youth Pastor Watch

Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 10:49 AM

South Carolina:

A youth minister at a West Columbia church as been arrested and charged in a sex crimes case involving three victims. William Ralph Wilson, 30, of Irvin Jumper Road, Gaston, is the former youth minister at Chapel of Redemption Church, 5181 Platt Springs Road. He was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of committing a lewd act on a minor under the age of 16, the Lexington County Sheriff's Department said. Wilson also has been charged with two counts of disseminating harmful materials or exhibiting harmful performance to a minor.

Florida:

A Miami County man charged earlier this week with raping a girl younger than 13 worked as a youth leader and director of children's church at Vandalia Baptist Temple, according to the Miami County Sheriff's Office. Shawn Rickert, 38, is charged with rape and gross sexual imposition over alleged contact with a girl beginning in 2005.... The girl told an adult that Rickert abused her while discussing inappropriate touching.

Georgia:

A youth pastor has published a book with life-saving tips for young people. In his new self-published Christian book Success Killers, Jerome Baker exposes nine things that most youth will encounter that can ruin their life.... Success Killers is available to purchase online at www.jeromeabaker.com.

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I wonder if "having sex with your youth pastor" made Mr. Baker's list...

Posted by COMTE

on June 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM

don't forget this one Dan, from the only state where unemployment hasn't gone up:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-a…

Posted by zapfizzle on June 19, 2009 at 11:10 AM

It's a bit early to call it, but COMTE FTW.

Posted by Rob in Baltimore

on June 19, 2009 at 11:10 AM

The last item confuses me Dan. Are you promoting that guy (Jerome Baker)?

Posted by MT3 on June 19, 2009 at 11:14 AM

Why is it always guys? How come you never post stories about female youth pastors accosting kids?

I say it's discrimination, dammit.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on June 19, 2009 at 11:33 AM

This is here is an example of a mis-placed clause: "The girl told an adult that Rickert abused her while discussing inappropriate touching." because i can't tell if the youth pastor molester her while he was talking about inappropriate touching, or if the adult who was eventually told was discussing inappropriate touching, and the girl told her some inapp. touching had already happened.

Posted by drivel on June 19, 2009 at 11:57 AM

I'm flabbergasted by all the bizarre circumlocutions used in different jurisdictions to describe sex crimes: "exhibiting harmful performance," "gross sexual imposition," etc. What, he couldn't get it up? Her cootch smelled bad? Why not just describe what happened in unambiguous clinical terms?

Posted by rob! on June 19, 2009 at 4:47 PM