Trial Underway for Former Canaan Pastor Accused of Child Sexual Abuse

By Taylor Kinzler
WABI
February 21, 2017

https://wabi.tv/2017/02/21/trial-underway-for-former-canaan-pastor-accused-of-child-sexual-abuse/

A trial got underway Tuesday for a former youth pastor from Canaan accused of sexually abusing a young girl.

28-year-old Lucas Savage is charged with unlawful sexual contact.

He was co-director of Youth Haven Ministries when arrested last March.

Savage says nothing sexual happened between him and the girl.

His wife at the time, they are now divorced, said she never witnessed any sexual abuse, and often was asleep when Savage and the girl were together.

Court documents say the abuse took place at Savage’s home, sometimes with his wife in the house.

During opening statements, defense attorney Pamela Ames claimed the victim was a very disturbed girl and made this all up.

But prosecutor Paul Cavenaugh says Savage knowingly and willingly assaulted the victim on several occasions.

“He never put his hands down her pants. He never touched her private area,” said Ames. “In the process of tickling and roughhousing, his hand may have gotten under her shirt, that’s it.”

“He put his hand between her legs and touched her genitals. That is the sexual contact at issue here,” said Cavenaugh. “It is the only definition you need to worry about for the purposes of this case.”

The girl took the stand, her name is being withheld because she’s a minor.

She claims that in March 2014, Savage offered to tutor her and invited her to his home frequently.

She says on several occasions, Savage asked her to kiss him and touched her inappropriately.

Savage is free on bail and can’t have contact with children under 16.