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I agree it's serious, I agree about the recidivism rate, I understand
the quandary this puts some pastors in. I just think that we have to
balance the risk of further harm to children if he is guilty with the
possible harm done to this man's whole life if he is innocent. It's a
hard balancing act to pull off, I'm sure.<br>
<br>
While the no-contact order was presumably based on cogent evidence, so
presumably was the lessening of that order. Without having in front of
me what Judge McDermott had in front of him I have no way of judging
the two judges in this one. I see nothing wrong with a no-contact
order, it seems prudent to me, but without any other data I have to
assume the judge knows what he is doing.<br>
<br>
I really just wanted to stave off the trashing of this man's life here
on the Viz until after he is found guilty, assuming that he is, in
fact, found guilty. This lessens the impact of an accusation of child
abuse or molestation as a weapon in a dispute. While enough evidence
was presumably found for this man to be charged with the crime, isn't
it possible that the system is erring on the side of the child (rightly
so) and that the evidence may not be as concrete as we think? How many
unfounded accusations of child abuse come up in heated divorce cases,
for example?<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
Art Deco wrote:
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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>
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<td align="right"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="2">Thursday,
April 5, 2007</font></td>
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<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>
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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>
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<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>
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"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-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">-----
Original Message -----
<div
style="background: rgb(228, 228, 228) none repeat scroll 0%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;"><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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<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>
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<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>
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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>
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