Jeffrey Alan Wasley is a peach. He is a youth pastor and magician who allegedly collects child porn and likes to record little boys as they pee in public restrooms. Did I mention he's a youth pastor?
“This defendant’s actions are especially disturbing because he was allegedly surreptitiously filming young boys in public rest rooms,” U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said in a statement. “In addition, he had allegedly collected a large amount of child pornography, actions which support a market designed solely to sexually exploit children for others’ sick enjoyment.”
“Magic Jeff” served as youth minister for Calvary Jesus Church in Kennesaw. He also worked as a magician at amusement park, hospitals, and schools. This guy exhibits the pattern I call the Michael Jackson syndrome. He loves kids. He will do anything to be near them. People like this should set off alarm bells, but they don’t. They get away with it until they screw up.
The ironic thing is that Wasley’s church runs a prison ministry. I wonder if they will accept him back into the flock once he begins serving his potential 70 year sentence? My guess is yes.
One of the problems I have with the whole clergy sexual abuse thing is how the pastor’s church handles the situation. It is rare to find a church website with anything about an offending pastor. The most common approach is to simply edit out all record that the pastor ever even worked at the church. That is the approach Calvary Jesus Church took. You won’t find word one on the website. Every page that relates to youth ministry is broken too. And, there are no press releases, notes to he congregation, or notes to the public (or press). Instead, the waters are calm. The church moves on. I don’t think this is the right approach. It perpetuates the problem.
The crimes a pastor commits, be they public or private, should be visible to the public. The church should comment on what happened. They should comment on the steps they will take to prevent a man like Wasley from gaining access to children. The church should offer an outlet for people who need counseling. I can go on and on. But seriously, how does ignoring the situation help solve the problem?
Hat tip Volly
