Church Suspends Clergyman

By Bill Silverfarb
Daily Journal
July 5, 2012

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=1750582&title=Church%20suspends%20clergyman

Brandon Hamm

A 37-year-old San Francisco man currently in jail for alleged lewd conduct with a minor has been suspended from the San Mateo church where he works as a volunteer clergyman, the Daily Journal has learned.

Brandon Hamm also faces new charges by South San Francisco police, filed Monday, for being involved in an ongoing inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor.

He is due back in court Monday for an arraignment.

Hamm has volunteered at the Peninsula Metropolitan Community Church in San Mateo and has even given sermons at MCC affiliates in the Philippines as late as last year.

South San Francisco police filed new charges against the man Monday after scouring his social media posts and contacts. He has allegedly been involved with a minor under 14 years old from 2009 until this year, according to South San Francisco police.

Police would not indicate whether the victim is female or male.

The investigation is also not over as a search for more victims continues, South City police told the Daily Journal yesterday.

“Brandon’s license has been suspended until the criminal proceedings are completed,” Peninsula MCC spokeswoman Nancy Wilson told the Daily Journal yesterday.

Church officials have not been contacted by law enforcement yet but will cooperate in “any way we can” if they do, Wilson said.

“We are terribly shocked. This is heartbreaking for so many reasons but safety is huge for us and that’s why we suspended his license,” Wilson said. “Our hearts go out for those impacted or harmed by the allegations.”

Metropolitan community churches have a specific outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families and communities.

Hamm, while enrolled at Penn State, was founder and president of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Friends Alliance at the Delaware County campus, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He is a marketing specialist who formerly did public relations for local companies Passion Growers and Red Envelope and was the communications manager at the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006 and 2007.

He was the senior publicist for QVC for 11 years starting in 1993, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Hamm was also affiliated with the Congregational Church of Belmont where he was a student minister and helped form a high school youth program in 2009.

He was first arrested June 22 at his San Francisco apartment on charges of exhibiting harmful material to a minor and possession or control of child pornography.

The new charges against Hamm include lewd acts with someone age 14 and under, sodomy and additional child pornography charges.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by email: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.