Bishop Joe Flowers Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Sex Abuse, by Berkeley Brean, WHEC, August 19, 2011

Bishop Joe Flowers Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Sex Abuse

By Berkeley Brean
WHEC
August 19, 2011

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2247235.shtml?cat=566

The church leader convicted of sexually abusing a boy is spending the next seven years in prison. That was the maximum sentence bishop Joe Flowers faced and that’s what he received.

Flowers was convicted of sexually abusing over the course of three years. The boy was not only a member of his church, he is also Flowers' nephew.

“He was saying he's sorry and what he did say is true. He's sorry that it had to come through the courts. He's not sorry for what he did.” Avis Lewis is relieved it's over. Last year her son told her that their pastor and friend -- Joe Flowers -- sexually abused him. It had been going on for three years since the boy was eight years old. She says Flowers tried to cover it up. “He wanted to keep it within the family and I didn't want to keep it in the family. I wanted it to be known and send a message to anyone else and any other pastor, anyone who uses their authority to hurt kids and innocent ones and innocent lives.”

In court, Flowers said he was sorry but sorry that it got this far. He said the boy and his family refused to talk to him.

Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Sara VanStrydonck, said, “He seems to be extraordinarily self-centered in the fact that this is about him and what he lost also a lot of victim blaming. We were in this court because of actions he did. “

Flowers’ lawyer says flowers in intends to appeal. Maurice Verillo said, “It's been very difficult for him. He's been in custody. His family is suffering a great deal.”

Avis Lewis has moved out of Rochester with her son. She wants to be far away from the man that destroyed their lives. “Do I think he deserves longer than seven years? Absolutely because the healing process, when you do that to kids or innocent ones, it takes longer than seven years to heal but I'm glad he got the seven years.”

Even though Joe Flowers goes away to prison now for seven years he still has two other pending cases and he has to be back in court in early September to start those. He will remain at the Monroe County Jail while his other cases are pending. After that, he will go to state prison.