Untitled

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NORRISTOWN, PA. - A clergyman was charged with murdering a 4-year-old boy whom he and his wife had agreed to look after as a favor to the child's impoverished mother, authorities said. Rev. Javan McBurrow , 47, beat Michael Davis across the back of his legs as many as 10 times with a two-foot metal mason's level, and then forced the child to march the length of the family's squalid suburban home until he dropped, police said. They said the boy was being punished for wetting his pants and for looking at one of the couple's daughters in the bathroom. McBurrows and his wife, Jane, took the boy to the hospital, telling doctors he had fallen in the bathtub. They then fled with their own five children to Georgia. The boy died soon after and an autopsy showed he had been beaten over a prolonged period. McBurrows, pastor of the Third Christian Church was arrested for child endangerment in Georgia and returned to Philadelphia. The 4-year-old, his 7-year-old sister and 5-year-old brother had been living with the McBurrows for about a month because their mother, who also has 3 other children, could not care for them. After being charged with first-degree murder, McBurrows was remanded to jail with bond set at $500,000. Police who searched the family's home described the two-story house as a "squalid, uninhabitable" dwelling with only one bed. The property has since been condemned. Reuters 1/15/99 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ NORRISTOWN, PA. - A clergyman was charged with murdering a 4-year-old boy whom he and his wife had agreed to look after as a favor to the child's impoverished mother, authorities said. Rev. Javan McBurrow , 47, beat Michael Davis across the back of his legs as many as 10 times with a two-foot metal mason's level, and then forced the child to march the length of the family's squalid suburban home until he dropped, police said. They said the boy was being punished for wetting his pants and for looking at one of the couple's daughters in the bathroom. McBurrows and his wife, Jane, took the boy to the hospital, telling doctors he had fallen in the bathtub. They then fled with their own five children to Georgia. The boy died soon after and an autopsy showed he had been beaten over a prolonged period. McBurrows, pastor of the Third Christian Church was arrested for child endangerment in Georgia and returned to Philadelphia. The 4-year-old, his 7-year-old sister and 5-year-old brother had been living with the McBurrows for about a month because their mother, who also has 3 other children, could not care for them. After being charged with first-degree murder, McBurrows was remanded to jail with bond set at $500,000. Police who searched the family's home described the two-story house as a "squalid, uninhabitable" dwelling with only one bed. The property has since been condemned. Reuters 1/15/99 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RICHMOND, VA. - Former Mayor Rev. Leonidas B. Young has agreed to plead guilty to 4 of 19 felony counts alleging he sold his influence as mayor and, as a pastor, defrauded members of his congregation, according to a newspaper. The Times-Dispatch said Young is likely to face 2 years to 2 1/2 years in prison at sentencing. Young will lose his City Council seat automatically if he pleads guilty. He became pastor of Richmond's Fourth Baptist Church in 1990 and was elected to City Council 2 years later and appointed mayor in 1996. Last fall, Young was indicted on charges of racketeering, fraud, filing false tax returns, suborning perjury and money laundering. The charges carry prison terms ranging from five to 30 years. Authorities allege Young peddled influence as mayor and cheated members of his church out of money he used to help pay for an expensive secret life of extramarital affairs. AP, 1/27/99 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cherokee County, GA. A Cherokee County church deacon was convicted Saturday of molesting a 14-year-old girl who attended his church. Jurors deliberated about 14 hours Friday and Saturday before finding John M. Eatman guilty of child molestation and enticing a minor for indecent purposes. He is to be sentenced in several weeks. Prosecutors said he showed the girl an adult magazine and made sexually explicit comments to her in August, then touched her buttocks during Sunday morning services Sept. 27 at South Cherokee Baptist Church. (The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 12-13-1998) Deacon convicted of molestation: Man fondled teen in Cherokee church _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ KANSAS CITY - A minister who participated in a school program to counsel troubled youths has been charged with rape and other sex offenses involving 3 teen-age girls. Rev. Gregory Robertson, 40, was accused of using his affiliation with the Kansas City School District to befriend families of students outside of school, said a spokesman of the police sex crimes unit. Robertson convinced parents to allow some children to temporarily move into his home to "give them guidance," he said. Robertson has pleaded innocent and is free on $15,000 bond. He faces charges of statutory rape, 2 counts of statutory sodomy, attempted statutory sodomy and 4 counts of sexual misconduct. The charges involve 3 girls ages 12 to 14. The girls told police the incidents occurred between Feb. 1996 and Dec. 1997 at Robertson's home. Police said Robertson met at least one of the girls through his work with the school district. They were not sure how he met the other two. The three girls did not know each other. Robertson was part of a Ministers Alliance, a group formed last school year by a former superintendent to counsel troubled students. The program no longer exists, and Robertson was banned from the schools after officials heard about the investigation, said a district spokeswoman. Police began investigating Robertson in Sept. 1997 after a girl told officers she had lived in Robertson's home in 1996. No charges were filed. The investigation was reopened in Jan. after a 12-year-old girl made new allegations. Detectives then found 3 other girls who had lived in Robertson's home, including one who said Robertson offered to buy her a pair of shoes in exchange for a sex act. Robertson was ordained at Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church about 6 years ago, but has since left the church, police said. AP, 10/28/98 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BOONE, NC. - A long-standing pastor and high school teacher accused of raping a 15-year-old student two years ago was sentenced to spend up to two years in prison as part of a plea arrangement. Rev. Larry Edward Elliott, 50, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor. He entered his plea just before the jury was to be selected for his trial. A judge ordered Elliott to serve time for one of the 3 counts, the others suspended and the district attorney dropped 3 other charges of statutory rape. Elliott, a Baptist pastor for 20 years, resigned after the accusations surfaced. He had worked as a substitute math teacher at the school where he met his victim. (9/15 Watauga Democrat) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TIERRA AMARILLA, NM. - The Chama First Baptist Church has been sued by a man who claims the church should have stopped the pastor, Rev. Louis Day, from wrecking his marriage. Eileen Dement began counseling soon after he became pastor in 1993, but she testified that she never considered him a psychological counselor, and began an affair which included lovemaking sessions in the church. She left her former husband for Day, whom she married in 1996, and has a 7-month old son by him. She testified it would have taken "an act of God" to save her marriage to the plaintiff, Richard Hurd. He testified that Day told him to try to add some romance to their marriage. (8/29/98) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TAMPA - The president of the National Baptist Convention USA pleaded not guilty to federal fraud charges and was allowed to remain free on a $125,000 bond. Rev. Henry Lyons, 56, was indicted by a federal grand jury on grounds that he had used the organization of black churches to steal millions of dollars from corporations and activists. Lyons was indicted on 56 counts including fraud, extortion, conspiracy and tax evasion. At the hearing, 8 friends of his pledged to cover the bond. He said that all of his assets were frozen by the government. Prosecutors charge that Lyons fraudulently solicited contributions for charitable causes, including the rebuilding of black churches destroyed by arsonists. The indictment said he used the donations to support a lavish lifestyle, buying cars, jewelry, country club memberships and homes throughout the country. Lyons already faced state charges that he used his position to bilk millions of dollars from companies doing business with the church group. A federal grand jury also indicted a convention employees Bernice Edwards and Brenda Harris. Both are free on bond also. (7/7/98 Reuters) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Atlanta, GA. The Rev. Danny B. Moody may have slipped in the eyes of the law, but he hasn't fallen from grace in the hearts of his followers. Moody, 52, who has served as Pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Douglasville for 24 years, was arrested May 29 on a felony Peeping Tom charge. Atlanta police allege Moody aimed his Camcorder beneath the skirts of females while riding escalators at Hartsfield Internationa Airport. Moody was released under $5,000 bond the same day. Almost three weeks later, Moody's wife, Brenda, said his congregation still supports him. "The church has been told about the charges against him, but the church stands behind him by an overwhelming vote," Brenda Moody said. (The Atlanta Journal and Constitution 06-19-1999) Minister faces felony Peeping Tom charge _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HARTFORD - A former Baptist deacon who fathered a child with a young parishioner was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping her and another girl as well. Edward Brown, Jr., 39, asked for forgiveness in court. The young woman was 6 years old when Brown began molesting her. He raped her several times and she became pregnant in 1994 at age 14. She hid the pregnancy, giving birth alone in her room. When the baby died shortly thereafter, she threw away the body, which has never been found. Six months later, she had a nervous breakdown. Doctors would not believe she had been pregnant until a medical exam proved it. After Brown pleaded guilty to the rape, one of his family members came forward to accuse him of molesting her since age 5. 4/4/98 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ORLANDO - A minister surrendered to faces charges of molesting two elementary-school girls and sheriff's investigators were seeking more possible victims. Rev. David Joe Rich, 54, who resigned his post at Springs Community Baptist Church in Apopka, was arrested after confessing to the assaults. He was charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious acts and released on bail. The two girls, whose parents confronted Rich, said they were fondled during classes while standing behind the pastor's desk. Other girls were also called to stand there, according to a detective. (2/14/98) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DALLAS - A pastor convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl wassentenced to 12 years in prison following testimony that he agreed to let her graduate early from the church's school in exchange for sex. Rev. Jerry Wayne Power, longtime pastor of Irving Baptist Temple and principal of the church's school, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child. Power, 51, hopes to be released on bond while appealing the decision, his attorneys said. The jury of 11 women and one man deliberated 31/2 hours before deciding to punish Power with 12 years on one count and 11 years on the other. The jury fined him $10,000 on each count. He will serve both sentences simultaneously and will first be eligible for parole in six years. Power's attorneys argued that the girl should be held accountable because she testified that she and her friend initiated the deal with Mr. Power. A former student testified that Power fondled her, placed his foot in her crotch and masturated in front of her. The woman said he told her that he would kill her parents and her horse if she quit his school. (4/17/98) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COPPELL, TX. - Monte Ray Freeman, 68, a former Baptist deacon and school board member, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $750 after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl last year. He had been alleged to be molesting girls over a decade ago, but church officials persuaded the accusers' parents not to pursue criminal charges. (2/27/98) http://www.opengovtcoppell.com/file/news/1998/8227dmn1.htmReport: church leaders persuaded parents to drop sex abuse complaints _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DALLAS - A Baptist pastor awaiting trial on a sexual abuse charge involving an 11-year-old girl is now accused of molesting a 3-year-old girl at her mother's home. Police arrested Rev. Ronroyal Owens at his church office after a mother reported finding him nude in bed with her daughter. She told police she and Owens had gone to sleep in the living room but when she awoke shortly later and checked on her daughter, she discovered Owens with her, touching her leg. Her panties had been pulled down. An officer of the child exploitation unit of the Dallas PD said it did not appear that the child had been harmed. Owens was being held on a $300,000 bond. (2/11/98) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BUENA PARK, CA. - A controversial Southern Baptist paster known for his support of a boycott of the Walt Disney Co. was sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service for violating city building codes by sheltering the homeless at his church. However, the judge also credited Rev. Wiley Drake, 53, with the same amount of time for his past efforts to aid the homeless. (10/23/98) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ELGIN, IL. - A former associate Baptist minister has been found guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault involving two girls aged 4 and 9 in 1995 in an encounter in which the girls' mother participated. Juan Wyley, 39, faces 12 to 60 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 3. Wyley testified that he had accepted lodging from the woman while he pursued a reconciliation with his ex-wife, but that the girls' mother was "crazy" causing him to leave after a stay of only 5 days. Investigators were alerted by the mother's psychiatrist and later learned that she was involved in the incident. (1998) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When he was 5 and 6 years old, the boy explained when they got home, he was abused by Robert D. Tardy, a deacon at Peace Baptist Church on 18th Street NE. This month, Tardy was sentenced to two to 10 years in prison for molesting the boy, plus 100 days for abusing a girl at the church. Tardy pleaded guilty to molesting the boy and in the second case entered an Alford plea, in which he did not admit guilt but conceded that there was enough evidence to convict him. (Washington Post, 1998) Sex Abuse at Church Shatters a Family _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BUENA PARK, CA. - A pastor convicted for violating city zoning rules by operating a makeshift homeless shelter has won the support of several of the jurors who voted against him. Four jurors attended services at Rev. Wile Drake's First Southern Baptist Church. Two declined comment but two others said they were impressed with the sermon and will donate money after touring the patio and parking lot where some 40 homeless people now live. They said they were forced by the law to convict, and Drake said he understood and thanked them for coming. He faces up to $4,000 in fines and 6 months in jail. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 22 (8/9/97) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BROKEN ARROW, OK. A resigned youth minister at Arrow Heights Baptist Church apparently killed himself early Tuesday after police told him late Monday that he would be charged with molestation and related offenses. John Priddy, a Tulsa assistant district attorney, said the charges stemmed from allegations that Randol sexually abused a teen- age girl who attended the church. The alleged incidents began when the girl was 13 and ended when she was 15, Priddy said, adding that the incidents allegedly occurred at the church. Randol was the youth minister at the church until he resigned in April. A church secretary said Randol had worked for the church for one year, but she refused to comment further. Pastor Bob Green was unavailable for comment. (Tulsa World, 07/24/1996) Broken Arrow youth minister dies of a bullet wound hours after being told he would be charged with sex offenses _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REYNOLDS John Claude, 60 Launceston Christian youth group leader and Care and Rehabilitations Ministries (CARM) director. Receives 3 year jail sentence in TAS Supreme Court after pleading guilty to 5 gross indecency charges, including 2 counts of committing unlawful sexual intercourse, against boy, aged 7, between 1967 and 1973 while head of CARM drop-in centre, Launceston, TAS. Court hears Reynolds took boy to popular fishing spot and attempted to have anal sex with him in kombi van. CARM described as Christian organisation with links to Memorial Baptist church and St Aidan's Anglican church, Launceston. (Tasmania, Australia, 1996). _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ North Charleston, WV. North Charleston Baptist Church youth leader Gerald Mollohan, 47, was convicted by a jury on 2 counts of rape and received consecutive sentences of 15-35 years for each assault. The teen, 16, testified that Mollohan, a 28-year postal employee, befriended several brothers through a church youth group and bought 1 of them gifts and took him on a trip to Disney World. The victim said he resisted Mollohan's sexual advances several times before the youth leader raped him at knifepoint on 2 separate nights at the leader's home in December '93. (The Charleston Gazette 11/7/95) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Isaac Park, IL. A popular preacher from Lawrence County was convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse, including 9 felony counts for molesting 4 boys in his rural farmhouse. Gallie Isaac Sr., 78, was recommended by jury to serve 25 years in prison for his sexual crimes. The pastor of Isaac Park Free Baptist Church was indicted in '94 on charges of molesting 8 boys from 1984-94. Four of the boys, ages 11-14 at the time of the incidents, testified saying that he engaged in masturbation and oral sex with them. "He was saying stuff like, 'God's watching you, and you're doing good,' and 'All the boys do this,' " the witness, now 18, said. One of the victims said Isaac played a Halloween tape before having sex with him and told him that having sex was okay. "He began to touch me and he would whisper, 'I will protect you . . . from the house,' " another alleged victim, now 25, told jurors. Formal sentencing for Isaac, father of 6 and former county clerk, is scheduled for Dec. 14. Isaac is free on bond until sentencing and faces a second trial on charges relating to the 4 other alleged victims. (Lexington Herald-Leader 11/4/95, 10/31/95) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tulsa, OK. A Tulsa County minister accused of molesting a teen-age church member was sentenced Friday to five years in prison. Steve Lamberson, 35, pleaded no contest April 3 to two molestation counts. Lamberson, a resident of the Mounds area, was pastor and principal of Liberty Heights Free Will Baptist Church and academy in south Tulsa County when the offenses occurred, said a report by Sheriff's Deputy Gary Ross. Lamberson was charged in 1994 with molesting a girl -- now 18 years old -- in December 1991 and March 1992, when she was 14 and 15. (Tulsa World, 05/27/1995) Lamberson Sentenced for Molestation _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ottowa, CA. A Baptist lay minister, Walter Howe, was sentenced to 3 months in jail for sex crimes since the 60s. Howe, 85, admitted to abusing 8 girls between ages 5 and 15 at the time of the abuse. (The Ottawa Citizen, 9/2/94) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BAPTIST MINISTER CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ABUSE. A married minister, who worked at Tiverton-Freeport United Baptist Church from 1976-1981, was convicted of 21 charges of indecent and sexual assault involving 13 boys in Digby County between those years. Floyd Delano Gale, 46, had written a letter of apology to the family of one of his victims. According to the family's testimony, he sat in their living room and admitted he was a pedophile, and had sexual relationships with boys, including their son, then 12, but claimed they were of legal age and consented. Gale claims to be a victim of childhood sexual abuse himself. Gale's assaults included oral sex and fondling of the boys, some in their own home while their parents slept. During the trial one of his victims punched Gale in the head outside the courthouse. When the judge denied a request for Gale to be set free until sentencing, the courtroom applauded In 1988 Gale resigned from the Church of Christ in Garnet Settlement, New Brunswick, amidst rumors of his sexual misconduct. (The Chronicle-Herald (Nova Scotia) 5/17,18,19,20,26/94, 6/7/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WEST VIRGINIA. MINISTER INITIATES SEX WITH INCEST VICTIM. A girl, 14, who sought help from a Baptist minister because her father was sexually abusing her was then sexually abused by the trusted pastor during counseling sessions. Gary Hackler Kendall, 40, pastor of North Hills Baptist Church, pleaded guilty. The victim's father also pleaded guilty and received a 5-15 year prison term. (Charleston Gazette_ 6/1/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BOBO SENTENCED. A Baptist deacon accused of fondling several girls has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for the molestation of a female student. Wallace Bobo, Jr., 57, was a high school teacher and coach at Meridian High in Mound City. The father of one victim, who shot Bobo 5 times, awaits trial, while Bobo is out on bail pending an appeal. (Philadelphia Inquirer_ 4/9/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ GEORGIA. BAPTIST MINISTER ACCUSED. For being accused of sexually molesting several male teens between Sept. 1992-93 while serving as youth minister at Western Hills Baptist Church in Cobb County, Kevin DeRosa, 33, of New Jersey is being held at the Paulding County jail on similar charges in that county. (Atlanta Journal_ 3/94) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ PASTOR MOLESTS. Former associate pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church and parent representative at Pittsburgh's Margaret Milliones Middle School, Rev. Rudolph B. Walls, 43, was a defendant in a lawsuit filed in May 1992 by a male teen and his mother. Walls was accused of sexually molesting the teen, now 18. Also involved in the suit were the principal, school board, and Pittsburgh Public Schools. They settled for $425,000. In August 1991 Walls was sentenced to 1-5 years in prison for indecent assault. Walls was on probation for a North Carolina molestation at the time he began assaulting the teen in this lawsuit. (Pittsburgh Post- Gazette_ 2/24/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BAPTIST MINISTER SENTENCED. For sexually abusing 2 boys who were members of his Community Baptist Church near Lake Lavon, Gene Allen McDonald, 55, of Nevada will serve a minimum of 2 years in Collin County Jail before parole. He was sentenced to 2 concurrent 5-year sentences. (Dallas Morning News_ 2/8/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Miami, FL. CHURCH TO PAY MILLIONS FOR MINISTER'S ABUSES. Wayside Baptist Church in Miami received a $6.7 million judgment for negligence in hiring and retaining Keith Geren as youth minister. The church did not do background or reference checks, nor did Geren even fill out a job application, though Geren did admit urges to molest boys. He sexually molested nearly a dozen teenage boys. Church officials say they had no idea Geren was a pedophile. All of the money is going to one victim, Daniel Artis, for emotional pain, treatment, and punitive damages. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune 2/6/94) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MINISTER ADMITS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. A Baptist minister and social activist, Rev. Donovan Cook, has been under investigation for sexual misconduct involving 3 women. It has been recommended that his ordination be suspended. Cook is popular for his work helping Central American refugees, and allowing homosexuals to be church members. One member said, "If we can't get justice for the women, how are we going to ask for justice in Central America?" Supporters of Cook say the American Baptist Church's political conflicts with Cook's work make their judgments "hardly impartial". (Seattle Post-lntelligencer_ 1/31/94.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ASSAULT CASE SETTLED. A man, 28, who was recovering from epileptic seizures in his apartment when he was attacked, will receive $300,000 in damages from the Sierra Vista Baptist Church for the sexual assault by John Adams Marshall in April 1991. Marshall performed oral sex and fondled the weakened man while pinning him down. The jury found the church 40% liable for Marshall's assault and negligent in retaining him as minister. Marshall did not lose his ordination to be a minister elsewhere. (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 1/15/94) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ KENDALL, FL. They're more suspicious of people today at Wayside Baptist Church in Kendall than they were before the 1994 trial that convicted Keith Geren, one of their popular youth ministers, of molesting nearly a dozen boys, ages 13 to 16. He was sent to prison for 15 years and cost the church $4.2 million in damages. ''It used to be we just trusted everybody,'' says the Rev. Gary Johnson, Wayside's present pastor. ``We don't trust anymore. We take precautions.'' Today, Wayside gives new employees criminal background checks. It has installed windows in every classroom. At least two adults run every children's class. Men may not change diapers. (1994, Miami Herald) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Gwinnett, GA. A 22-year-old woman has accused a Southern Baptist minister from Gwinnett County of sexual abuse saying he touched her improperly several times over a period of almost 10 years. The Rev. Franklin, now pastor of Northbrook Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, could not be reached for comment, but his attorney said Tuesday that he denies the allegations. (The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 03-10-1993) Parishioner claims pastor sexually abused her _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Deacon A.V. Ballenger was convicted of fondling a 7-year-old girl in Sunday school class and sentenced to 8 years in prison. A.V. Ballenger, a deacon and bus route driver at Hyles' First Baptist Church Hammond, was convicted in March of 1993 (and sentenced in July of 1993 to five years in jail) of molesting a seven year old girl. (This crime occurred in a Sunday School room of the church! Incredibly, after conviction, but prior to sentencing, Ballenger was allowed to resume his FBCH bus route!) The highlight of the sentencing hearing was the testimony of three young women. Each was molested by Ballenger when she was a child, and in each case, before age seven. Jack Hyles, who testified in Ballenger's behalf, defiantly declared the outcome of the trial null and void, claiming that the courts had no jurisdiction in this matter. Hyles told the girl's parents, "Deacon Ballenger just likes little girls." _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MORE CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST BAPTIST. Washtenaw Co. Dist. Judge Thomas F. Shea threw out 2 charges of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct against Baptist deacon Mark Foeller, leaving 6 counts of criminal sexual conduct. The deacon and bus driver at North Sharon Baptist Church is accused of raping a boy, 9, twice, at the church, which has a campaign to bus low-income children from 4 counties to its Sunday school and church camp. The dismissals follow earlier dismissals against assistant pastor Timothy Lee Leonard, 33, originally charged with 12 similar counts. Judges dismissed all his charges, saying the alleged victims were either too young to testify or that their testimony was too vague. At least one family will file a civil lawsuit against the North Sharon Baptist Church and Leonard, according to Ann Arbor attorney Mark A. Hopper. "We will sue the church for negligent hiring and negligent retention of those workers." Leonard has been invited back to the church and is directing its music programs. A mother told a reporter she was "stunned" and "numb" by the judge's decision. Shea ruled that a 9-year-old could not testify about being raped in the church nursery, because she couldn't say on which day it happened. Source: _Jackson Citizen Patriot_ 2/5&18/93. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BAPTIST PASTOR GOES TO TRIAL. Indicted for 6 counts of aggravated sexual battery & 5 counts of sexual battery was Rev. George Walker, 64, of New Tazewell, who has pastored a number of area Baptist churches. He is accused of victimizing a female piano student instructed by his wife for 4 years. Source: _The Daily News_ Middlesboro, 12/24/92. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________