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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Religion Youth Pastor Watch

Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 9:21 AM

A Farmington man accused of groping a girl in a Disney World pool is the youth minister at a church in Victor, New York. 52-year-old Robert Double Jr. is a youth minister at Willowbrook Christian Church. Police in Florida said that Double used a wave pool in the theme park as a way to grope and undress young female teens.

A 15-year-old alleged victim told park security that Double pulled at her bathing suit top and bottom and groped her breasts when a wave hit.... Park security said they have video of Double repeatedly swimming near girls in the wave pool, showing him trying to remove suits and fondle the girls as waves came through.

Willowbrook Christian released a statement that, well, here it is:

The Elders of Willowbrook Christian Church have been made aware of an alleged incident involving a member of the church staff. Preliminarily we have learned that this alleged incident did not occur during any church sponsored trip or event but, apparently while that individual was on a personal family vacation in the State of Florida.

So it seems that Double hasn't been suspended—not even from performing those full-immersion baptisms that evangelical churches specialize in.

Comments (15) RSS

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Don't lean in too close to your screen, Sloggers- you may get sticky from Dan's Youth PastOrgasm...

Posted by Uuuungh!! on July 9, 2009 at 9:23 AM

I'm sure the church's response will be "we are praying for him and his family. And we're praying for the girls too. And their families."

Their universal response to shit they can't deal with is, "we'll pray about it."

Losers.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on July 9, 2009 at 9:24 AM

He sounds like a typical, normal guy from Florida. I'm sure he fits right in. Now, if he'd been groping boys in that pool, there would be hell to pay.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on July 9, 2009 at 9:34 AM

Well...whew! At least it didn't happen on a church-sponsored trip. At least he was just being a disgusting pervert on his own time. Hopefully at least some of the parents will have the good sense to pull their kids out of his youth group.

Posted by Hernandez

on July 9, 2009 at 9:35 AM

these things wouldn't happen if teen girls would stop being so hot

Posted by m@tt on July 9, 2009 at 9:36 AM

Gross

Posted by Take it all in on July 9, 2009 at 9:37 AM

Shouldn't there be an age limit on youth pastors? Really 52?

Posted by SoSea Resident on July 9, 2009 at 9:41 AM

"[I]ncident did not occur during any church sponsored trip or event" doesn't mean "it doesn't concern us." I't could be that they are just choosing to not say that he's been removed from contact with and ministry to youth pending a more complete investigation or until they've seen the video evidence themselves. And I don't think that you are allowed to fire an employee until the allegations are proved.

Posted by Random viewer on July 9, 2009 at 9:46 AM

In a lot of states like Florida, the thing is, by the time the girls get to be 20 or 22 they end up looking like crap.

Check out Brittney Spears...I mean, if you didn't hit that before 19, it pretty much was all over by then.

Posted by Justin Timberlake on July 9, 2009 at 9:48 AM

He's actually a pastor in a New York church, he was just on vacation in Florida.

Not that that makes him any less creepy, just sayin...

Posted by Urgutha Forka on July 9, 2009 at 9:50 AM

@10 is that like a "different area codes" kind of thing ... it's not really child rape if it happens in a different area code. Maybe that could be the church's argument ...

(I know that you're only pointing out fact not saying it is okay, btw)

Posted by Take it all in on July 9, 2009 at 9:53 AM