Authorities Investigate Youth Minister’s Alleged Sexual Abuse

By Greg Jordan
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
January 15, 2016

http://www.bdtonline.com/news/authorities-investigate-youth-minister-s-alleged-sexual-abuse/article_869ccd1c-bb37-11e5-b00d-471194a5f366.html


An investigation into the alleged activities of a Bluefield man charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse continued Thursday as one church issued a statement saying it was cooperating with police.

James Lilly, 24, was arrested Tuesday. He faces one charge of incest, one charge of second-degree sexual assault and 31 charges of first-degree sexual abuse, Detective K.L. Adams of the Bluefield Police Department said.

Adams stated after Lilly’s arrest that the victim was a juvenile female. He said the abuse began in 2009 when the victim was 9 to 10 years old, and continued until she was 16. The alleged abuse occurred in a home, and not at a church.

Lilly described himself as transgender, and said he is in the process of becoming a woman, according to Adams. Lilly has a degree in religion from a Virginia college and has worked at numerous churches including Episcopal churches in Bluefield and Bluefield, Va.

In a criminal complaint filed at the Mercer County Magistrate Clerk’s Office, Adams said the case began in late November 2015 when his department received a complaint of sexual assault allegations against Lilly. During the investigation, the juvenile female stated that Lilly removed her clothes on several occasions and performed sexual acts with her.

The juvenile female said she thought nobody would believe her, and spoke about what Lilly had done to her only after learning that he was pursuing a teaching career and was student teaching in school, Adams stated in his report.

Adams said he also spoke about Lilly with Father Chad Slater of the Christ Episcopal Church in Bluefield. Slater recalled that Lilly had been a youth minister at the church for four months before being let go. As for the reason why Lilly was dismissed, Slater said it was due to complaints from parents that Lilly had attempted to get children at the church alone with him in rooms, and that he was “weird.”

Slater advised Adams that Lilly was transgender and in the process of becoming a woman, and provided information about other churches and youth minister programs Lilly had attended before coming to the Bluefield church.

“Christ Episcopal Church is cooperating fully with the recent investigation of our former Youth and Outreach Missioner, James Lilly,” Slater said in a statement the church issued Thursday. “These allegations are grave and we, as faithful Christians, take them very seriously.”

“The investigation at Christ Church has uncovered no evidence of misconduct on the part of Mr. Lilly toward our youth while he served at the parish. He has not worked at Christ Church since Sept. 15, 2015, the alleged abuse did not occur here, nor did the alleged abuse involve any parishioners at this church,” Slater said.

“The safety of all people, young and old alike, is a top priority for our parish. Christ Church participates in a program of The Episcopal Church called ‘Safeguarding God’s Children,’” Slater stated. “This program demands that two or more adults are required to be present during youth activities, that no child be out of view with an adult, and provides for a safe environment where young people can be nurtured in the Christian faith. Our church offers its prayers for all involved at this difficult time.”

Adams contacted the Rev. William Burk of the Church of the Creator Episcopal Church in Mechanicsville, Va. Burk said Lilly had attended the church, and was in the youth minister program. A female member of the church approximately 16 years old had come to him “to speak about feelings she had” for Lilly, according to the report. The female advised she had been pressured along with another girl in the church to send Lilly nude pictures of her genitalia, which she stated she had done. Burk said the female did not wish to participate in the case against Lilly.

A member of another church where Lilly had served as a youth minister, Noel York-Simmons with the All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Ga., said Lilly was “let go early.”

“York-Simmons advised (Lilly) was let go not because of the transgender issue, but rather because he had told numerous lies. York-Simmons advised (Lilly) had a severe problem telling the truth while working at the church,” Adams said in his report.

The principal of Bluefield Intermediate School was contacted to see if Lilly had been a student teacher there at any time, Adams said. After speaking with the principal, it was learned that Lilly was a student observer there during the 2015 school year. Lilly was only observing classes for a short period with little interaction with the students.