BishopAccountability.org

TN--Sex abuse victims blast Baptist ministers

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
November 7, 2014

http://www.snapnetwork.org/tn_blast_baptist_minsters

Sex abuse victims blast Baptist ministers

They “change their tune” in child abuse case

Group says they should be investigated & charged

It says one preacher “clearly filed false police report

SNAP: “Now law enforcement must act to deter deceit

In new court document, minister radically contradicts himself & police

WHAT

Holding a sign and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, a nationally-known clergy sex abuse victim and advocate will

--disclose a new 15 page court record of sworn answers by a Jackson area minister, 

-- urge law enforcement to investigate and prosecute he and an ex-pastor, and

-- prod anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes  by a convicted sex offender and church member who is accused of more crimes to call police, protect others, expose wrongdoers, deter deceit and start healing.”  

WHEN

TODAY, Friday, Nov. 7 at 2:45 pm

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Madison County DA’s office, 225 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Jackson, TN

WHO

A Missouri man who is the long-time leader of an international support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org). He and his brothers were molested as a child by a priest. One of them grew up to become a priest and molested children himself.

WHY

In an unusual and controversial move, three years after he reported suspected child sex crimes by a church volunteer to police, a Jackson minister went back and tried to “water down” his formal report. SNAP calls the move “an apparent, clumsy and likely illegal effort to protect himself and his congregation from a civil child sex abuse and cover up case” which was filed against him and his church weeks earlier.”

http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20140522/NEWS01/305220018/Family-claims-First-Baptist-Church-Bemis-negligent-seeks-more-than-2M-lawsuit-over-sexual-abuse?nclick_check=1

SNAP is urging Madison County DA Jerry Woodall to investigate the two very different accounts and possibly charge the minister for making a false police report.

(Read the police report here:

http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/snap/pages/3828/attachments/original/1401890049/IncidentReport-_Bemis_TN.pdf?1401890049

In 2006, Pastor Mark McSwain of First Church in Bemis reported to police that a church volunteer, Chad Lutrell, was inappropriately touching young girls and kissing one on the mouth. He also said that Lutrell was stalking and harassing adult women.

Three years later, however, in 2009, McSwain backtracked from his original statement. McSwain approached police again, this time telling an officer that Lutrell kissed a child on the cheek, not on the mouth. McSwain also denied that Lutrell had inappropriately touched children, and claimed that Lutrell only sent one adult woman an inappropriate email and follower her home.

“It seems suspicious that Rev. McSwain changed his tune so dramatically, especially after three years, and in such self-serving ways,” said David Clohessy director of SNAP. “We hope prosecutors will consider filing charges against McSwain for making a false police report.”

“The pastor clearly is trying hard to protect his reputation and his church’s reputation from negative news coverage and civil lawsuits,” said Clohessy. “There's really no other possible explanation for his bizarre behavior.”

Last May, Lutrell was arrested for stalking women, after three victims came forward to police. And in 2009, Lutrell was convicted of sexually abusing a ten year old girl. He is a registered sex offender. http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Sex-Offender-Now-Facing-Stalking-Charges-206462401.html

First Baptist church is now being sued for Lutrell’s crimes.

At the time of McSwain's first police report, an officer suggested that McSwain ask the victims if they’d like to file a complaint. But the pastor replied that he was “trying to follow Biblical guidelines at this point and did not know what would be done.”

“That's dead wrong. There's nothing 'un-Biblical' about reporting known or suspected child sex crimes to police,” said Clohessy. “It is very 'Biblical' to protect innocent children from harm. McSwain should be investigated for potentially breaking state mandatory reporting laws.”

“Current and former employees and members of First Baptist who knew about or suspected Lutrell’s abuse should be harshly punished for refusing to promptly call police,” he said. “This kind of punishment is the best way to deter such reckless and irresponsible misbehavior in the future.”

SNAP is urging every individual “who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes at First Baptist” to “speak up, protect kids, call police, get help, expose wrongdoers and start healing.”

The victim is represented by attorney Adam D. Horowitz of Ft. Lauderdale, FL (305-298-7713 cell, adam@pathtojustice.com). The church is represented by Wayne Kline of Knoxville.

Contact: SNAPclohessy@aol.com




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