Traditional Christian Family Values

He’s a village pastor but tonight 34 year old Victor Garcia is accused of a hideous case of child molestation. He is the husband of a woman who was babysitting a 7 year old girl. But two weeks ago on the afternoon of July 30th., the child was napping at the babysitter’s home when Garcia allegedly woke her up and took her into the bathroom where he had sex with her and forced her to perform oral sex on him. A doctor who examined the child concluded that she was carnally known.

Late this evening, the pastor was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court #1 in front of Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie where he was charged with one count of unlawful carnal knowledge. In court, no plea was taken and Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie told Garcia that she could not give him bail.

After his arraignment, the Chief Magistrate ordered that Garcia’s status must be looked into. A call to the Belize Immigration Department was futile as the court could not yet determine his status. Garcia who says he is originally from Guatemala claims he is awaiting Belizean citizenship since he is married to a Belizean. He has been place on remand until September 15.

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WINDSOR, Pa. — A York County pastor is charged with the corruption of minors, accused by police of exchanging thousands of text messages with two girls.

Scott Snyder, 34, is a pastor at the New Beginnings Bible Fellowship Church in Windsor Borough.

Snyder exchanged more than 3,000 text messages with two girls, ages 13 and 14, and some of the messages were inappropriate, state police said.

The exchanges were discovered in April.

State police don’t believe Snyder had sexual contact with either girl.

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MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee congregation has canceled church services after six girls told police they had been molested by a married couple who served as youth leaders.

Maryville Police arrested Michael and Laura Lee Salazar and charged them with statutory rape and sexual battery by an authority figure.

The couple has been removed from ministry at The Lord’s Disciples Ministries of Whosoever Will, according to the pastor.

A local newspaper, The Daily Times, reports that a sign on the church door states that services have been canceled until further notice.

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CHARLESTON - A grand jury has indicted a youth pastor of an upper Kanawha Valley church for allegedly sexually abusing a former student of the church’s affiliated school.

On July 31, the Kanawha County grand jury returned two counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian against Timothy C. Edmonds of Chesapeake.

The indictment does not give many specifics except that Edmonds “did engage in or attempt to engage in an act of sexual intercourse with … Angel Green … while [she] … was in the care, custody and control of [Edmonds].”

Also, the indictment alleges the “[Act] occurred within three years prior to the date of the finding of this indictment.”

However, as previously reported in The West Virginia Record, court records show Edmonds, 37, was initially arrested and charged with one count of sexual abuse by a parent or guardian on May 2, 2006.

Edmonds’ arrest came two weeks after James and Debbie Green, Angel’s parents, informed police of a letter she wrote them detailing kissing between she and Edmonds “on an intimate nature.”

In an interview conducted by Trooper L.G. O’Bryan of the West Virginia State Police, records show Green, now 18, said on several occasions she’d been alone with Edmonds for long periods of time.

These times alone, she said, happened at both Chesapeake Apostolic Church and 11937 MacCorkle Ave., a home owned by Patricia Priddy, Edmonds’ mother-in-law, which was being remodeled.

During these times alone, Edmonds would ask her to wear pantyhose, and would take pictures with her “dress pulled up and wearing the pantyhose in a sexually explicit position.” On at least one occasion, Green alleged she and Edmonds were lying on the floor and he rubbed his penis against her while she was wearing pantyhose.

In his investigation, O’Bryan said he found one witness who observed Edmonds and Green entering the house alone only to then “have the doors locked and secured against entry.”

When the witness “knocked several times on the door … there was a long pause before the two answered the door,” papers say.

Also, records show the witness claimed to observe Edmonds pick up Green one day as she was walking home in the rain and transport her to her residence in Hernshaw.

On May 11, 2006, Edmonds was released on $5,000 bail which was posted by his wife, Karin. Eighteen months later, on Nov. 27, the original criminal complaint against him was dismissed at the request of the Kanawha County prosecutor’s office.

Assistant Kanawha Prosecutor Scott Reynolds said the State Police had yet to complete a grand jury report, and state law requires all felony suspects to have their cases presented to the grand jury within a year following their arrest.

Seven months prior to the dismissal of the criminal charges, the Greens filed a civil suit against Edmonds, CAC, its pastor, K.D. Priddy and the Upper Kanawha Valley Christian School, which CAC oversees, and where Angel was attending school.

In their suit, the Greens allege Priddy, CAC, UKVCS were alerted to allegations that Edmonds engaged in “prior sexual deviant behavior…at a previous congregation,” but conducted no investigation into the allegations.

The suit also alleged that Edmonds, acting as CAC’s assistant youth pastor committed these acts to “gratify a perverted sexual need.” In their respective replies to the suit, Edmonds, Priddy, CAC and UKVCS denied he was ever employed as an assistant youth pastor or served in any other capacity in the church’s or school’s administration.

The case, which was slated for trial this month, was dismissed following an out-of-court settlement the parties reached on June 5.

Edmonds was not immediately available for comment concerning the indictment.

In West Virginia, sexual abuse by parent or guardian is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison and carries a fine of $500 to $5,000.

Edmonds is scheduled for arraignment before Judge Irene C. Berger on Aug. 20.

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MABANK — First Baptist Church of Mabank youth minister Joshua Neal Ponder, 32, was arrested Aug. 13, for sexual assault of a teenager.

Mabank Police Chief Kyle McAfee said Ponder confessed to charges related to a 16-year-old male victim.

The assault allegedly occurred April 8 but was not reported until Aug. 8, according to reports.

The teenager is not a member of the church.

The Rev. Brent Tucker of First Baptist Church of Mabank, Chairman of the Deacons Randy Teague and Minister of Music Chris Sweet conducted a press conference at the church Thursday. The three released a statement on behalf of the church.

“We are deeply saddened by the circumstances that involve Josh Ponder prior to and during his employment at FBC Mabank,” the statement read. “We lift up in prayer his family and those who have been affected. The FBC Mabank does not condone these alleged actions. …

“We have accepted the resignation of Ponder effective Aug. 14. We are in prayer for our youth and their parents at this time.”

Prior to his stint in Mabank, Ponder served as youth minister at First Baptist Church of Palestine from June 2001 to May 2007.

The Rev. Jay Abernathy, pastor of First Baptist Church of Palestine, was notified of Ponder’s arrest late last week and said the church would cooperate with police in the investigation, if asked.

“We are shocked and saddened by this incident, and are praying for everyone involved,” Abernathy said Monday afternoon. “We have made counselors available to our youth and families who may be hurting and will be available to anyone in our church and community who wants to talk.

“We are working to respond to everyone hurt by this.”

Representing the Palestine church’s deacon ministry board, Steve Jenkins mirrored Rev. Abernathy’s sentiments in a statement made by phone Monday.

“As a church, we are saddened by the news of (Josh’s) arrest,” Jenkins said. “We are thankful for the prompt response of the Mabank Police Department and will assist them in any way possible to see that justice is served.

“We respect the need for privacy and healing in the lives of those affected and pray that others will also.”

Ponder remains in the Kaufman County Law Enforcement Center charged with sexual assault of a child. Bail has been set at $200,000.

Mabank police are investigating possible instances of improper contact with other victims.

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AMITE — Jury selection begins today in the sex-abuse trial of a one-time pastor at a now-defunct Ponchatoula church, eight months after another church member was convicted of rape.

Louis Lamonica is charged with four counts of aggravated rape for allegedly abusing his two young sons when they were 11 years old or younger. Conviction carries an automatic life prison sentence.

Lamonica and Austin “Trey” Bernard III are among seven former members of the Hosanna Church indicted in 2005 for allegedly having sex with Lamonica’s sons and Bernard’s daughter over several years.

Bernard is serving a life sentence after being convicted of aggravated rape.

Attorneys say jury selection will take two to three days in Amite.

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MANSFIELD, Ohio — Investigators on Tuesday said additional charges were filed against a former youth pastor who was accused last month of sexually abusing a teenage girl.
John Picard was arrested and charged in July with 10 counts of sexual battery.

Picard was accused of having sexual relations with a girl starting in 1992 when she was 13 and continuing until she reached adulthood when he was at Mansfield’s Grace Brethren church, 10TV News reported.

Police said that the first claim against Picard, now 40, came in 2005. The girl, who at that time was 16, claimed that Picard first engaged with sexual conduct with her but investigators did not have any supporting evidence to charge him.

In July, another woman came forward said she and Picard had a sexual relationship that started when she was 13.

Six new charges were filed against Picard this week after a third woman claimed that Picard had sexually abused her, 10TV News reported.

Investigators said that Picard not only used his position in the church to prey on his victims but also used scripture to convince the girls that what he was doing was right.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

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Opening arguments are over and testimony is underway in what Livingston Parish Assistant District Attorney Don Wall calls a “vile, disgusting and disturbing” trial.

Attorneys presented their opening arguments Friday morning in a trial for former Hosanna Church pastor Louis Lamonica, who is charged with four counts of aggravated rape of a child.

Prosecutors said that Lamonica voluntarily gave a 260 page confession on May 16, 2005 to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office. In that confession, he said that he sexually abused two of his sons, aged either five or six at the time. He said he continued that abuse over a several yeaVideo: Watch the Story
Attorneys presented their opening arguments Friday morning in a trial for former Hosanna Church pastor Louis Lamonica, who is charged with four counts of aggravated rape of a child.

Prosecutors said that Lamonica voluntarily gave a 260 page confession on May 16, 2005 to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office. In that confession, he said that he sexually abused two of his sons, aged either five or six at the time. He said he continued that abuse over a several year period, which is believed to be from 1999 to 2003.

Prosecutors added that Lamonica confessed because he wanted to make a deal in exchange for what he would tell them about other sexual abuse cases in the church. Michael Thielf, the attorney for Lamonica, does not disagree that he confessed, but he said that Lamonica was manipulated and confused. The attorney said that Lamonica is not a pedophile.

Both sides agreed on jurors Thursday despite speculation that the trial would have to be moved out of the parish because of the heavy media attention surrounding the trial.

The prosecution is expected to present videotaped interviews with the two victims. In it, the two will detail how the former pastor raped them. It is expected that they will testify and recant those statements.

Lamonica is the second former member of the church to trial. A Tangipahoa jury found the first, Trey Bernard, guilty. He is serving three life sentences at Angola prison.

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His victims were young teens, altar boys who trusted the “hip” priest who drove a red Corvette, gave them beer and allowed them to see X-rated films in the rectory of St. Odilia’s Catholic Church in Tucson.

Those teens — now men in their 30s — confronted the Rev. Gary E. Underwood, the priest they once idolized, in a Tucson courtroom Monday. And they watched as a judge sentenced the 55-year-old priest to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing them more than two decades ago.
Underwood, who has not worked in the local diocese since 1987, apologized to his three victims.
“I’ve carried this around for a long time,” Underwood said. “I abused my position . . . I can’t undo the past. I wish I could. I give myself to the mercy of the court.”

The daylong hearing, before Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Nichols, included emotional testimony from Underwood’s victims. Numerous supporters of the priest also spoke. Some said they still can’t believe he’s an abuser.

“He’s a really nice, somewhat docile guy . . . I’d consider him a role model,” said the Rev. Mike Biewend, a priest from Portland, Ore., who was a chaplain with Underwood.

Underwood’s victims recalled a lively, larger-than-life priest who took them on trips and befriended their families. One former altar boy, speaking for the prosecution, recalled the priest saying that sexual intimacy between two males was acceptable because that’s what Jesus and his 12 disciples did for pleasure while they wandered the desert.

The victims named in the criminal case recalled a progression of intimacy. One recalled going in a hot tub, swimming and to the gym with the priest — encounters that led to fondling and oral sex.

The Star is not identifying the man, a 39-year-old dentist who lives out of state, because he is the victim of a sexual crime.

“It was very confusing, surreal is a good way to put it,” the man said. “It was almost as if it wasn’t me. I had an odd sort of disoriented sense — queasy, powerless.”

When indicted, Underwood was serving as a chaplain at Barksdale Air Force Base near Shreveport, La., but he has since retired. In the local diocese, he was a priest at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church between 1980 and 1983; at St. Odilia’s from 1983 to 1986 and at St. Anthony’s in Casa Grande from 1986 to 1987. He then worked around the world as a military chaplain.

Underwood has admitted he engaged in oral sex with two of the boys and other acts with the third.

“He knows what happened, I know what happened,” said another victim, a 38-year-old man who appeared at the hearing in shackles, as he’s serving a drug-related prison sentence. “This man destroyed my life.”

The third victim, 36-year-old Tucson painter Christopher Ellis, struggled to retain his composure as he spoke. Ellis wants to be public about what happened. Ellis was particularly emotional when prosecutor Kathleen Mayer brought out a picture of Ellis and Underwood standing together in front of a church.

“My mom and stepdad were getting divorced,” Ellis said. “He seemed to be there at the right time to fill the gap.”

One night when he’d had too much to drink, Ellis said he awoke to see Underwood performing oral sex on him.

“I was dumbfounded,” he said. “I never conceived anyone would do something like that, let alone a priest.”

Defense attorney Dan Cooper said Underwood has led an exemplary life since the abuse. Friends and family spoke of the priest’s dedication and work as a military chaplain — particularly in notifying families of military personnel killed in action.

“This case is about redemption, salvation,” Cooper said. “After that period in the ’80s, he didn’t do anything again.”

But Mayer said the support for Underwood illustrates why so many victims of sexual abuse by priests do not come forward.

“I can’t express in words how this case has impacted the young men in this case,” said Mayer, who believes Underwood had more than three victims. “It is a blemish on their souls, hearts and minds.”

Her office learned about the case from the diocese, which heard about accusations from a family member of one of the three victims.

Nichols told Underwood that most perpetrators in his situation would be facing a lifetime in prison and said that he’d received a very favorable plea agreement. The priest in May pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual conduct with a minor. He was indicted in December 2006 on 13 counts of sexual conduct with a minor under 15.

The plea agreement dismissed seven of the counts, amended the age of the victims to “under 18,” and reduced his maximum possible sentence to 12 years. Had he gone to trial and been convicted, he was facing a life sentence because the victims were under 15.

Mayer believes Underwood will end up serving between eight and nine years behind bars. The priest must also spend a lifetime on probation and register as a sex offender.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas issued a statement Monday, saying he will meet with anyone who has been sexually abused by a church employee.

“I am praying for all those affected by this tragic situation: for the victims and their families; and for Rev. Underwood and his family,” Kicanas said,

Sheriff’s deputies handcuffed the cleric as his supporters stood and watched. Many of them cried. Underwood did not look back as the deputies led him away.

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A former Salesianum School priest is accused of sexually abusing four boys, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Superior Court in Wilmington.

The lawsuit charges that Catholic officials suspected or knew about the abuse but did little or nothing to stop it.

According to the suit, the abuse occurred between 1983 and 1987 when the Rev. Dennis Killion was a teacher at the all-boys Catholic high school in Wilmington. Killion belongs to the religious order the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, based in Wilmington and Philadelphia. The order allegedly knew about Killion’s abuses as early as the 1980s but did nothing about it.

Two of the four victims reported their abuse, said John C. Manly, a California attorney representing the men. “They were told he was going to be transferred and to keep quiet.”

Killion, who had been working as activities director at a Catholic high school in Florida, recently was assigned to St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Holland, Pa., as associate pastor. The church, which runs a school adjacent the site, announced Killion’s assignment Sunday.

Cardinal Justin Rigali withdrew the assignment Monday, officials from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said.

Killion had served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as assistant principal of Archbishop Wood Boys High School in Warminster from 1986-1990, and as a faculty member at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia from 1991 to 2006. The archdiocese said it had not received any allegation against Killion.

Oblate spokesman the Rev. Kevin Nadolski said when the Oblates heard of the allegations Monday, Killion was placed on administrative leave and assigned to the Oblates’ retirement facility in Childs, Md., near Elkton.

“We certainly take these allegations seriously, and as pastors we take our responsibility to protect children and to ensure quality ministry very, very seriously,” Nadolski said. “The speedy action of our provincial, Father Jim Greenfield, to place Father Killion on administrative leave and ensue with the investigation … is evident how serious we take the allegations.”

An independent risk management agency is investigating, Nadolski said.

The suit was filed by former Salesianum students Thomas Ademski, Anthony Kramedas, Christopher J. Mauro and John M.S. Doe, who chose to sue anonymously, saying publicizing details of his abuse would compound his injuries.

This is the 15th sex-abuse lawsuit filed against the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington since Delaware’s Child Victim’s Act became law in July 2007. It is considered the nation’s toughest law against child sexual abuse.

Chipman L. Flowers Jr., one of three lawyers representing the men, said he was “shocked” Killion returned to the area.

“We find it highly, highly unusual that in light of all the allegations and what’s going [on] that they would bring him back so close to the region,” he said.

Before returning to the Delaware Valley, Killion most recently worked at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Fla. Diocese of Venice (Fla.) officials said he transferred June 1.

Killion, who also has worked at schools in Philadelphia and Maryland, started at Bishop Verot on July 1, 2006.

Bishop Verot’s principal, the Rev. Chris Beretta, said Killion requested the transfer. Nadolski said the transfer occurred when the school eliminated Killion’s position.

“His ministry was no longer needed in Florida,” Nadolski said.

The lawsuit names Killion, Salesianum and the Diocese of Wilmington as defendants. School and diocese officials referred comment to Nadolski.

According to the suit:

• During the summer of 1985, Killion is accused of molesting Ademski while the then-freshman worked at the school’s bookstore and bingo games. Killion allegedly put his hand down his pants, grabbed him and ask if the student had lied to him, while threatening to squeeze harder if he lied.

• Killion allegedly assaulted Kramedas from 1983 to 1987, while the then-student worked in the bookstore, bingo and faculty house and during a school trip. Killion is accused of soliciting sex from from the boy in the confessional to “sexually exploit and assault [Kramedas] during and after the celebration of a Holy Sacrament.” The nature of the alleged abuse was heavy petting, touching and fondling to the point of masturbation. In exchange, the victim said Killion would give him “special” treatment such as money, the teacher’s edition of schoolbooks, free schoolbooks, items that were confiscated from other students and protection from trouble.

• Killion is accused of sexually assaulting Mauro from 1983 to 1987 while he worked at Salesianum’s bingo and faculty house and on a school trip. Killion allegedly would engage in heavy petting, touching and fondling to the point of masturbation. Mauro said he also received special treatment.

• Doe said he was a freshman in 1985 when Killion first assaulted him, allegedly by taking a scooper of ice, grabbing the boy’s pants, pulling them away and saying: “It would be cold if I dropped this down your pants, wouldn’t it?” According to the suit, Killion also shoved his hand down the boy’s pants in another assault.

The suit claims the diocese “created and implemented a ‘Conspiracy of Silence,’ a policy and procedure whereby any and all allegations of sexual misconduct by employees and agents would be squelched, concealed and hidden from the public, parishioners and law enforcement.”

Bishop Verot school officials said they knew of no problems with Killion when they hired him and had no complaints about him during his two years in Fort Myers.

“Prior to his employment … he successfully completed the screening procedures of the Diocese of Venice, including a criminal background check and a positive recommendation and clearance from his provincial,” Diocese of Venice officials said in a press release.

“Father Killion’s reassignment was not the result of any allegations of misconduct,” the statement said.

Joelle Casteix, a regional director for the advocacy group SNAP, which stands for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, pleaded with Beretta before a Monday news conference at Bishop Verot to do outreach with parents to find other potential victims and connect them with law enforcement.

“You may have boys here now who are suffering and in pain,” Casteix said.

Beretta said his staff is trained to recognize signs of abuse and that he’ll address parental concerns when school starts Aug. 11.

SNAP plans a gathering at 11 a.m. today outside Salesianum, at 1801 N. Broom St., Wilmington.

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