Evangelical church 'pressured parents' to try and cover up abuse of boy, 14, by pervert pastor

By Graham Smith
Daily Mail
June 20, 2012

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161970/Evangelical-church-tried-cover-abuse-boy-14-pervert-pastor-claimed-bringing-peace.html

Pastor James Hennah - a youth leader, former Bristol magistrate and school counsellor - arrives at Exeter Crown Court yesterday. He was jailed for the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy

An evangelical church tried to cover up sexual abuse by one of its pastors by pressuring the parents of a 14-year-old boy not to report his attacks.

Youth leader James Hennah, 39, abused the boy after befriending him and his family at the church group which he ran in Bristol.

He was also a local magistrate and school counsellor and used his respected position in the community to win the trust of his victim.

Hennah first abused the boy at his parents' home when the teenager became upset and he was supposedly praying with him.

He claimed to be 'bringing him peace' but instead slipped his hand inside the boy's underwear and touched his bottom.

Hennah abused him again on a trip to Newquay in Cornwall, and on a third occasion persuaded the boy to strip in front of him on the pretext of showing off a new pair of boxer shorts.

Until his offences came to light he was a pastor with the Bristol Community Church where he ran their Energy programme for young people.

Elders at the church tried to cover up his abuse by refusing to believe the victim's parents and urging them to drop their complaint about his behaviour.

Law graduate Hennah, of St George, Bristol, admitted two offences of sexually touching a child and one of voyeurism when he appeared before Exeter Crown Court.

Recorder Mr Peter Towler jailed Hennah for six months, suspended for two years and ordered him to go on a sex offenders' course as part of two years supervision.

He also imposed a Sex Offences Prevention Order which will stop him having any unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 for seven years and ordered him to sign on the sex offenders' register for the same period of time.

The recorder told him: 'The aggravating features are that at the time of committing the offences you were in a position of very great trust so far as both he and his parents were concerned.

'It was a much greater level of trust that an ordinary babysitter. You were one of the leaders of the youth group at church and a very, very close family friend. The boy described you as a mentor.

'His father regarded you as a second dad. You were not only doing church youth work, you were also a counsellor at secondary schools in Bristol.

'Quite clearly you knew exactly what the boundaries were of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

'I accept you were a man of excellent character and are deeply ashamed and remorseful and you have lost your job at the church.

'It seems to me you have some difficulties at the moment in accepting how it is you committed these offences. It is quite clear you did it for your own sexual gratification.'

The judge said the public would be best protected by Hennah staying in the community where he could undertake a course run by the probation service to address his behaviour and ensure he did not offend again.