VANCEBURG (KY)
The Lewis County Herald via The Ledger Independent
October 31, 2017
By Dennis K. Brown
Members of Vanceburg Christian Church learned Sunday that a civil lawsuit filed against the church nearly a year ago has been settled.
Clayton “Buddy” Lykins Jr., an elder at the church, told those attending services Sunday morning about the development and added the agreement prohibits the general disclosure of the terms of the settlement agreement.
“In December of last year, as many of you know, our church was the target of a lawsuit filed by a teenage boy, alleging that our former pastor, Duncan Aker, sexually abused him. The incident occurred a number of years ago,” Lykins told those who had gathered for Sunday morning services at the church. “Mr. Aker has not been associated with our church for the last seven years.”
Aker was the minister at Vanceburg Christian Church between 2006 and 2011.
“Also, last year, Mr. Aker pled guilty to sexual abuse of the young boy, which opened up the church to possibly be liable to the youth in a civil lawsuit,” Lykins said.
“No one at Vanceburg Christian Church had any reason to believe that Duncan Aker was engaging in any improper contact with this young person, or with any other person,” Lykins said. “However, because the sexual abuse apparently happened, and we could say this because Mr. Aker pled guilty, the church could possibly be liable for not supervising Mr. Aker’s actions.”
Aker was arrested in Greensburg, Ind., in May 2015 on a nine-count grand jury indictment. He was listed as a minister for Greensburg Christian Church at the time of his arrest.
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