Former Spencer pastor receives 5-year prison sentence

By Russ Mitchell
Daily Reporter
May 15, 2017

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/2412279.html

Kevin Grimes, the former DaySpring Assembly of God pastor and director of the nonprofit Spencer Dream Center had to make at times tearful admissions Monday as part of a plea agreement surrounding allegations of sexual abuse.

Grimes confirmed that he sent “inappropriate text messages” and images to young men who attended his church and arranged meetings to “engage in sexual activity,” with other male victims.

“I accept full responsibility for what I’ve done,” Grimes told told District Court Judge Don Courtney.

The sexual advances are illegal and led to six criminal charges — Grimes isn’t allowed to use his position as counselor to take advantage of vulnerable people under his care. Altogether, four men came forward with enough information to warrant a criminal complaint.

Grimes originally faced four Class D felony counts and two aggravated misdemeanor counts of sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. Two of the felony counts and an aggravated misdemeanor charge were dropped as part of the plea agreement approved Monday.

Courtney signed off on a five-year prison sentence, but not before hearing in-person testimony from two men who were the target of lewd messages and photographs. Kuester read the testimony of a third victim as well.

“He was sentenced on the two felonies to a term of incarceration not to exceed five years,” the county attorney said. “On the aggravated misdemeanor, he was sentenced to a term of incarceration not to exceed two years.”

The time Grimes serves on one D felony conviction will also count toward the second D felony and the aggravated misdemeanor – meaning the maximum amount of time Grimes will serve in prison is five years. Kuester said it is very difficult to estimate the actual amount of time Grimes will spend in prison.

“They’re eligible for parole a lot sooner than I’m ever happy with and a lot of times, they’re granted parole a lot sooner than that,” she said. “I would estimate less than a year.”

Grimes arrived in Spencer with his family in 2008 and initiated many of the nonprofit Spencer Dream Center programs through and beyond his role at DaySpring.

Under the pastor’s leadership at the time, the Spencer Dream Center's discipleship program offered faith-based housing options to help participants become free from life-controlling problems including drugs, alcohol, sex addiction, gambling and anger.

The area’s most vulnerable residents also had access to a free medical clinic, a nonprofit coffeehouse, a food pantry and community kitchen.

There were times 27-year-old Alex Jacobsen benefited from Grimes’ counsel at the Dream Center, which was housed in a five-story, historic former hotel along Grand Avenue. But, as Grimes gained Jacobsen’s confidence, the pastor began escalating the sexual nature of his communication with the third-floor resident.

Jacobsen and his family eventually contacted authorities and turned over the inappropriate digital data they received from Grimes.

The pastor resigned from his church and the Spencer Dream Center one year ago, as board members for both entities became aware of the ongoing criminal investigation: “We have been through a lot,” Grimes said in an email to fellow Spencer Dream Center board members. “Kim and I are 100 percent sure this is the right thing to do and the best for our family.”

As Grimes hit “send” on his resignations, Kuester was working with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to gather evidence against the former pastor. Grimes turned himself in at the Clay County Jail after three more months of interviews and data analysis.

Iowa DCI Special Agent Trevor Modlin's criminal complaint was filed at the courthouse the following day.

The Division of Criminal Investigation agent initially said that Grimes “became a friend and counselor to three individuals with whom he developed sexual arousals stemming from his work as a counselor.” Charges were filed on behalf of a fourth victim one month later, in September 2016.

Modlin said Grimes followed a pattern of grooming the individuals “by initiating jokes and conversations, which were sexual in nature, providing photographs that were sexual in nature to two individuals and engaging in touching of one victim's waistline, upper thigh and buttocks,” according to the initial criminal complaint.

“As a member of the clergy, senior pastor of the church and CEO of the Dream Center, he provided or purported to provide mental health services to emotionally dependent individuals which he knew or had reason to know were significantly impaired in the ability to withhold consent to sexual conduct,” Modlin said.

During testimony at Monday’s sentencing hearing, Jacobsen said Grimes had a callous disregard for people incapacitated by mental illness – “souls crying for help only to have their troubles multiplied.”

“Over the last year, I’ve gone through counseling, therapy, I’ve worked with my family, I’ve gone through different medical treatments,” Jacobsen said. “I’ve had to rethink my situation and my relationship with Kevin. I’ve had to consider the impact that Kevin had on the victims who were physically, sexually abused.”

A second witness Monday, referred to as “victim 3” in court documents said he told Grimes things in confidence, only to have them twisted to the pastor’s advantage. Grimes repeatedly asked the young man if he was sexually active.

The witness was left with sleepless nights and still has a hard time accepting gifts. He said he’s felt a humiliation he shouldn’t feel.

Grimes buried his face in his hands during testimony and periodically used a handkerchief to wipe away tears, but Jacobsen didn’t see sincerity behind the display of emotion.

“I’m not vengeful toward Kevin, however, when I was directing my gaze toward him and speaking directly to him, he just kind of – it was just Kevin,” Jacobsen said. “He is not sorry. I do not know his relationship with God and I will not speak to that, but he said he believes God has forgiven him. That may very well be. That’s between him and God. I will say that: I was able to remain composed because I’ve worked on this and thought about what I wanted to say.”

Kuester said cooperation from the victims, for the most part, was very good.

“They did very well articulating what their thoughts were,” she said after Monday’s plea and sentencing hearing. “But there were some concerns in regard to a couple of the counts. Overall, I’m happy with the outcome. I think this is a case where prison or incarceration are appropriate. One thing we always consider is the victims’ positions and what they’re comfortable with — whether they’re comfortable going to court and testifying, whether we want to put them through testimony.”

Grimes has a July 1 deadline to turn himself in at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. From there, he’ll be transported for classification and placement in the Iowa prison system.

“I feel closure for myself,” Jacobsen said. “In a lot of ways I wish he would have been convicted of the full six counts. I wish the agreement was thought out a little bit further — it makes sense and I understand how plea agreements are kind of a part of rulings. But, I feel like: Yes, it brings closure. It’s kind of scary to me that he does not submit immediately to prison as I feel somewhat leery. Not that I’m in imminent danger, but I don’t trust that he’s being supervised until his July 1 requirement to submit to a prison.”

Grimes will have to register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry. His credentials as a minister with the Assemblies of God church were revoked.

Nick Hanges took over as lead pastor at DaySpring Assembly of God Church in Spencer and serves as executive director of the Spencer Dream Center. He looked on from the back of the courtroom on Monday. Hanges has worked with the Spencer Dream Center's board to implement policy changes since Grimes' departure.