3 Ministers Charged With Failing To Report Alleged Abuse Police
Gateway Baptist Pastors Helped Suspect FindAttorney
POSTED: 4:17 am MDT July 12, 2007
UPDATED: 5:24 pm MDT July 12, 2007
LOVELAND, Colo. -- Three ministers face charges for allegedly failing to report child abuse by a member of their congregation.
Instead of contacting authorities, police on Wednesday said the pastors at Gateway Baptist Church encouraged 23-year-old Paul Lavertu, of Windsor, to turn himself in and they helped him find an attorney.
James Rice, Thad Gunderson and Eric Mowen face charges of failing to report the alleged abuse, which is a misdemeanor. An after-business hours message left at the church was not immediately returned. Police said Lavertu allegedly inappropriately touched at least five children under their clothes. The victims were two girls ages 10 and 14, and three boys ages 8, 10, and 14.
Police said one sexual assault happened in Fort Collins last month involving a 14-year-old girl; another happened in Loveland about two years ago involving a 10-year-old girl; and three incidents happened in unincorporated Larimer County involving three boys, ages 8, 10, and 14, in the summer of 2006.
Four of the alleged victims and Lavertu were members of the church. Fort Collins police, which issued a statement, said the pastors were made aware of the incidents last summer.
Lavertu and his attorney spoke with investigators this summer. June 22 was the first time police learned of the alleged crimes. He wasn't arrested until Monday, after police said he assaulted another child.
TACOMA, Wash. -- A pastor in Puyallup has pleaded innocent to four counts of child molesting involving two sisters whose family attends his church.
The Rev. Forrest Lee Hudson, 65, pastor of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, was arrested Friday, posted $100,000 bail and remained free after his arraignment Tuesday in Pierce County Superior Court on first-degree child molestation and three counts of second-degree child molestation.
Judge Vicki L. Hogan ordered Hudson to avoid any contact with anyone under 18 but did not bar him from ministering to his congregation. According to documents filed by prosecutors in court, Hudson inappropriately touched and kissed the two girls, ages 12 and 13. Defense lawyer Michael E. Schwartz said outside the courtroom he will "vigorously fight" the charges.
Sheriff's detectives began investigating Hudson last week after receiving a report that he was sexually abusing the two sisters, both of whom told a forensic child interviewer he had been molesting them since they were 11 and 12, respectively, and had given them money, jewelry and shoes.
Hudson told Detectives Elizabeth A. Lindt and Mark W. Merod on Friday he worked as a public school teacher in Seattle for 27 years before leaving in 1999 after being accused of inappropriately touching a female student. He also said he occasionally gave the girls presents and called them girlfriend and "dear heart" but denied fondling either one.