MISSOURI
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Convicted molester gets to be around kids
Victims blast move by Jackson Co. prosecutors
DA’s office agreed to loosen parole restrictions
But the predator had already violated earlier conditions
Deacon “for decades” just pled guilty to felony last month
Victims group begs others who were hurt to “step forward”
Abuser lives in Belton & was deacon at Grandview Baptist Church
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will
–hand out copies of a two page “sentencing modification” document,
–blast Jackson County prosecutors for agreeing to let an convicted child molester be around kids,
–prod church officials, where the predator was a deacon, to aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes, and
–urge those with information or suspicions about child sex crimes and cover ups to keep calling police and prosecutors, not church officials.
WHEN
TODAY, Friday, Jan. 29 at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
Outside the Jackson County prosecutor’s office (north side), 1315 Locust in downtown in Kansas City MO
WHO
Two-fhree members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s long time director
WHY
Yesterday, with the agreement of a Jackson County prosecutor, a just-convicted child molester sought – and likely won – a “parole modification” that enables him to be around “those under age 16 in an unsupervised capacity on a daily basis.” SNAP thinks this is “a reckless and callous move.”
Last month, John Henry Stone of Belton pled guilty to a felony: sexually assaulting a girl younger than 14 between August through December of 2014. Her family was befriended by Stone at Grandview Baptist Church (913-281-1150) where Stone was a deacon for decades and helped lead several children’s programs, including Vacation Bible School.
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