BishopAccountability.org
	Ex-pastor Gets 11 Months in Jail By Jane Sims London Free Press September 3, 2008 http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2008/09/03/6645641-sun.html Disgraced Baptist pastor Royden Wood said on the way into court yesterday "there was a good chance" he would leave as a jail inmate. "Innocent people go to jail and I'm going to go to jail happily," he said. Wood, 58, the former senior pastor of the now-defunct Ambassador Baptist Church, was sent to jail for 11 months. He was convicted of assaulting boys who were students at the church's alternative school and sexually assaulting two female church members by grabbing their breasts. The three boys had been subjected to Wood's violent behaviour modification program he designed to teach them self-control during the mid-1980s. His methods included pulling hairs out of their upper lips with pliers, punching them in the stomach and making them stand at attention for hours at a time. Wood said the case was "a setup" motivated by exaggerating, lying victims intent on suing him. But Superior Court Justice Lynda Templeton took a different view, calling Wood's behaviour "a course of physical, mental and emotional abuse." Templeton, who oversaw the bizarre trial earlier this year when Wood acted as his own defence lawyer, called his self-control program "both shocking and criminal." Wood took the abuse even further when he demonstrated his violent techniques to the boy's classmates and the rest of the church, she said. Wood has been diagnosed as bipolar, marked by manic episodes and "expansive and grandiose presentation." Templeton called the sexual assaults "reprehensible, designed to humiliate, shock and unsettle." She noted Wood's age, lack of criminal record and family and friend support as factors in her decision. His one-year sentence was reduced by a month for the 13 days he spent in pre-trial custody. Wood's victims were "scarred emotionally by the conduct of Mr. Wood and have yet to heal completely," Templeton said. She said she wanted to denounce abuse of authority by any spiritual leader and specifically Wood, whom she said needed to be isolated from the community. Wood's name will be added to the sex offender registry. He will be on probation for three years after his release from custody. He must also resist any leadership or authority positions, stay away from the victims and accept treatment. "There is no doubt in my mind, Mr. Wood, once you receive that treatment and once you recognize what is happening, you'll be on the road to complete recovery," Templeton said. Wood did not turn back to look at his wife, son and supporters as he was led away. He faces six more sexual assault charges that are before the courts. Outside the courthouse, the school victims -- Richard Howell, Norman Howell and John Milonas -- savoured the moment four years after breaking their silence. "The judge heard us and she heard our cries and she found justice," Milonas said. So far, no lawsuit has been filed. "I wanted to do the right thing and make sure it didn't happen to anyone else," said Norman Howell. Richard Howell said it was a bigger victory to see the church at King and Adelaide streets close last fall. "I think the church should close down and stay closed."
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