Livingston County Pastor Admits to Touching Foster Child

By Amy Young
Rochester Homepage
November 27, 2014

http://www.rochesterhomepage.net/story/d/story/livingston-county-pastor-admits-to-touching-foster/24775/izj0RVil1ECtPXOivZFI0g

We're learning new disturbing details about a Livingston County pastor who admitted to inappropriately touching his five year old foster child. Alan Fox, 60, was originially charged with sexual abuse. Wednesday he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge to avoid a trial. Fox and his wife, Cathy, have been raising foster children for more than 30 years. Now Fox is forbidden to be near children and will have to register with New York State as a sex offender.

Fox is a Methodist pastor at a church in Dansville. He also plays and sings with a Christian music group known as "Band of Brothers." Livingston County prosecutors say Fox admitted he inappropriately touched the five year old girl in his backyard in Sparta more than a year ago.

"The wife left for a weekend. The defendant was out looking at the stars one night. Invited the child out there. And at that time he had the child touch his private parts. And then after he did that, he touched the victim's private parts," said Justin Hill, Livingston County Assistant District Attorney.

The girl told Mrs. Fox about what happened when she came home. Mrs. Fox then told authorities. The victim and her 4 year old brother were removed from the home immediately.

"She's with new foster parents. Now she's doing great. She's doing better than she ever has. So she has a new life now. And she's doing great in school and loving her new home," said Hill.

Fox and his wife have been foster parents to more than a dozen kids over three decades. Investigators interviewed all of them. None spoke of any abuse. Today's guilty plea spares the victim from having to testify.

"She'd have to be questioned if she knew right from wrong. What was truth. What was a lie. And so, then she would have had to talk about what happened. She would have had to relive ya know, everything that happened that weekend," said Hill.

"She'd have to be questioned if she knew right from wrong. What was truth. What was a lie. And so, then she would have had to talk about what happened. She would have had to relive ya know, everything that happened that weekend," added Hill.

The girl and her brother have an order of protection to shield them from Fox. Fox faces up to one and a half years in state prison when he's sentenced January 29th.