By Rusty Marks
Charleston Gazette
May 14, 2009
http://wvgazette.com/News/200905140289
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A former Kanawha County pastor convicted of molesting three boys in the 1990s will spend at least 20 years in prison.
Kanawha Circuit Judge Irene Berger sentenced Sandy Martin Cook, 49, to 20 to 60 years in prison on Thursday for sexually abusing Michael "Andy" Lewis, José Strickland and Michael Bradford in the 1990s, when Cook was pastor at Shrewsbury Church of God.
In February, a jury deliberated for about two hours before finding Cook guilty on 16 separate sex-abuse charges. The three men testified Cook repeatedly abused them while they were teenagers at the church.
On Thursday, Cook's wife, his niece and Cook himself begged Berger for leniency in Cook's sentencing.
"If you sentence him to prison, you're giving him a death sentence," said Chrystal Staton, Cook's neice. She asked Berger to give Cook probation or allow him to serve out his sentence at home.
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| Ex-pastor Sandy Martin Cook asked the judge for leniency on Thursday. Photo by Chris Dorst |
Debbie Cook, Sandy Cook's wife, told the judge she has been forced to take a minimum-wage job and has lost her health insurance since her husband went to jail.
"Now I cannot meet my bills," she said. "I feel that I am caught in the middle of a nightmare that I cannot escape."
Cook himself told Berger he was about to lose his house. "Although God has watched over me, I still beg the court for mercy," he said. "I would love to prove to the court I am not a threat to anyone."
About 200 people, including members of Cook's community and co-workers at Charleston Area Medical Center, where Cook was employed, wrote letters in support of the former pastor. Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Drummond acknowledged that Cook has a lot of support and had no criminal record, but said the testimony in the case proved Cook should go to prison.
"Our childhood is supposed to be carefree and innocent," Drummond told the judge. "This defendant robbed three children of their childhood."
During Cook's four-day trial, Lewis, Strickland and Bradford testified that Cook invoked the name of God and used scripture to convince the boys to take part in sexual acts with him. Cook repeatedly has denied the charges, and argued that the boys made up the story for revenge.
Berger said she read the "voluminous stack" of letters in support of Cook. She said many people did not think he was guilty of abusing the boys and some felt the pastor did not receive a fair trial. Most said Cook had helped a lot of people, and all asked for mercy.
In the end, Berger sentenced Cook to serve four consecutive 5- to 15-year prison terms, with prison terms for the rest of the charges to be served concurrently. Berger said allowing Cook to serve most of the prison terms at the same time was a nod to the pastor's standing in the community.
"I believe that you have done some good for some people," Berger said, but added that Cook needs to pay for his crimes.
"A judge can't predict the future," Berger said. "I don't know whether you will re-offend or not, but it's not a chance I'm willing to take with someone else's children."
The sentence means Cook will be eligible for parole in 20 years.
Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma... @wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.
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