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<DIV>Paul,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yes, in the eyes of the law the alleged molester is innocent until proven
guilty. He may be, in fact, innocent.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However, he was charged, which means that a magistrate found enough
evidence to take that serious step. Then a no-contact order was issued
presumably based on cogent evidence. The no-contact order not only
prohibits the alleged molester from contacting the alleged victims, but an even
stronger "from contacting people younger than 18."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The question here is what prudent actions should be taken while the legal
process is grinding away in these cases. I think that a strict no-contact
order is among the prudent actions if the alleged molester is judged
to be a lesser risk that should be granted bail. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In this case "...the prosecutor's office is worried that the youth pastor
still has access to minors at the church. Robinson also is allegedly still
participating in a church Web site that is frequented by the congregation's
youth." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Hence, I don't think it prudent to allow the alleged molester to
frequent/work at the place where:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1. At least one of the alleged crimes occurred and/or
there is a possibility of contact with the victim (unless the victim forgoes the
services of the church, an action which appears warranted in this case)
or,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2. Contact, electronic or otherwise, with those under 18
who might come to the church offices. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Though there is not complete agreement among authorities of what the actual
rate is, it appears that the recidivism rate for sexual molesters is very
high.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is a difficult for society and its protectors in the criminal justice
system to decide what to do with an alleged, but not yet tried child
molester. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As with all of us the alleged molester has certain rights including the
right to bail with appropriate conditions. On the other hand, there is
always the enhanced possibility that the alleged molester may, while out on
bail, re-offend or attempt directly or indirectly to intimidate his alleged
victims and/or their families. In a recent case in Latah County where an
offender was left on his own in another state for six months, there is still an
open question of whether a re-offense or several
re-offenses occurred. Because of the disposition of this particular
case, that question may be never answered publicly.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Depending on the circumstances in some cases, bail with electronic
monitoring may be appropriate. In some cases bail may not be
appropriate. The issue concerns weighing the rights of the alleged
molester and an estimate the particular molester's risk factor against the
possible/probable harm to real, vulnerable people. For my part, I would
err on the side of caution in this particular case and in child molestation
cases in general.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have appended below the line today's segment from the Spokesman-Review
series on child abuse. This segment deals in part with this
issue from the viewpoint of religious professionals. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Since I am a non-believer, I do not agree with some of the views expressed
in the article. The most important question that remains for me is how to
protect possible victims and potential victims while not violating civil
liberties given our current state of knowledge. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Regardless of the hype from certain psychologists and from certain
religious professionals, we have not advanced our knowledge in this field enough
to say with any great probability which offenders, if left anatomically whole,
will reoffend. There is some evidence from Denmark that voluntary
castration of male offenders makes a dramatic though not complete reduction in
the recidivism rate. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In terms of the article below, I do not believe that all offenders are
"capable of redemption" or in secular terms, being prevented from
reoffending. It doesn't take much Googling to provide ample
evidence for this viewpoint.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>W.</DIV>
<DIV>_________________________________________________________</DIV>
<DIV>
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<TD align=right><FONT face="tahoma, sans-serif" size=2>Thursday,
April 5, 2007</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><!--include virtual="/inc/story_guts_print.asp"-->
<P><STRONG>Churches grapple with dilemma of allowing sex offenders into
congregations, weighing vulnerability of parishioners against the principle that
everyone is capable of redemption </STRONG></P>
<H2>Finding forgiveness </H2>
<P>
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<P class=caption>"If we are really going to live as Christians, then
we're going to have to deal with this," says Pastor Steve
Nickodemus, right, of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in
Sandpoint, describing sex offenders who want to attend church.<!-- 05_abusemain_04-05-2007_1SA7V7T.jpg-->
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<P class=byline><SPAN class=name><A
href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news/bylines.asp?bylinename=Virginia%20De%20Leon">Virginia
De Leon </A></SPAN><BR>Staff writer<BR>April 5, 2007</P><!---------Code for Big Ads-------------------><!---------End Code for Big Ads------------------->
<P><SPAN>H</SPAN>e didn't want to lie to his pastor. </P>
<P>So the man told him everything: The terms of his probation. The years in
prison. The fact that he had molested a child. </P>
<P>He wanted to come to church, the sex offender told the Rev. Steve Nickodemus.
He wanted to repent for his sins and seek the grace of God. </P>
<P>Nickodemus, pastor of Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sandpoint,
didn't quite know what to do at first. His church – home of the Little Lamb
Preschool and Kindergarten – was full of vulnerable children. Some families also
would certainly object to worshipping with a sex offender.</P>
<P>Yet, before him was this man asking for guidance, begging for a chance at
redemption.</P>
<P>Other pastors have faced the same dilemma. </P>
<P>According to Keeping Kids Safe Ministries, a Tennessee-based organization
that assists churches with this challenge, convicted sex offenders are attending
church in increasing numbers. Greg Sporer, a therapist and one of the founders
of Keeping Kids Safe, estimates that at least half of the country's roughly
500,000 registered sex offenders are participating in worship services, often
without telling the pastors. And others who have committed sex crimes but have
never been caught are also showing up at church.</P>
<P>
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<TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>"They're attending church silently and in secret,
which is a risk to kids," Sporer said. "Without accountability, you don't know
if they're praying to God or preying on kids."</P>
<P>Some pastors, as well as church members, wouldn't think twice about turning a
sex offender away. They're too dangerous, they say, too much of a liability.</P>
<P>But Nickodemus sensed remorse from the man who asked permission three years
ago to attend Christ Our Redeemer, so he embraced the challenge. "If we are
really going to live as Christians, then we're going to have to deal with this,"
he said.</P>
<P>Somehow, he had to find a balance between the moral obligation of protecting
the children and the church's mission of helping those in need.</P><SPAN
class=subhead>'The safest in Spokane'</SPAN><BR>
<P>While kids learn about Jesus and the Bible in a separate room downstairs, the
adult members of Spokane's Community Bible Chapel remain in the sanctuary for
worship.</P>
<P>About 75 percent of the roughly 300 members here are in some sort of recovery
– including abnormal addictions to sex.</P>
<P>Convicted sex offenders are among the worshippers at the non-denominational
church, but Pastor Danny Green believes his church "is probably the safest in
Spokane."</P>
<P>"We are a family," said Green, "and people here are very protective of their
family."</P>
<P>Nonetheless, Green enforces strict rules when it comes to the kids. He won't
let anyone spend time with the youth group unless she or he undergoes an
extensive background check. No one who has been convicted of a sex crime can be
on the same floor with the kids, and adults are never allowed to be alone with
children. During Sunday services, parishioners in charge of security always
monitor the halls, restrooms and other areas.</P>
<P>He also communicates regularly with probation officers who keep track of some
of his members – level 2 and level 3 sex offenders and others who have just been
released from prison and are on probation.</P>
<P>Every Wednesday and Friday night, sex offenders, drug addicts, alcoholics and
others suffering from "hurts, habits and hang-ups" gather at Community Bible for
Celebrate Recovery. For several hours, they meet in small groups to talk openly
about the crimes of their past, their current problems and temptations, their
hopes for a better life.</P>
<P>"Everyone is welcome here," said Green, who once struggled with alcohol and
drug addictions. "We've all made mistakes in our past, so we don't judge."</P>
<P>Green acknowledges that sexual abuse is a heinous crime, but even sex
offenders need spiritual guidance in order to prevent them from hurting others
again. Plus, the mere fact that they've come to church and acknowledged their
crimes is a step in the right direction.</P>
<P>"They're not walking through the doors to abuse our kids," Green said. "They
want to change their lives. … We don't look at them as sex offenders; we see
them as humans struggling in the world."</P>
<P>Before ending up at Green's church – a place known in the prison system and
the streets for its Celebrate Recovery program – many of the sex offenders try
attending other congregations, often without informing the pastor of their
presence.</P>
<P>They fear rejection, said Al West, who offers a one-man, Bible-based ministry
in Spokane for convicted sex offenders, drug addicts and other convicted
criminals.</P>
<P>"The sex offender is the new leper in our society," he said. Nobody wants
them, he said, and they have nowhere to go. So they keep their past secret,
which often becomes detrimental to their efforts to refrain from crime. "A
hidden life can be demonic," he said. "It keeps you in bondage."</P>
<P>West doesn't think most pastors in the region are prepared to work with sex
offenders. He also isn't sure if the traditional church environment is conducive
to a population that requires a high degree of supervision and
accountability.</P>
<P>Before allowing the registered sex offender to attend Christ Our Redeemer,
Nickodemus talked to the man about the crime he committed against his
stepdaughter many years ago. They discussed his living conditions, his therapy,
his support network and the probation he would have to follow for the next 13
years.</P>
<P>After consulting with church elders, Nickodemus laid out some parameters for
the man: He could come to church, but only with a chaperon who would accompany
him from the moment he stepped out of the car. He must stay away from children.
He would be constantly watched.</P>
<P>Three years since that initial conversation, the sex offender has continued
to attend a men's group and worship services at Christ Our Redeemer. Despite
some initial concern and outrage, most members who attend the 11 a.m. service
know and have accepted the fact that there's a sex offender at church.</P>
<P>"I had to overcome some of my own fears," said Nickodemus, the church's
pastor for more than a dozen years. "There are some sex offenders out there who
are not conforming to what the law requires, but they won't be the ones who'll
come to you and ask if they can come to church."</P><SPAN class=subhead>Silence
is greatest risk</SPAN><BR>
<P>When you proclaim God's grace and leave the doors wide open, you just never
know who will show up at church, acknowledged Alvin Moreno, pastor of Spokane's
Victory Outreach.</P>
<P>There are more than 15,000 convicted sex offenders eligible for registration
in Washington state, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. More than
1,000 live in Spokane County.</P>
<P>In Idaho, there are 264 adult sex offenders registered in Kootenai County and
another 81 in Bonner County, according to the Idaho State Police.</P>
<P>But sex offenders who make themselves known to a congregation shouldn't be a
church's greatest fear, according to Moreno, who regularly ministers to gang
members, prostitutes and other higher-risk populations.</P>
<P>It's actually the offenders who have never been caught or who refuse to
identify themselves who pose the greatest risk.</P>
<P>"When people think about sex offenders, they picture guys with wild hair and
big beards ready to prey on society," said West, who has spent nearly two
decades ministering to sex offenders. "But sex offenders come from every walk of
life. They include business people and clergy. … They are people with families
and children."</P>
<P>Offenders include those who have a high level of trust within a group or
community, he said.</P>
<P>Consider the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.
One of the most notorious offenders was Patrick O'Donnell, a man who used the
power of the priesthood to endear himself to families so that he could groom and
molest boys. In depositions, O'Donnell has admitted to abusing so many boys that
he couldn't remember all their names.</P>
<P>In response to the scandal, American bishops in 2002 enacted new policies to
ensure the protection of children and others who are vulnerable. Those rules
include reporting any allegations of abuse to law enforcement and a strict code
of conduct for clergy and employees.</P>
<P>Churches of every denomination have followed suit. Most congregations do not
allow adults to be left alone with a child unless the child is that person's own
son or daughter. They also require adult volunteers and employees to meet with
children at the church or other public places instead of a private residence.
And anyone who wishes to work with young people must first be screened and
undergo a thorough background check, according to several area churches.</P>
<P>Enforcing these policies not only promotes safety, it also protects a church
from lawsuits, Moreno said.</P>
<P>"The key is to provide a safe environment at all times," said the Rev. Dave
Olson, pastor of First Lutheran Church in Sandpoint. </P>
<P>Although he has never had to deal with the sex offender issue, the safety of
his congregation is always a priority. "The problem with the registered sex
offender program is that it assumes only people who are at risk are those with a
prior record, but most of the abuse that takes place involves someone who has
not previously been convicted," he said.</P>
<P>"You may have a sex offender at your church, so you have to create an
environment that protects everybody."</P><SPAN class=subhead>Welcome not
universal</SPAN><BR>
<P>For most pastors who have had a sex offender at church, figuring out a way to
minister to the offender while protecting children is only half the battle. They
also have to work the issue out with members of their congregation.</P>
<P>Five years ago, a man who had been convicted of child molestation but had
been out of prison for several years approached the leaders of First Lutheran
Church in Spirit Lake for permission to attend services.</P>
<P>The pastor, after setting some parameters, allowed the offender to come. But
the man wasn't welcomed by everyone after his presence was made known after a
service one Sunday, according to John Halverson, the church's current pastor who
served as deacon at the time. Some people threatened to leave if the offender
continued to attend church.</P>
<P>So the man stopped going to services. Still seeking spiritual guidance, he
asked Halverson to meet with him at home for Bible study and prayer. They met
regularly until the man's death two years ago.</P>
<P>"He was repentant of his sins," Halverson said. "As a Christian and as a
pastor, I welcomed him."</P>
<P>Halverson doesn't think every sex offender should be allowed at church, but
"repentant sinners" should always be welcome – as long as they are under careful
watch.</P>
<P>Despite initial fears, most of the people at Christ the Redeemer have grown
from the experience of having a sex offender in their midst, said
Nickodemus.</P>
<P>"Is there opportunity for grace?" he asked. "I've talked to other pastors
about this and sometimes, they just freak out. They don't know what to do and
are afraid of the whole thing."</P>
<P>He acknowledged that churches remain vulnerable – to someone with a gun, to
sex offenders, to anyone with an agenda of any kind. But as a Christian
congregation, risk becomes part of their spiritual growth, he said.</P>
<P>Having a sex offender come to services has actually been "very healthy" for
the congregation, he said. "It makes us wrestle with our own sins and our own
prejudices," he said.</P>
<P>His presence also keeps them grounded in reality.</P>
<P>"Being 'real' doesn't mean that everything is just fine, we're all nice here
and when you've done something wrong, you're out," said Nickodemus. "Finding the
balance between truth and grace – that is what 'real' means."</P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=godshatter@yahoo.com href="mailto:godshatter@yahoo.com">Paul Rumelhart</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">Vision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 04, 2007 6:54 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] What is wrong with this
picture?</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Don't take this as condoning anything this guy may have done, but
remember that he is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of
law. If this wasn't the case, then you could accuse anyone of anything
heinous with little or no evidence and ruin their lives before they even have a
chance to defend themselves.<BR><BR>That having being said, certain precautions
are probably in order. The question here is really are the current
precautions being taken enough. Not knowing the details, I have little to
base my judgement upon. Presumably (hopefully) Judge McDermott has a bit
more on which to base his judgement.<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>Art Deco wrote:
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<TD align=right><FONT face="tahoma, sans-serif" size=2>Wednesday,
April 4, 2007</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><!--include virtual="/inc/story_guts_print.asp"-->
<H2>Accused youth pastor can keep working at church </H2>
<P class=byline><SPAN class=name><A
href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news/bylines.asp?bylinename=Associated%20Press">Associated
Press </A></SPAN><BR>April 4, 2007</P><!---------Code for Big Ads-------------------><!---------End Code for Big Ads------------------->
<P>POCATELLO, Idaho – A youth pastor charged with sexually abusing a minor may
continue to work at the church where the crime allegedly occurred, a judge
says.</P>
<P>Joshua J. Robinson, 29, was charged in February with two counts of lewd
conduct with a minor and one count of sexually abusing a minor for allegedly
abusing a teenage girl starting when she was 15 years old.</P>
<P>Because of the charges, a no-contact order was issued directing Robinson to
stay away from the girl. But last month, 6th District Judge Peter McDermott
modified the order, allowing Robinson to return to his job as a youth pastor
at Gate City Christian Church in Chubbuck. Robinson is still prohibited from
contacting people younger than 18.</P>
<P>
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<TD><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>On Monday, Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor
Cleve Colson asked the judge to reconsider the change. One of the charges
against Robinson allegedly took place at the church, Colson said, and the
prosecutor's office is worried that the youth pastor still has access to
minors at the church. Robinson also is allegedly still participating in a
church Web site that is frequented by the congregation's youth, Colson
said.</P>
<P>A phone call to the church's senior pastor, John Robinson, was not
immediately returned. John Robinson is Joshua Robinson's father, a church
receptionist said.</P>
<P>Joshua Robinson's attorney, Aaron Thompson of Dial, May & Rammell in
Pocatello, said the younger Robinson is no longer handling youth ministries at
the church and instead is doing administrative duties that don't involve
contact with young people.</P>
<P>McDermott said Robinson could continue to work at the church. A trial has
been scheduled for June 26.</P></DIV><PRE wrap=""><HR width="90%" SIZE=4>
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