This time the victim was a 15-year-old girl. Brian Williams of the Sunbury Grace Brethren Church stands accused of a horrible crime.
The teen said the rape took place Thursday afternoon at the church, on Perfect Drive in Sunbury, court records show. The victim had an appointment with Williams that day, and a family member dropped her off at the church, Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost said yesterday.
Williams is accused of forcing her to perform oral sex before removing her clothes and assaulting her.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch : Delaware: Minister accused of raping girl at church
How does a man of God do this? What biblical morality lesson taught him that rape was a good thing? It looks like we have another hypocrite on our hands. I've already lost count of how many pedophile pastors we have this year. It must be approaching 20.
173 comments:
First off, you don't know Brian so you are making a judgement about someone that you don't know. Secondly, Mr. Williams has NOT been convicted of anything at this point. Your comments sound as if you are the judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.
What if someone charged you with some type of horrible crime such as this? Wouldn't you want to be considered innocent until you were PROVEN guilty? Would you want everyone to just assume you were guilty? I think not...
This is no win situation for all parties. I pray that Brian did not do as he was accused. I also can't imagine what would bring a girl to accuse this crime if it did not take place. It is a difficult situation, as you don't know who to believe or more importantly don't want to think that either one is telling the truth as both would heinous.
To the first anonymous. Shut up. There was enough evidence to throw him into a jail cell and set a bail. Likewise, he has made no public statement. If he was not guilty, I would assume that he would be screaming about it as a man who seemingly had integrity should and would do and NOT act like a man who was ashamed and knows he has been wrong.
To the 2nd anonymous...you have a much more realistic view point on this and I respect that. There is no win/lose in this, only a loss. If he is not convicted, then he has been tarnished and a poor girl has ripped a community apart. If he is convicted, a community has been betrayed by their "leader." Simply stunning...
I doubt there would be a $100,000 bond set if there were no evidence of something like this taking place. And no 15 year old girl would want to make up a story of a 45 year old man raping them, that would be humilating to the girl. I am sure this happened or Brian Williams would not be on house arrest. How can a person call themselves a "man of God" and do such horrific things? It is sickening and my heart goes out to the poor child and her family. As for "anonymous" you must have a twisted mind yourself to defend this person in any sort of way. Yes, he has not been convicted of anything YET. I am sure the truth will come out soon enough. I also feel bad for Mr. Williams friends/family and church, I am sure they were clueless to whom this monster really is.
People are sick now days. This clearly shows that you cannot trust your child with anyone. Mr. Williams, you should be praying to God every second of the day because Hell is calling your name. You let the devil get a hold of you just like all of the other sick men out there. There is no excuse for something like this and 10 years in jail is not enough, it should be 100 years in jail because the girl will never have the life that God intended her to have. It will be very hard for her to trust and find happiness thanks to Brian Williams. There is no difference from a rapist Pastor of a church and rapist that is a thug, they are one in the same. Mr. Williams deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars with the rest of the sick fools for the remainder of his pathetic life. This is a disgrace!
I sometimes think back to the stripper who accused members of a college sports team of rape. It was in the news about a year ago. The public and the press crucified the "guilty" but the prosecuter was the one who eventually lost his job.
I don't know if the pastor did it or not. I'll be interested in how he pleads for starters. From there I'd like to hear the facts of the case.
The thing that surprises me most is that he put himself in a situation where he could be accused of this in the first place. Whether he did it or not that was bad judgement.
This is, honest to God, fascinating. The Duke Lacrosse case, which you are obviously referring too, was contrived by a woman who was in a terrible position in life and found herself in a terrible position. A person like this, is more than likely, a chronic liar and is seeking some sort of validation for their existence and they can't find it in themselves, so they look for something. Disgustingly, she looked to accuse some boys of rape.
What we have here is a f***ing 15 year old girl, who apparently just knew of the pastor, was not close to him, who was raped. Like many have stated here, a bond would not have been set if there was nothing but some girl making statements. Photographs were probably taken by the parents, clothes were possibly removed/torn, and there would be other signs of a struggle like bruising, etc.
The scales have to be tipped to the victim, NOT to the offender in this. The legal system can be blind, but the public system will always scrutinize and to me, he deserves scrutiny for the accusation; why put yourself in this predicament? why be alone with a child? Any good teacher knows that they never meet with just one kid in school, you never know what could be said! Brian Williams to me is going to be guilty, and if he is not, shame on me
Why would anyone bring up the Duke rape case in this situation? That is so ignorant in compairison to this situation. Brian Williams more than likely knew what he was going to do to this girl prior to the meeting. He is a sick man and people like this "groom" their victims. He had the trust of the church, of the girl and of her family and he abused it. I am sure there was a rape kit done and enough evidence to charge him or there would be no blog for us to comment on. Brian Williams is the exact reason why people today cannot trust their children with anyone!!!
sick man who probably blames the victim, says she is lying or has an excuse.
My heart and prayers go out to the 15 year old and her family.
First of all I would like to say that i am a memember of the victims family, and you are right. She will NEVER live the life fully as God intended to. Although William is under house arrest and cant possibly do anything she lives in fear, constantly. Wont sleep alone, wont to outside alone, and cant be left alone because she is so afraid.
She has to go to counseling and she isnt the same. For anyone who konws the vitim since this has happened she doesnt talk as much and isnt her silly, spunky self.
Indeed it is hard to believe that a pastor would do this to anyone because true pastors are just human, but they are also looked upon greatly and this gives churches such a bad reputation.
One thing that is amazing is the support that Williams is getting. Granted not everyone is going to believe the victim even after Williams is convicted, but that is just how life is. There are even people now saying "even if he is convicted that would be just be the authories messed up." ummm hi im pretty sure that isnt possible in this case. There is evidence you know, and it isnt going to be just based on hear say. I know how that goes majoring in law when it is someones word against another typically a male wins.
I know Brian and granted i didnt see this coming from him, but it happened and from that he deserves to be punished for it. Up to ten years isnt nearly enough but hopefully by then the vicim will be able to have an almost normal life. By then she will be working on the degree that she wants and making a life for herself.
All of the thoughts and prayers are very well appreciated. She needs all of the help she can get.
I am anxious to see what everyone has to say about this case.
To the first anonymous, do you even know the facts about the case? thats not some shit you just make up on the fly...and especially about someone in that high of a standing in the community. that kind of serious accusation would not go too far in the system if there was not a relevant reason for it. and its a good thing he doesn't know the accused, because then it puts more of a personal bias toward the accused which can skew your view of the case....like now..and people just don't randomly go around accusing people of rape...something has to happen to trigger the accusation to come out. i know the girl, i met her right before the incident happened and she is not the type of person to make that kind of gross accusation without something happening.
to the person who said that the victim "staged" the rape....WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU???? why would any parents even consider collaborating to smear a man of the church???
"Photographs were probably taken by the parents, clothes were possibly removed/torn, and there would be other signs of a struggle like bruising, etc"
What parent would even consider using their child to do that...what would they have to gain?? How many parents do you know would do that and degrade their child for no reason? how many kids do you know would actually go along with something like that? honestly you have a very sick mind whoever you are. find something else to debate on because you really suck at trying to make a valid point don't quit your day job cause...your fired at this game!
a game???? what the heck is wrong with you. do you even begin to realize what has happened here?? what this girl is going through, what the family is going through, and how this is going to effect the entire family once this is all over? to the public it will be over when the trial is over, but this situation will never be over for the victim. a game...your an idiot. get off here.
what kind of punishment does everyone think he should get??
here is what i think, get a clamp type device, place all the male genetalia in this clamp device, make sure it is tight enough for no possible escaping from it. then place an old shed on top of him. light the shed on fire, and give him a knife. either way you get the same ending. burn or bleed. literally speaking, or in eternity, doesnt matter to me.
Anon at 801PM...I believe you missed my point...there is no way in hell I was advocating this as a game, and there is no way in hell that I think that the parents were collaborating. What I was saying was that if they truly went to the police officers with simply a statement, there is no way they could have had the man put in prison with 100,000 bail. The parents could have take photographs of the bruising, much like in an insurance case, like what you would do with your car.
That's what I meant and in no way shaoe or form did I mean to make it even seem like a collaboration. But there is more physical evidence here than they can let on, and its evidence that will be inciminating.
I am from this town, but I am very ashamed of the way they are willing to stand up for the perv. That's what he is. There is no way he would have to post bond if there was not enough evidence to put him in, in the first case. Plus, why would the girl say this happened if it is just going to humiliate her. Eventually everyone will find out who she is, and they will discriminate her, and she is the innocent one. Like I said I am very ashamed of my hometown, they should know better. In my book, Brian Williams should be casterated and be put in jail to rot. He was a man people trusted, adn he ruined that.
by the way...i do know brian williams and he left me with the funny feeling from the first time i spoke with him (this is to the person with the first comment). I have been to the church and i really didnt care much for him. he is a creep to do this to someone who trusted him. and i am so sorry that you are blinded by him...but the girl is innocent. there must be enough evidence to arrest him adn make them set a bond.
"I pray that Brian did not do as he was accused."
He either did it or didn't do it, but it is done. Do you really think your praying will have any consequence on something that is already over?
Why not pray that justice be done? Just as useless but not as stupid.
Just curious, what ever happened to innocent until proven quilty? Please remember that Brian has NOT been convicted of this accusation.
The media likes to twist the information that they are given into a "story." Why don't we wait until after he has his chance to prove himself innocent before we decide what his fate should be! As to why he hasn't made a statement, maybe he's been instructed by his attorney to be quiet.
Just like the media often gets their information wrong, so have many of you here; his bail was not $100,000. Before you put something on a blog, you really should do your homework. We are dealing with real lives here; both Brian's and this girl's. The least we should do is allow the justice system to do what it was intended to do.
Why would a 15 year old lie about something like this? That is a question that I would love to know the answer to! Not long ago there was a 15 year old in our town that did that exact thing. Only thing it accomplished was hurting his reputation and getting herself into a lot of trouble.
anonymous
I hope he gets what he deserves after messing her life up for good. My God have mercy on his soul. It is shameful that youg people can not trust a minister in a church. I just wonder how many more young girls or family members Brian has done this to.
There have been no other girls that have accused him of anything.
It's also a shame that people are assumed guilty before it's proven.
Touche on the correction of the money. I realized my mistake when I re-read some articles this morning. However, 50,000 is still a massive amount of money.
As for the whole "no one else has came forward" argument, this is quite true. But just recently, an Upper Arlington swim coach, I believe, is being charged for a rape he commited 15 or so years ago. One of my friends daughters was on that team and knew nothing of it, thought the coach was a swell guy, etc. Now its coming out of the woodworks (again this is from talking to a friend of mine so my details are at a minimum.)
So, yes, no one else has came forward is quite true. But that does not mean there are others who have not said a thing. Likewise, even if she is the only one, that does not downgrade what is occurring.
Brian Williams has gotten himself into a lot of trouble, and now a community stands still and waits to see the outcome. In all honesty I think he did it, and again, if I am wrong, then shame on me. But I will always take the victims side initally; its a gut reaction. Plus what this does is IF IT IS TRUE will make other people who have been raped not so doubtful in talking about it.
Regardless...pray for everyone, and not just Williams or the girl.
ps. i will start titling my posts with "my name is tim" so that if someone wishes to have a dialougue, we can do so and not be guessing which anonymous we are.
HAHA. Here's the funny part to all of this: you talk about the Duke case like they are so much different. What many of you don't know is that this girl *is* a habitual liar. She's told so many people that she's been in this situation before. Not with Brian, I never heard that. But with others. And no matter the situation, she would never go to the police. And when someone did go to the police on her behalf, she said she made it up.
So which is it?
Brian put himself in a bad position. I will grant that. He shouldn't even be able to be accused of this. But he is.
So while we can't know anything, I think that we need to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Sister of the victim (yes, I actually do know you *and* her). Defend her, love her, she needs that. But realize who she is. You know better than to take what she says at face value.
I also have a Blog that touches n this subject as well as other recent GBC and WCS abuses:
http://rumination1.blogspot.com/
to the one who commented on the girl being a liar, yes she may have lied in the past....but this time she is sticking to it. i mean why would she want something to go so far as it has. some of you really dont know her the way some of us do. why would the court put a bail on the asshole (which is what he is), if they really didnt have some FACTUAL evidence to prove he did it. think about it. put yourself in her shoes...if you actually do know her.
This girls reputation around town is not one of integrity or purity. People have guessed who the victim is just because of her previous claims of being a rape victim. O' her again? Is she sticking to the lie this time because it has gone too far? Why is she going around school asking people if they have heard the news?I hope she is ready for the intense probing of the truth she is about to face in a trial.
to the one who commented on the girl being a liar, yes she may have lied in the past....but this time she is sticking to it. i mean why would she want something to go so far as it has
You say that she has lied in the past, but is not a liar. All you have really done is proven my point. A liar is someone who lies. Knowingly. She has done this.
He put himself in a bad situation. He put himself where no one, let alone an organized leader should let him/herself be. Alone with someone younger.
I'm remaining impartial to this whole thing. Why? Because it seems that everyone else has an opinion that they know is right. And yet there is only one truth. If anyone were to step back and look at it honestly, I think they would realize that neither one side or the other is telling the complete truth. Leave it up to the judge and jury to decide what the actual truth is. YOU don't know.
Well let's see i go to school with her and she is deffinatly not asking people if they have heard the news. I am one of her closest friends and you guys don't know about what happened in the past so why dont you shut up and stay out of...that was in the past this is now.
On the other hand beleive what you want to. Personally im even waiting to see what happens. So why can't you people?
This is serious and what are you guys going to say when/if he is PROVEN guilty?
you guys don't know about what happened in the past so why dont you shut up and stay out
Ignoring how the spelling and grammar errors throughout your comment, and how terrifically offending it is: How do you know she isn't? obviously she isn't asking you because you know all about it. You're with her every second then, I take it? You know what she does in classes when she's not with you? Or in the hallway between classes? Obviously you know her so much better than any of the rest of us could, that you know she's different than the rest of humanity.
On the other hand beleive what you want to. Personally im even waiting to see what happens. So why can't you people?
I've already said that I'm holding off judgment until the court has a say. You however, are just pretending. Your comment just reeks of bias. If you have an opinion, fine, have one. But don't hide behind impartiality while spitting doubt into other peoples beliefs. Be honest with yourself and us.
This is serious and what are you guys going to say when/if he is PROVEN guilty?
IF he is proven guilty, I will sigh and be sad for a while. Because no matter what anyone else says, he was and is a good man. He made a mistake, but he's still a good person.
IF he is proven innocent, I will be sad for her. Because her reputation is based on this. There will always be a few, such as yourself, who believe her no matter what they say. You'll grow up and blame the court system for everything, and believe that nothing they do is right. And that seriously depresses me. Because one girls words can have so much of an impact on everyone else.
Either way. Someone loses.
I feel so sorry for anyone that is going to that church. How can they trust anyone there knowing that one of their own pastors would do something like this? I would advise anyone with a daughter that has gone to this man talk to her and get her check. Yea she may have lied before but under different situations. So, whats all of the church members going to think when it comes out that it is true that Brian did do this?
Ok. First of all you dont even know the facts about the situation now do you? And yeah i beleive her. I'm sorry but do you know her? Didnt think so. So you're telling me nightmares,being scared, crying all the time is normal and something made up...ok? Also who are you to say what i do and dont know about her? i think i know more about this than you do so shut up about it. You can still have your opinion but sorry you dont know it all.
What do you know what she says in school?
Two above me, I agree, It is a terrible situation, and I'm not sure how anyone should or could feel safe. It's a terrible accusation. However, it's simply that. An accusation. Until they take it to court, which I've heard might be as soon as Tuesday, we'll begin to see.
As for her best friend, have you bothered to read what I've said? It seems pretty clear you haven't. I do know her. Rather well, in fact. And I'm willing to bet money a lot longer than you have. But go ahead and make assumptions. That's ok. It only makes you look more like an ass. As for the nightmares, and feeling scared could just as easily be explained as her dealing with what happens when people find out she's lying.
I'm not saying she is. I've said that several times. What I am saying is that there are two sides to every story.
Now are you going to ignore what I said and tell me to shut up again, or will you actually be mature and answer some of the thoughts put before you honestly and maturely?
Ok i am sorry. But i just want to know how you think you've known her so well and you think you've known her longer...you dont even know me. I just want to know do you even know what happened in the past. you guys dont even have the story right.
I can't give you specifics without giving away who I am. But I've known her at least 14 years. I say at least, because It may have been more, but I can't remember that far back.
And I highly doubt that I have the story right. Just as I highly doubt that You have the story right. In fact, I think there are only two people who know the complete truth, and I doubt either of them will give a fair telling. One is trying to prove that it wasn't as bad as it sounds, the other is trying to prove that it is just as bad, or worse than it sounds.
Ok. You may or may not know her im not saying that you dont know her and yeah them two are the only 2 that know the truth. But just tell me this don't say anything bad about her until you know what the truth is. do you go to school with us?
I've already told you I'm not giving away specifics. Try to keep pulling information out of me about who I am, and I might suddenly find this conversation boring.
Well im not trying to. But i just want to know if you've known her for ATLEAST 14 years..i'd thought you were her friend? maybe not?
but why do you say bad stuff about her? and also why don't you beleive this? and how can you trust a pastor after all this happened. There's obviously evidence to prove SOMETHING. or else there wouldnt be a trial so soon or he wouldnt have gone to jail or been on house arrest.
so why dont you beleive it?
"IF he is proven guilty, I will sigh and be sad for a while. Because no matter what anyone else says, he was and is a good man. He made a mistake, but he's still a good person."
What kind if comment is that? A "good man" does not rape anyone. Calling a "mistake" is a clear case of trying to minimize the entire thing. YOUR bias is very clear with that comment. Why not just call it sexual sin fore that matter.
I forgot to add that there is a reason why there are Rape Shield Laws in ALL fifty states and federal law which prevent the defense from delving into the past personal and/or sexual history of the victim.
Just curious, what ever happened to innocent until proven quilty? [sic]
I love this statement. It usually comes from the enablers among the sheeple who follow a particular pastor. The statement is true in a court of law. In a court of public opinion, we are allowed to form our own opinions. Unfortunately, when it comes to pastors who rape young girls, I have only found 1 pastor out of 150 to be innocent. I error on the side of the young helpless girls and boys who have been brutally violated by people who should only try to protect them from the monsters in our world.
Screw Brian - if he is innocent I will apologize. If he his guilty I will follow his descent into prison.
I agree, everyone is entitled to their own opinion of this situation. It is very hard to side with the victim in this case. Like the previous poster said, she is a habitual liar and BW is known in several communities as an outstanding Pastor who has helped numerous families for years. His life was dedicated to helping people and this 15 year old, who is known to be unstable, simply can not be trusted. I admit, I will be devastated if he is found guilty, but I can't help but wonder, did she come on to him? Did he shove her away and then she think he attacked her? I can't help having these thoughts because of the way this girl operates. I really want to believe her but I can't find it in myself to do so. When you know both people and their history, it is just so very hard to grasp that PB just all the sudden raped a 15 year old girl. Satan is cunning and when a man is tempted, we all know lust takes over.The one question that haunts me is why did he counsel her alone? The only thing we can do is wait and pray for both families. I really hope the evidence is substantial, like DNA, and not just a taped phone conversation. They could have been having two completely different conversations. This is really difficult, a community is suffering and no matter what the verdict, lives have been changed forever.
"Satan is cunning and when a man is tempted, we all know lust takes over."
That is a load of crap. Yes these poor defenseless 45 year old married men are unable to resist "lust". Not to mention that Rape is not about sex you kool aid swilling jackass.
If you knew anything about sexual assault victims you would know she is the perfect target and girls like her with problems are often selected as victims for that very reason.
Even if it turns out to be consentual it still was illegal because of her age, not to mention the moral and ethical issues attached.
Please read this post before you compare Rape to sexual sin again:
http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-not-about-sex.html
Here are words from predators themselves about this very kind of thing; the second one was a minister himself:
I considered church people easy to fool…they have a trust that comes from being Christians…They tend to be better folks all around. And they seem to want to believe in people…I think they want to believe in people. And because of that, you can easily convince, with or without convincing words.
Sometimes the words were not even necessary. Like I said before, they immediately rallied to my defense when I was accused of being a sexual offender. They said, “We know this young man. He has been in our community all of his life. We know his parents, his grandparents, his aunts, his uncles. This is not something that he would do. This is not something that goes along with behavior that we see him in day in and day out,” and that was true because I was very careful that they did not see that behavior day in and day out. Most of my deviant behavior happened at night time and behind the scenes and away and far from my important people who could make those kinds of judgments that yes, indeed, Patrick is the kind of person who would go around molesting children.
I HOPE THAT SOMEDAY THE LAW WILL SEND ANYONE THAT HAS RAPED A YOUNG GIRL AND DESTROYED THE LIVES OF A GOOD FAMILY THE DEATH SENTENCE. I WISH I COULD BE IN THE TRIAL FOR BRIAN NOT TO SUPPORT HIM BUT TO SUPPORT THE GIRL. FOR THOSE THAT SAY THEY KNOW HER YOU REALLY DON'T CAUSE IF YOU DID YOU WOULD NOT TALK LIKE YOU DO ABOUT HER. LIKE I SAID ABOVE I HOPE THAT BRIAN WILLIAMS GETS WHAT HE DESERVES. HOW CAN THAT CHURCH CONTINUE GOING ON IN SUNBURY AFTER THIS HAS GONE ON. I THINK THEY MUST BELIEVE IN THIS KIND OF CRIME OR THEY WOULD NOT STAND UP FOR BRIAN. I DONT THINK THAT 10 YEARS AND $20,000 FINE IS ENOUGH. HE SHOULD GET THE DEATH SENTENCE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE HAS DONE TO THIS POOR YOUNG WOMAN
"HOW CAN THAT CHURCH CONTINUE GOING ON IN SUNBURY AFTER THIS HAS GONE ON. I THINK THEY MUST BELIEVE IN THIS KIND OF CRIME..."
Don't assume that all or even most members of that church necessarily believe their pastor. They are as confused as those of us on this blog. Most will withhold judgment until after the legal proceedings. If he is proven guilty, many will move on to another place of worship. They will be just as angry and disappointed in this man's actions as you.
I WOULD NOT WANT ANYONE FROM THAT CHURCH IN MY CHURCH. I WOULD BE AFRAID THAT THEY WOULD TRY IT WITH OUR CHILDREN. I HATE AND FEEL SORRY FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE TO A GREAT COMMUNITY. I HOPE HE GETS WHAT HE DESERVES.
FROM READING THE BLOGS ON THIS SITE I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE BLOGS ARE COMING FROM CHURCH MEMBERS WHO ARE BEHIND HIM FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH. HOW DOES A CHURCH THIS MAN ALLOWED TO BE ALONE WITH A YOUNG GIRL AFTER ALL OF THE RAPING BY MINISTERS THERE ARE IN THIS WORLD? I AM GLAD I WENT TO ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN I DECIDED TO GIVE MY LIFE TO THE LORD MANY YEARS AGO. I HOPE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DOWN TALKED THIS YOUNG WOMAN WILL GIVE HER A PUBLIC APOLOGY AND MR WILLIAMS SHOULD BE MADE TO DID IT ALSO BUT AFTER ALL NO ONE WILL EVER TRUST HIM AGAIN. THOSE THAT HAVE FOLLOWED THIS MANS WORD IS AS GUILTY AS HE IS.
It was not long ago that you defended YOUR pastor who was accused of a similar offense.How can you now cast a stone at those who support THEIR pastor. Get over yourself. Now you are in the shoes of that victim. How fast you forget.
i'm sorry but my pastor has never been accused of anything. i will always stand behind someone that is truthful. i wonder how many of these blogs are posted by brian? if he is guilty will people and even his own family have their daughters checked out? probably not since he is so great would never do anything like that in his followers eyes. i'm not in the victims shoes. i really feel for his wife and children those that really trusted him the most? wonder what the lord would say if he was here on earth, guess brian will find out when this life is over and he has to answer to the ONLY great one in this world.
You must not know the Lord to say such nonsense. ANY sin is forgivable so why do you think he will have to answer for his actions when he dies? If he did it, sorry, the Lord can forgive him right this second, as long as he truly repents. Slate clean! That is the great thing about grace. Obviously something you don't understand. And wake up, the Lord already knows, he doesn't have to be here.
slate clean - what a load of crap. God forgiving the sins of this monster makes Christianity all the more meaningless - that is why it is best that Brian pay for his crime in prison where he can contemplate the true meaning of his sin.
My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water animal: a fish would not feel wet. Of course, I could have given up my idea of justice by saying that it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too--for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist--in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless--I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality--namely my idea of justice--was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. - C.S. Lewis,
Hmm looks like he may have done it. there is a new letter posted on http://rumination1.blogspot.com/ from the FGBC and it appears they are saying he did it!!
I read the new Scoles email a couple of times and my only inference is that this is an acknowledgement of wrongdoing.
Very sad for all involved. Brian Williams apparently knew this girl was vulnerable (i.e., had personal baggage) and he took advantage of her. Shame on him!
There will be a lot of disappointment and anger directed towards Williams. He has shamed the GBC community and damaged the solid reputations of many parishioners who are doing a lot of good work in the ministry just so he could experience a few seconds of personal pleasure. It is unforgiveable, in many ways.
When we hear about something like this story, we immediately process the facts, as we understand them, and form our opinions. It is almost impossible to see the one whom we have trusted as the true monster that he may be. We trusted him with our children, We trusted him and looked up to him for years. He gained our confidence. Leaders are not supposed to fall. Leaders are supposed to be stronger than the followers. This is just too painful. And the fact that we can be so deceived by our leaders and can't imagine them doing such a heinous crime is scary. We try to rationalize the story. We think it can't possibly be rape. That doesn't make any sense. There must be some misunderstanding between the parties involved. We do this to avoid the pain of death. And that is what this very well may become for so many of us-a death. People wanted to believe the victim in this situation , but found it difficult to do so, considering similar past accusations. For that I'm sure those that doubted are sorry. How can we ever trust another minister again?
I should add to the statement above: accusations that proved to be false and had nothing to do with BW.
I really hope you guys realize that the victim is probably reading this. And everyone who is supporting the pastor looks like a total ass.
Why do the people who support BW look like an ass? Isn't everyone entitled to their own opinions? Name calling isn't helping anything. And I think if I was the victim in this case, the very last thing I would be doing was reading some Internet blog about it.
This is a no win situation for everyone involved! Before anyone makes up their mind in this case please wait until evidence is layed out. in a case such as these it is not uncommon for people to jump on one side of the issue or another. It has not been presented to the grand jury yet. the fact that there was a bond and a monitor on PB is not a statment of guilt. In cases like these the judge has a responceability to keep the alleged victim and the community safe. Knowing where the person is who is alleged in the case is a good way of doing this. but this is no way a statment of guilt. There has not been a case presented to the grand jury yet. this will be done on monday. for you who dont know the justice system very well you may have probable cause for an arrest but it might not be enough for a grand jury. so please wait to judge those in this case.
I have known PB for many years and as a youth i went on many missions trips with his previous church where he was a youth pastor. I was never put in a situation where i felt uncomfortable in any way around pb. we went to france on a missions trip along with other places in the us and i can speak for me but nothing like this happened with me. then he left and started the church in sunbury where he was/is a senior pastor. wouldnt you think you would have seen a hit of the behavior before? I understand people can change but i am reserving my judgement until all the facts come to light.
I have some questions that i feel need to be answered in this case
1. why would the girl wait 24 hours?
2. would she not have been upset when picked up by the family member after the meeting.
3. where is the dna?
4. has the youth been involved in the system, in trouble before?
5. did someone say this has been stated from the youth before?? but then she took it back?
I am hoping these questions will be answered.
Working with youth who are in DYS and those who are not there i know youth lie. i am not saying she did but what the family member said about she has changed. i have seen the same reactions from youth who sate something happended and it didnt guilt can do things to the mind. like i said i dont know her or all the facts in this case i beleive in the justice system and working in it i can tell you i see flaws first hand either way. the lives of all involved have been changed. None for the better. i hope all those involved get the help they need.
to the girls family either way my prayers go out to you. along with the members of the church and community as a whole!
Please take the time to think before you judge someone. Remember in cases there are two sides and we havent heard from them.
I am unsure of where i stand but i will be watching the case. along with praying for all of the parties involved!!
You obviously are uneducated when it comes to clergy sex abuse. Why did she wait 24 hours? Do you have any idea what the average wait time is in cases like this? It is in years, decades even, not hours. And just because brian did not do anything with you means nothing. The BTK killer was a deacon of his church for petes sake.
Again with the name calling/personal attacks? Anon at 11:22p.m. Stated nothing but their own opinion. Stated that that had been around BW for years. Why is it such a bad thing for people to state their opinions on BW if they show any spec of support for him? Anon at 11:22p.m. also stated that they have worked with the justice system. So to call them uneducated is yet another form of name calling that isn't helping a thing.
I have a question though. Is the preliminary trial Monday or Tuesday?
And anon at 11:22p.m. to answer your questions in my opinion
This young woman probably waited so long because she was in shock from soemthing like this happening. If it would've happened to me and all of a sudden this man turned on me I would've been shocked, scared, and countless other emotions. But having this not be me I would like to think that I wouldn't have waited and I would've said soemthing to someone and gone to a hospital and gotten a rape test. I think this young woman dealt with whatever truly happened the best way she knew how.
Your second question makes me wonder why the person who picked her up didn't notice anything was off. Maybe the young woman wasn't terrified by what had happened at that point. Maybe that terror didn't present itself until later.
I personally have no idea if they got BW's DNA off of her. I would hope they still took the young woman to the hospital to have a rape test administered her.
I can't answer your fourth question as I do not have that information.
Yes, it has been stated on here that the young woman has said these things or things closely related to this but as soon as the police got involved she said she made them up. I have no idea the amount of truth or untruth in that statement though.
As I sit here typing this though I think of all the people this has impacted and it's really sad something like this could even happen.
I do pray for the victim, for her family, for her friends, and for everyone else that knows her. I pray for her counselor to give her guidance. I pray that through God one day she will be able to move past this horrific event in her life.
I also pray for Brian Williams and his family. I pray for his children, and his wife along with the extended family. I can't imagine how this would tear a family apart especially finding out this way.
I honestly don't know where I stand on this case. Part of me wants to believe her, and knowing him, part of me wants to believe him. Because I have never seen anything that would suggest this. Just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean the signs weren't there though. I will admit that.
A verse from the book of John...
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Why would a pastor allow hisself to be alone with a young women now days? I truly hope he gets what he deserves. Her life will never be the same as she will not trust another man in her life. How many of these post have come from Brian? I agree with the other person that this young women may be reading these. If she is smart she will take this as far as it will go in the court system. If they would start hanging some of these men that does this stuff then eventually it might stop.
Somehow I seriously doubt that any of these posts have come from Brian of his family. I'd say the same for the young woman and her family but a member in her family has already posted and admitted who they are. Why can't people believe that Brian has more stuff to worry about than an Internet blog? Why can't you believe that the victim has more to worry about than an Internet blog? Brian's busy talking with lawyers. The young womans busy with going to consoling, and maybe even going to school also.
But I totally agree that he shouldn't have let himself ever consul any one alone with what can happen. So far that's the only fault I find with him because I am awaiting the judgment of the jury before I jump to any conclusions and make any accusations.
I wonder what the judge would think if he would see these blogs? Just because someone said they are a family member doesn't mean that they truely are; I mean I consider the members of my church my family member. He had better be talking to his lawyers because he sure is going to need them come tomorrow afternoon. I wish that they would televise his testamony so that the community will know what he is saying and be a guinne pig in front of other pastors thinking or doing this sort of thing. I pray every night for this young woman and her family they need all they pray the the community will give. May GOD have mercy and have the court to proscute Brian to the fullest fines that can be imposed.
With a victim they can become obsessed with what is going on and what the public has to say about the case and who supports her or BW. It is a natural part of the crisis phases and if she is reading this it is because she is worried about what everyone is saying about her. I mean honestly if you were to be raped, and then it hit the news and people were to be talking about it everywhere wouldn’t you be at least a bit worried about what people are saying, especially in a small town like Sunbury?
If she’s had a crappy past with situations about this, but I don’t think that she (or anyone) would ever accuse a pastor of something like this.
BW didn’t seem like that bad of a man before and he was a “great” pastor who was involved in helping with the high school choir and with youth events for so long, but things change. Hopefully he hadn’t planned on raping the victim when she came into his office that night, but he sinned. If he asks God for forgiveness God our God is a forgiving God and he will forgive BW, but that isn’t going to help the victim much. She is still going to be scared for life and probably not able to trust guys for a long time, but hopefully time, counseling, prayers, and healing will help her to survive and one day be able to get past this.
I pray for the victim and her family and that she will be able to heal and not get too much crap for what has happened to her. I’m sure she didn’t ask for this.
Wow thanks for calling me uneducated. The name calling is really inmature. In a case where everyone has an opinion or is trying to hold out their opinion until the facts come in. the personal hits are not called for!
I have looked for the latest stats on the average time that one waits to report the crime and have yet to find any current stat for you who want more information on stats and help check out www.rainn.org. RAINN Stands for Rape Abuse, Incest national network. there is some good information there.
in seeing cases where things have happened to youth there is something i noticed there is something missing in their eyes right after the violation on their bodies occured. The were both shut down almost instantly. I wasnt even related to the youth and could tell something was wrong. this was in the cases i saw first hand.
Like i said at 1122pm i havent made up my mind i checked the grand jury dockets today and didnt see the case listed but i may have missed it i checked it early.
Like i had said i know that just because it never happened with me i know it is possible. but i want to see the facts of the case.
PB has done many good things for the community and others with in the us along with in other countries. these things cant be discounted.
Not knowing the girl i am not trying to discount the things she has done. i am sure she has done good things in her life thus far.
once again i am waiting for the grand jury, right now we dont know whats going to happen. only time will tell. i pray for the youth her family, pb, sunbury and everyone involved in the case down though the court staff and those reporting this.
i am hoping people will be respectful of everyones comments, and where they stand on this case.
if everyone has to watch being alone with youth what about the last kid on the bus or the first. the youth being transported for other things. watching youth who are involved with the court get drug tested. so many people would be looking over their shoulders every day!!! just a thought
The links are not fitting here right so I am hoping it will work this time:
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/csa_myths.html
http://stopbaptistpredators.org/article07/waiting_decades.html
http://www.darkness2light.org/KnowAbout/statistics_2.asp
Hey Mo,
Gave up reading after comment 5 couldn't work out the anonymous' from each other.
Sounds like a broken record, thses stories.
CASE FINISHED 03/18/2008 BINDOVER/TO COMMON PLEAS/LGB
PRELIMINARY HEARING 03/18/2008 04:00PM PH / MKK
ARRAIGNMENT 03/10/2008 09:30AM ARRAIGNMENT
this is from the delaware county municipal court directly
So now it's headed to trial. In the meantime, the defense counsel and prosecutor will work on a plea deal. The quality of the evidence will determine what the prosecutor offers. But don't be surprised to see a plea deal in the next couple of months that includes prison time.
To all of you that are verbally attacking the first anonymous commenter:
You have no idea what it is like to hear of someone that has been a close friend/mentor for seventeen years, being accused of a crime such as this. I do not know how this commenter is associated with Pastor Brian, but i know how hard receiving this news was for me. You not even knowing the man is a sign that you should not even be commenting on the matter. He has impacted so many adults' lives as well as teens' lives. You don't understand why he is getting so much support because you don't know him, which is fine but don't put others down for voicing the fact that he has NOT been proven guilty. Do any of us really have the right to make all of these comments? I mean all this is, is opinion and gossip. And doesn't God warn us not to gossip? I would just hope that everyone pray for all parties involved. All of the people I have prayed with are supporters of Brian and as much as we hope the accusations are false, we still pray for the girl and her family.
These arguments make me sick. Honestly, in a world so broken, so in need of the love of Christ, you sit here and argue over whether or not PB is guilty? There are so many oppertunities to do something GOOD here... get of your butt, stop arguing about the legal side of it (that will work itself out anyway), and do something productive. Most of you don't even know PB. Accusing him does no good- you're not the judge.
If I was the judge he would already be in prison where he belongs. Posting these comments help people relief the hurt and stress instead of taken it out on young girls like PB did. Like I mentioned before most of these blogs to support the young woman that he has do this to. My heart goes out to her and her family. I would really like to know if reasoning behind all of this? Who gave him the right to do this; I'm sure this young woman didn't as she put her trust in him and that church. Hopefully this goes to court soon and his behind bars so that she knows he will not be able to hurt her or any other young woman again.
If I was the judge he would already be in prison where he belongs.
That is exactly why you are not the judge. The legal system gives everyone the right to a fair trial.
Not only does he have the right to a fair trial, but we, as Christians, are called to love both of the people involved here. No matter what "side" you're on, you are still to love the other person. I'm not saying that my heart doesn't go out to this girl and her family... it certainly does! Though I don't know her very well, we did get to spend some time together this summer and I really think she's great! I'm very sad that this situation arose. But, I also grew up with PB, and the PB I know doesn't do this. I know that people change and Satan can get a hold of us, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn my back on the greatest mentor I ever had. I also won't turn my back on a great girl that I got to meet at a church camp this summer. I am called to pray for the situation and to love them both through this tough time... no matter what the outcome is. No one has been officially charged with anything. Sit back, take a deep breath, say a prayer, and stop jumping to conclusions.
Anon at 6:20 you're spot on and I totally 100% agree with you. I also wrote the comment about the fair trial just so you know. Knowing them both personally, I find it mind blowing. I support both parties through prayer. The truth will set you free...
How many times has PB commented about this same situation during one of his messages? and then turn around and do it. For those of you that have known PB for many years have you talked to your children about this and asked them if this may have happened to them? I have seen stories and heard of many pastors doing this and telling the victim not to tell because no one will ever beleive them because he is their friend and or a man of God.
I feel ashamed of knowing that he could have done this and if he did I hope he is punished to the maximum prison terms that the court would impose. It is hard to beleive that he would make this awful crime in a wonderful community.
I truly hope that all of the church members will take heed of this and watch their own childer
When is the trial scheduled?
If this did happen, it is probably not the first time.
Did the alleged victim come from a troubled family background?
No the victim did not come from a troubled family. No matter where she came from or what her life was doesn't not give Brian the right to do this. Why is everyone worried about her past and not Brian? when she did not ask for him to rape her? No one knows when the trial will be but I hope it is so as he deserves what he gets if he did it. Seems pretty funny that he did not want the Premlim Hearing and to go to a grand jury.
The preliminary hearing generally is a defendant's first opportunity to test some of the evidence against him.
In many cases a preliminary hearing can be quite valuable for the defense because while it is not a discovery hearing, it does provide a chance to cross-examine police fficers and get their testimony on record. Should they testify differently at trial, the defense can impeach them with any prior inconsistent statements they made at the preliminary hearing.
In other cases, however, much of the information is available to the defense from police reports turned over by the prosecution in advance of the preliminary hearing. Also, the prosecution may not intend to call the victim at the preliminary hearing, only a police officer who will testify as to what the victim told police. Particularly in sexual assault cases, the victim often is not called to the witness stand at this early stage.
Prosecutors may make a plea offer to the defense before the preliminary hearing. If the defendant isn't ready to accept it, the prosecutor may agree to leave the offer on the table if the defendant waives the hearing. Waiving a preliminary hearing is QUITE COMMON.
Why is it funny? Did the defense learn of the evidence and decide that the grand jury would side with PB and his name would be cleared?
Noone knows what evidence they have if any. Everyone is wondering why he waived the prelim as he had his chance to speak and give his side to make their decisions a little be more far. I can't believe that he is not staying at his own home but has to move in with friends. I bet things are not right at home now are they!!!
May someone have mercy and do the right thing and send him away for along time.
"Why is it funny? Did the defense learn of the evidence and decide that the grand jury would side with PB and his name would be cleared?"
I didn't understand this statement. What do you mean?
The reason people are asking about the accuser's background is because it is common for a perpetrator to prey on vulnerable kids. Kids that come from single parent homes with little supervision, kids involved in drugs, kids with mental health issues, kids who are known to be sexually active, etc., are often prime targets. Also, not surprisingly, offenders often have the trust of family and friends of the victim (relatives, mom's boyfriend, teachers, pastors, law enforcement). No one is suggesting that makes it okay, just that many victims do not tend to come from healthy family backgrounds and have high self-esteem themselves.
Has there been a grand jury proceeding yet?
Why go to a grand jury when Brian knows what he did. why put this young woman through anymore pain as she is probably go through some hard times. For the person that said they have know this young woman for over 14 years, you should be ashamed of yourself. I bet you have the whole inside story about this and probably attend this church with supporting Brian the way you talk. Shame on you.
I can't wait until the day they rule him guily and see what you all have to say then. I would love to live nearby so I could go the the hearing to watch your faces.
Spiteful much? Seriously, He's innocent until proven guilty. Remember that from elementary school? The phrase that was hammered into one's head over and over throughout the years. Brian does know what he did. But you do not. Stop making accusations and jumping to conclusions. Why can't people be impartial and wait for the jury to decide? Shame on you. Why can't everyone be loving to BOTH sides until the jury decides what happened. Brian's family needs the love and prayers too. Especially his teenage daughter. Going to a large public high school I can't begin to imagine how kids won't leave her alone about this. Oh, and today's her birthday by the way. I'm just trying to say that there really are two sides to every story. I hope people realize one day that the victim isn't the only person hurting in this.
Anon at 12:49 there hasn't been a grand jury trial that. I don't think anyone knows when that'll be.
From the Dispatch:
"The indictment alleges that on March 6, Williams forced the girl to perform oral sex and assaulted her. The sexual battery charges specify that Williams was a cleric and that his victim "was a member of, or attended, the church or congregation."
She went to this church?
Yes, she went to his church. I'm unsure of how regularly. I'm fairly sure she was not a member though. I know that will mean nothing to the people who just want to rip PB to shreds.
You are right. A person is innocent until PROVEN guilty. An indictment does not prove guilt. It just indicates that the grand jury believes there is sufficient evidence to charge the pastor with these crimes. I would expect that he will fight these charges by going to trial. In the end, I just hope the truth wins outs. Prayers to all.
She was at the church everytime the door was opened and yes she was a member. Going to the fact that his daughter is having a bad time at school and it being her birthday, what do you think that his victim is going through with! Brian should have thought about his own family before touching this young woman.
Everyone seems to think that the victim is guilty and Brian is not. I do pray for both sides and we will see that my remarks are right.
Everyone needs to take their angry out somewhere. Why not the web where only feelings are hurt and they are not being raped as this young woman was.
Would you not want to rip Brian to shreds if it was your daughter or someone that you are close to? I'm sure that the victims family is horrified that they even trusted him. I know I would be.
Let people speak their mind and shut-up about Brian being so great and innocent as you all hope that he is. As you said before innocent until proven guilty and from what I have read and heard he is guilty.
Why did she go to discuss grades? Why didn't she discuss this matter with her teachers or guidance counselor? Pastors are not professional educators. This seems odd. Was she infactuated with the pastor? Where was her dad?
FYI - BW was just indicted on 2 counts of Rape and 2 counts of sexual assault.
All this legal jargon is way over my head. Even after searching google to understand I still can't grasp it. So what does that mean?
There will be a trial scheduled. In the interim, the prosecutor will more than likely offer a plea bargain to the pastor (i.e., X number of years in prison for a guilty plea on one or more of the charges). The defense attorney will then negotiate with the prosecutor for reduced charges and no jail time (unless the evidence against his client is not very compelling and he thinks he can get an acquittal at trial from the jury). This will probably take a few months. Be patient.
No matter what happens, how will anyone ever trust him again with their child? Most dad's have to work to make a good life to their children. From pictures I saw of Brian he is nothing to be infactuated over or how could he be infactuated with a 15 year old!!!!!!!! From what was said before he has a teenage daughter what would he be doing if this was her? I all I know is what comes around goes around.
If he is guilty, his reputation is ruined. If he is innocent, his reputation is ruined just because he was charged. It's a no win outcome for the pastor.
Is the accuser prepared to be cross examined during trial? It will be stressful and she will be expected to tell the truth.
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO
THE STATE OF OHIO,
Plaintiff
VS : Case No. 08 CR I 03 0160
BRIAN LWILLIAMS,
Defendant. : JUDGE EVERETT H. KRUEGER
JUDGMENT ENTRY SCHEDULING ARRAIGNMENT
This case is hereby scheduled for Arraignment, the same to come before the Court on March 24, 2008 at 2:00 pm.
Dated: March 21, 2008
EVERETT H. KRUEGEFUJUD E
So he will make a plea on Monday and then a trial will be scheduled?
anon 1228
The Grand juries carry out this duty by examining evidence presented to them by a prosecutor and issuing indictments, or by investigating alleged crimes and issuing presentments. A grand jury is traditionally larger and distinguishable from a petit jury, which is used during a trial.
The trial begins with the jury selection. Attorneys for both asides are allowed to question prospective jurors about their possible biases, prejudices, knowledge of the case on trial, and other matters relevant to sitting on a jury. Twelve people are selected [the jury of your peers] and sworn in as jurors, often along with one or more alternates.
The state begins by offering its evidence and witnesses in what is called its “Case in Chief” or “Direct Case”.The defense has the opportunity to test and poke holes in that evidence, through cross-examination (or questioning) of the State’s witnesses. When the state has produced all evidence it wishes to offer in its direct case, the State “rests.”Once the State has rested, the defense may ask the court for dismissal based on lack of any evidence. This request is rarely granted in any court. The defense may then offer evidence and testimony, but is not required to do so.
As part of any defense case, the accused defendant may decide to testify in his support of his own defense, but he may not be forced to do so.
The state and defense may then each offer “rebuttal” testimony attacking the other side’s evidence. After any rebuttal evidence, the case - and the evidence - is closed.
At that time, the defense may once again ask the judge to dismiss or “throw out” one or all charges, this time on the ground that there is not enough credible evidence to support a guilty verdict. Upon the close of the case, each party then submits requests for written “jury instructions” to be given to the jury, which set out an accurate summary of the applicable law as well as the things that the jury must determine beyond a reasonable doubt before it can return a verdict of guilty. The court reviews these jury instructions, and decides which should or should not be used.
The court usually reads most of these to the jury before the two sides make their closing arguments.
Each side then makes its closing argument, or “summation”, to the jury. In Wisconsin, the State gives the initial closing summation. The defense then gets to make a closing argument, after which the prosecutor has the final word. If the defense makes no closing argument, or a very, brief, general one, the State may not be allowed to give a second closing argument afterwards.
Additional, alternate jurors are either removed and asked to remain in the event of the illness of a deliberating juror, or alternatively, they are dismissed from the jury and sent on their way.
The jury is instructed on how to conduct their deliberations and how to select their foreman (or presiding juror).
The jury then goes into a separate room, to undertake its deliberations. They are given a copy of the written jury instructions, and also allowed access to most exhibits introduced into evidence at trial.
When the jury has reached a unanimous verdict (and they must all agree on a verdict or no verdict can be returned), it notifies the court in writing, and they are brought back into open court to announce that verdict.
After the verdict is announced, the judge usually “polls the jury” by asking each juror to affirm the verdict as his or her own. After accepting the verdicts, the court usually dismisses the jurors with thanks, and then releases them.
The court then enters judgment on the returned verdicts.
If the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict on one or more counts, the judge can also grant a mistrial on the basis of a “hung” jury, and then inquire if the prosecutor will retry the case. Depending on the verdict and several other factors, the defendant is either released outright, released on bond pending sentencing, or remanded into custody, in anticipation of a sentencing date.
CRIMINAL - Summary
08 CR I 03 0160 THE STATE OF OHIO VS. WILLIAMS, BRIAN L EHK
Prelim Case Nbr
Defendant
Full Name WILLIAMS, BRIAN L
D.O.B
Address
1153 BERLIN STATION ROAD
City/State/Zip DELAWARE OH 43015
Attorney(s)
LONG, O. ROSS
Jurisdiction COMMON PLEAS COURT
Case Information
Action Code 2907.02
Description RAPE
Degree of Off. Felony 1st Degree
Charge Dscr RAPE
Offense Date 03/06/2008
Arrest Date
Officer
Complainant
Prosecutor O BRIEN, CAROL HAMILTON
Judge KRUEGER, EVERETT H
Additional Fields
SCHOOL ATTENDED
NO. OF FAMILY MEMBERS INVOLVE
NO. JUVENILE OFFENSES
COUNTY OF JUVENILE OFFENSES
Case Comments Case Attributes
Number 08 CR I 03 0160
Filed 03/19/2008
Status Open
Incomplete
Now that the indictments come down tomorrow not on single idiot has a comment, what are you all so concerned for now? Before you had taken the time to comment how this could not be true not seeing that anymore are you?!! I have said before that he was guilty and now even the grand jury must think so also. Sounds like they are the only one that has finally listened to this young woman and take the right actions against Brian.
Or could it be that people are spending Easter with their families?
;)
What is Brian saying now that the Grand Jury is ready to do the indictment? Hope the judge is smart and will put him back behind bars where he deserves to be. I feel sorry for his own daughter but he is the one that did this to his own family and the family of his victim.
Arraignment 03/25/2008 10:30 Whitney, W. Duncan
Both sides need to shut up until the evidence is presented. Neither side knows what the girl or Brian know and are too biased to really listen to the truth anyway - whatever it may be.
So go back to your lives and let the law take care of it's self.
Teenage girls have infactuations with pastors all the time. I bet even your pastor has a teenage girl - whether publicly or privately - with a crush on him. So blow that ridiculus argument out the window.
And I bet that all pastors have had sexual thoughts of one of their teenage girls. Don't deny it many of us are guys, and guy Pastors are human too!!! So don't be fouled that because Brian is a Pastor that he doesn't have these thoughts too. (That's why God has mercy on us so we can ask for forgiveness.)
Feel free to take apart as required but making it personnel only shows that you are not going to ever believe what is found out in the court of law, because your heart is too hard!
"And I bet that all pastors have had sexual thoughts of one of their teenage girls. Don't deny it many of us are guys, and guy Pastors are human too!!!"
I truly hope that you never become a Pastor. You sound like a teen male yourself. I know my children are teens or older and I do not have sexual thoughts towards my daughters teen friends. For pete sake they are children. A 15 year old girl is NOT someone who an 40+ year old man who is in a position of trust and authority over should ever consider in that manner. And if he does then maybe he should change his profession.
Why shutup these comments are not hurting anyone. We are just people letting our frustration out. He had better pray if he is convicted that no other prisoner finds out what he has done to this young woman. From what I have heard they don't take it kindly to a child molester and he will get what he deserves one way or another.
I would like to know more about the good ole boys within the church with Brian. We have found out that Brian is not the only pastor from that church that has done something like this. Why isn't he staying at his own house? OH that's right he has a teenage daughter and can't be trusted with her.
What is this world coming to when a person can not even trust their own pastor of a church?
Brian is a sick man to use a church to get to young woman who would trust him.
"We have found out that Brian is not the only pastor from that church that has done something like this."
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I think you have your facts confussed. This is a new church, where he was the first pastor and nothing like this happend at his old church. With him or any of the pastors on the staff.
That church has been in Sunbury for over 20 years. I have read some blogs on another website that has talked about this happening within this church organization. I will not give out the website since you have the tendecny not to beleive this happened within the church.
So he's still going to put families through greif by pleading not guilty! How stupid can he be???? I don't know how this man is able to sleep knowing that he has done this awful crime and will not have the B___s to admit to it.
Or maybe he pleaded not guilty because he's... not guilty.
Just a thought...
Don't be surprised to see Pastor Williams accept a plea deal in the coming weeks.
And, the sooner the better so that everyone can begin the healing process. There will be no "winners" from this tragedy.
The ONLY winner is the victim and any future victims. It really hurts to think he would mess a young wamons life up for the rest of her life and lose his for doing this.
I heard he waived his rights not to hear the charges against him at court. He will have to hear them especially if this young woman has prove that he had done this awful crime.
well well well...sounds like mr.brian is hiding something. he turned his rights over to his attorney for some reason. i mean if he truely was not guilty he would have said something. this way noone can say he lied. but the truth is he did lie.
Do we know he lied? NO!
We know she has lied in the past!
I wouldn't want to live the life that reaps the seeds sown that falsely accused a minister, destroyed a church, and brought reproach on ministers in general. I would fear the Lords rebuke in this situation more than anything. That is, if she is lying AGAIN.
I can honestly tell you, there is evidence and she is not lying.
What is the evidence? There have been other rape cases here in Central Ohio in the news this April and they have stated the evidence they have. The news nor public court requests have disclosed the evidence. Do they have DNA? Did they search his church office? Did they search his home? Did they take his computers? Did they do the "CSI" blue light in his office? Have the interviewed other teens from SBGC? Have they interviewed people from his former church? What is the evidence?
Anon 1040;
It doesn't matter what the evidence is some won't believe it unless it is against PB anyway.
The Bible says very clearly that pastors that lead their flock astray are going to have a more severe punishment.
The Bible is also very clear that lying is unacceptable. Several times God destroys liers on the spot!
Like you, I would like to see and hear the evidence. It's got to be a huge if the Delaware Prosecuter is wanting to pursue this.
The fact is PB has entered a plead of not guilty. Being the sort of person he is I would have thought he would not want to put the girl through all of this if he was guilty.
It is such a terrible shame that anyone has to go through this. Rape is disgusting no matter who or what the reason it.
I heard that this church has almost shut down a few times for the same crime that PB has done. But I guess the church paid the victims off to not to make charges.
We all know who the anoymous person is that is saying that they have known this victim for over 14 years; and that family is no better then this victim. Its said to say they have grandchildren that was born out of wedlock. Now that is calling the pot black. This person was always known as the Sunbury gossiper at the small store in town.
I tought that the big things in small towns like Sunbury...was to gossip bout a situation then give up after awhile....THIS HAPPEND ALMOST A MONTH AGO!!!
how about wait until July after trial to find out what really happened. Thank God i dont live there anymore...
WHO CARES that this girl has lied in the past... so does that automatically mean that she is lying now?????????? NO, dont you think it is extremely likely that he could have prayed on that, OH YEA! Leave this poor girl alone.
"I heard that this church has almost shut down a few times for the same crime that PB has done. But I guess the church paid the victims off to not to make charges."
I AM A LITTLE CONFUSSED BY YOUR STATEMENT ABOVE. Sunbury Grace Brethren Church was a new church - opened in I believe 2005/2006 - with Brian Williams as the Senior Pastor. This was a church plant that moved into the Baptist Church - which had basically dissolved when the Sunbury Grace Brethren Church moved in. Brian was the first and only SR Pastor of this church.
Before that Brian was a long time pastor in the area and nothing like this happend at his previous church.
If you have some proof of the above statement please re-direct me to this information.
But if you don't - please don't make up stuff to make PB or his church look worse.
honestly now, raping a girl, what more can make him look worse...
No one has to do anything or say anything to make PB or his church look worse then what he has done to make it look so. For those still backing up this man you are as guilty as he is..................
"No one has to do anything or say anything to make PB or his church look worse then what he has done to make it look so. For those still backing up this man you are as guilty as he is.................."
How old are you? My God, you must be no older than 15 years old to have such concrete thinking. If you were an adult, you would be classified as developmentally delayed from a cognitive perspective. But since you must be a child, more reasonable posters understandably refrain from calling you an outright imbecile.
By the way, if you are related in any way to this girl, you are an embarrassment to that family. Or, are they all as unsophisticated as you??? If not, just go back to playing with your dolls because you add NOTHING of substance to this discussion and have not since this thread was created.
To the last person to make a post. You must be a member of the church to stand behind Brian. No I am not a member of the girls family. Brian would be the imbecile to think he could do this and get away with it. I really would like to know what he thought. I know no one is going to say. For anyone to consider another family embarrassment you should think about you and your own family. I am glad that they took him out of his own house away from his own daughter; and just think to be a grown man and have to have supervison to see his own daughter. See the court didn't trust or beleive him.
Shame on you for standing up for Brian and putting a innocent teenager down. What you would be doing if it was your child? Maybe it has happened to your child and you don't have the guts to stand up or has he done this crime to you?
THANK YOU! Couldn't have put it better myself. I AM a member of that church and still stand behind the victim. PB is a scumbag for doing this and I pray he gets what he deserves.
to Anon. 10:25
My heart truly breaks for the members of SGBC.
Are you still attending SGBC? Have people left the church because of this? Do you feel the church will survive this scandal?
Do you have have trouble going back into the church building, knowing that an alleged crime took place there?
"THANK YOU! Couldn't have put it better myself. I AM a member of that church..."
Sure you are.
To most of you who apparently derive some kind of perverse satisfaction from this case, grow up and wait for a verdict. Then, get on with your pathetic lives. Regardless of the outcome, the victim (whomever it turns out to be) will have an uphill battle putting their life together. And, few who have been posting on this board will give much of a damn about that. Most are too busy spewing their hatred. I'm sure you will find some other cause for which you can pontificate. Frankly, about a year or two in a psych ward might serve you well.
the victim (whomever it turns out to be)
Can you be any more hateful? In cases like this our job as adults it to protect our children and wait for the courts to process the case. If Brian is guilty, then may he rot in prison. until then, going after people because they do not agree with your fucked up viewpoint is evil.
"Can you be any more hateful?"
It is not hate, it's called not being so prejudiced and being more open-minded. This type of person serves society best, especially on juries.
"In cases like this our job as adults it to protect our children and wait for the courts to process the case."
I current agree more. No argument there.
"If Brian is guilty, then may he rot in prison."
Fair enough.
"...going after people because they do not agree with your fucked up viewpoint is evil."
Clearly, you have a lot of personal anger. Work on that for better mental health.
It's not whether someone agrees or disagrees with me, rather it's about not jumping to conclusions and pronouncing someone guilty until proven innocent. This is the U.S., not Cuba.
Brian deserves to be in Cuba if you want to put it that way.
To be a minister, a man of GOD, Brian must be thinking of something other then what he is suppose to be teaching our young society. I just think my God that my children don't come to that church.
I don't wish the Church any bad luck but to have one of their own to do this. What else is the community suppose to think about this church. I heard that the church has a group the call the Good Ole boys!! and that the church has had this type of trouble before.
To most of the postings I bet its from one church member or a person that has nothing better to do but to support an imbecile.
My God have mercy on the souls that commit these crimes. Its the victims my heart goes out to and the family of the imbecile that commits these crimes.
It is not hate, it's called not being so prejudiced and being more open-minded. This type of person serves society best, especially on juries.
Really? My direct experience is somewhat different. I've been on 12 jury trials over the last 20 years. Three have involved rape, one was clergy sexual misconduct with a minor.
The only close minded people on the jury were fundies. It took three days to send our pastor away, dispite overwhelming evidence of his guilt. The lone dissenter did not want to convict simple because he was a pastor
I've also let a man go free when I knew he was likely to have committed his crime. The reason, no direct evidence.
There is one thing I know for sure. A trial is about the accused, not the victim. We do not judge the guilt or innocence of the victim, we only try to discern the truth.
There is one other thing. I've been reporting on clergy sexual misconduct for years. I know what to look for when reading comment threads. You are a supporter of this man. It is obvious. You might as well just be honest and admit it. Also - it helps to leave you name so your friends can hold you accountable.
I am honestly not a supporter of this pastor. However, I am a supporter of the concept of innocent until proven guilty. If he is guilty, then he should serve prison time, at least 5-10 years. Frankly, if it were my own daughter, he probably wouldn't have lived to the indictment stage.
Can someone fill me in on when the trial is set for? I live out of town and I'd like to stay in the loop on this, is there any website or newsfeed that will keep me updated? (besides this one)
http://www.delawarecountyclerk.org/pa.urd/pamw2000.o_case_sum?4077517
Go Buckeyes!
ARRAIGNMENT 03/24/2008 14:00 14:15 KRUEGER, EVERETT H VACATED
Arraignment 03/25/2008 10:30 10:45 Whitney, W. Duncan HEARD
Status Conference 05/28/2008 10:00 10:15 Whitney, W. Duncan
Jury Trial 07/10/2008 09:00 17:00 Whitney, W. Duncan
Jury Trial 07/11/2008 09:00 17:00 Whitney, W. Duncan
Jury Trial 07/17/2008 09:00 17:00 Whitney, W. Duncan
Jury Trial 07/18/2008 09:00 17:00 Whitney, W. Duncan
the girl is a chronic liar.
As a complete outsider...
-Why is a fifteen year old child's character being dismantled online for the whole world to see? Either her story is true or it is false. That is for the authorities to determine. Would people have this attitude if the child was male, or are you implying that she somehow "asked for" his attentions?
-She may have lied in the past. We have all told lies. That does not mean she is lying about this.
-I really feel for those who have known the pastor a long time and feel he could never have done something like this. But you still have to wait for the verdict of the court. If you are right, congratulations. If you are wrong, he has been living a double life.
-As several posters have said, even if the accuser is vindicated in court, there are no winners. This is loss all around.
For all of you who "THINKS" this upstanding man is so innocent! http://www.delawarecountyclerk.org/pa.urd/pamw2000.docket_lst?4077517
Fyi.. this pastor has pleaded guilty to this crime!
yes thats right HE DID IT!!
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/06/23/williams.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
here is the link
He pled GUILTY
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/06/23/williams.html?sid=101
There are no winners in this case. This pastor will receive the punishment he deserves and will be a social pariah the rest of his life. He has greatly injured his family in the process, not to mention his former church. Hopefully, the victim will recover from this enough to lead a fairly normal life. Still, the damage will be irreparable in many ways. All of this in the name of lust.
Yes finally all of the idiots that believed that Brian didn't do it; now you all know. How about an apology to the victim for accussing her of lying and wanting no one to believe her. I hope that his family knows what a monster that they have in their lives. Hope he enjoys his freedom for the next couple of months because his day is coming to get justice. He deserves a life sentence nothing less.
Sex may have occured between the two--but not forcible rape. I could never believe that. This is a 15 year old girl who could pass for 20 years of age, who is self-admitedly sexually experienced, and has already (informally) accused at least two other males of "forcing themsselves" on her. Who knows why she would accuse this man of rape? Maybe he did or said something to make her mad -- she can be very vindictive --- or maybe her father found out about something that caused to her point a finger. Sure, it's wrong and horrible for an adult man to have any sexual contact with a young girl. No argument. Just bear in mind that the girl wasn't sexually innocent - and may have her own motives for accusing BW of rape. Both are in need of restoration of mind, body and spirit.
Listen jackass. When a 15-old-girl has sex with her pastor she is below the age of consent. That means rape. You are just trying to absolve this asshole of his crime by blaming the girl. We can all see that.
How can you blame the girls dad when he's the only one that she has since her MOTHER walked out and left them. The mother should have been there and not out trying to get her teenage years back.
BW should not be allowed to roam the streets until his sentencing. Who knows what he might try to do.
Even if the girl looks older then she really is that still does not give BW the right to force her to have sex. 2 - 10 years is not long enough for this crime. May GOD have mercy on his soul and let the inmates, whereever bw is incarcerated at, find out what he has done.
I wish I knew who the idiot(s) are that look so down on this girl because you are not in the family and you REALLY don't know her or the family like you think. I think I know and you better pray when and if you go to church that GOD forgives your soul for the judgement that you are putting on the teenage girl.
"Sex may have occured between the two--but not forcible rape. I could never believe that. This is a 15 year old girl who could pass for 20 years of age, who is self-admitedly sexually experienced, and has already (informally) accused at least two other males of "forcing themsselves" on her. Who knows why she would accuse this man of rape? Maybe he did or said something to make her mad -- she can be very vindictive --- or maybe her father found out about something that caused to her point a finger. Sure, it's wrong and horrible for an adult man to have any sexual contact with a young girl. No argument. Just bear in mind that the girl wasn't sexually innocent - and may have her own motives for accusing BW of rape. Both are in need of restoration of mind, body and spirit."
Honestly...? you seem to believe that this was done by the girl. Well, news flash, jackass, BW ADMITTED TO SEXUAL BATTERY. That was part of the PLEA agreement. He HAD to sign a document saying it was HE that started this and HE was the one who forced HIMSELF onto the girl. Read a friggin' newspaper every once and awhile.
Likewise, with the new information, how dare you even begin to defend this man and not the girl. You sicken me. Who cares what she looks like or how she carries herself. Hell, she could be a full blown prostitute, it still doesn't mean you can go force yourself on her because she "dresses promisculessly." Or looks older. What sick logic!!!
You are in need of some serious sprituality in not seeing the faults in one of the churchs leaders, begging for forgivness and having an open heart to this girl. Honestly, and this may be redundant, but would Jesus accuse the girl, or look with shame on a leader of His Word?
Check your values sir or ma'am. You are easily supporting the notion that the MAN didn't do it, but the CHILD did it, when he has SIGNED, meaning he endorses and believes and supports, the CLAIM THAT HE DID IT ALL.
I want to barf. You people are simply disgusting.
He has signed the documents stating what he has done to this young girl. I hope and pray he is very ashamed for what he has done to his own family and the family and life of the young girl.2 to 10 years is not long enough it should be life
I just stumbled on to this website and have read all the comments. I am a member of the church -- and believe me, as a church family, as a community and as individuals -- we are devastated. I can't even begin to describe my shock at the whole situation. I would ask those of you who are praying people to pray for BW, his family, the girl, her family and our church.
This stuns me. People who were vehemently against the girl now have nothing to say...
Certainly, when someone cries wolf, and there is no danger, you are bound to not beleive them after time...but this has been an amazing spectacle to watch unfold over the past few months.
Those of you who blamed the girl, you are disgusting and terrible souls. You are so blinded by your faith IN A MAN that BW very easily could have done this to one of your own girls and you would then have attacked your own daughters!!! No wonder women don't want to ever tell people they have been raped.
We are such an idiotic and stupid society and you people who supported BW through and through and refused to claim neutrality or any true sympathy for the girl are disgusting and grotesque. YOU PEOPLE are what is wrong with this country.
Do us all a favor and sit in front of a bus or something...
Does anyone know where BW is or are you still protecting him. I hope and pray for those that know him PLEASE watch your own daughter(s). The family of the girl is standing behind her 100% and just because you don't know what is going on with her right now is killing you. How do you know that they are not posting some of the blogs that are from anonymous person?.
I guess people in the community will never learn to put all of their trust in a pastor. I certainly hope that BW's church relizes what monsters they have associated with them. How many members have let their young daughters have private time with any of the pastors in this church? Have you had them checked or talked to them about what is going on with this young lady???
Pastor BW resigned shortly after this happened. As for the girl and her family -- I have only seen them for very short moments with no chance for real conversation. I miss them, but believe they have probably been advised not to speak to much to members of the church. I don't know.
Everytime something like this happens -- whether with a pastor, a teacher, or anyone else in a place of public trust --- everyone loses. The "good" teachers/pastors, etc., have triple the work cut out for them to prove their own trustworthiness. Some never gain it, because people have become afraid to trust. People of our church have been lumped together as "bad" -- although we had no reason to suspect that anything was amiss. We have to work very hard to show the community that we are here to try to bring help, hope and love --- an almost impossible task now -- as you can imagine. I just hope that people reading this won't toss the baby out with the bathwater --- don't turn your back on God because of the mistakes of men.
Today is the day that Brian Williams gets what he deserves. I bet you he won't get all that he deserves. I hear that his wife filed for a divorce about 1 1/2 weeks ago; good for her. I have to see his children go through this mess and all but he should have known better. From reading these comments from the church members that have totally put this young woman down you deserve the same that Brian gets but I know it will never happen. He better hope that they put him somewhere in a prison where noone has access to him and I hope they put him in public population and someone finds out what he has done. May GOD have mercy on his awful soul!!!
How's the girl doing?
BW got 8 years. Let's count the victims:
1. The victim herself;
2. His family (I especially pity the poor daughter);
3. His soon-to-be ex-wife;
4. The church congregation;
5. Jesus himself.
Sad, sad day for all of the above.
I hope BW knows how to fight or else he will have to be somebody's b*tch in the joint for protection.
He will never know how much he has hurt people in his life.
Why ask how the girl is doing, you never cared before this all ended yesterday.
Why does anyone feel sorry for him? He was a man that spoke the word of GOD and knew better. He should have gotten more then 8 years in prison; it should have been for the rest of his life. Yep you got it right he will be somebodys B????? in there and hope he knows what it feels like to be violated.
Be careful what you say. He will be out in 8 short years looking for revenge.
From what I hear he will be begging to come home once the other guys in the prison finds out that he molested a young woman. Looking for revenge he better be looking for forgiveness from JESUS. If hes smart, from what I have read about him hes not, he would never show his face back in that community. May the prisoners have mercy and give him what he deserves.
First of all, Monday the 18th was a very good day for my family. You see the victim is one of my siblings. I cannot judge BW but someday God will. I am happy that he got 8 years in prison and then 5 years probation. Then on top of that he has to register as a level 3 sex offender. I just hope everyone can look past the victim and not blame her...after all he did admit to doing that to her. Thank you God.
No reasonable person is going to blame a 15 year old for being sexually assaulted.
I hope this verdict brings your sister and family some peace. Your sister can now begin to move forward with her life. I hope she does not let this tragic incident consume her in a negative way. Additionally, keep in mind that BW is the exception. The vast majority of clergy do not do this to their parishioners. In time, I pray she finds another church home where she can feel comfortable and not judged.
No one is judging the girl other then the members of that church in Sunbury. From what I have heard the church is still standing behind BW for the crime that was committed
No one is judging the girl other then the members of that church in Sunbury. From what I have heard the church is still standing behind BW for the crime that was committed
I am a member of this church and you are DEAD WRONG!! There is a few that still defend him but most think he wrong and should have been held morally and legally accountable. I was happy with the sentence. It has been hard enough for our church to get through this terrible time without all the lies being spread.
I will add some thoughts to the most recent anonymous post. I have posted before -- I have gone to this church since shortly after it started and still do. This has devastated each and every one of us. We are not defending BW. What can be so broken in a person's heart and mind that he would do such a thing? As I have said before -- both he and the girl are in need of help. I have seen positive things come out of the most horrible situations. My hope and prayer is that one day both BW and the girl will find healing and peace. The same goes for our church family and the community.
How can the girl find peace when she can't even trust a minister in a church? The one person anyone should be able to trust is a minister of their church. How can any of the members trust their children to be at any church function with a minister of that church? I thank GOD that my children doesn't go there.
He without sin cast the first stone. Everyone who bashed the pastor has sinned against God. A white lie is a sin...Rape is a sin....Both stink in the nostrils of God. But which would you say is the greater sin for both sins above are known to have caused many lives to be destroyed. David in the Bible was a murderer yet God blessed him and was one of the greatest kings of all Israel. So touch not Gods anointed and do His prophets no harm. My heart goes out for the girl as well.
To add to that...when has there ever been a perfect pastor. No one is perfect. Everyone who posted a comment on behalf of the girl or the pastor are sinners. For all have sinned. allows God to rule and reign in her life, I guarantee she will be just fine.
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