Deep Thoughts: Pastor Steven Wintersteen arrested

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Pastor Steven Wintersteen arrested

I think it’s safe to say that Steven Lee Wintersteen is a former pastor, but in my book once a pastor, always a pastor. Back in the day (a few years ago), Pastor Wintersteen was the pastor at The Shaver Lake Church of Christ in Modesto. He left his job, wife and family to hook up with a women in the Philippines that he met online. Now he’s been arrested by the FBI for trying to have sex with an 8-year-old girl.

Told that the woman had an 8-year-old daughter, Wintersteen allegedly sought to arrange a meeting for sex.

At one point, Wintersteen told the woman he had a friend in China who was interested in young girls and "extream” pain and suggested that the woman and her daughter travel to China with him so the girl could meet "six men there,” according to the affidavit.

He sounds like a peach. I know of Wintersteen from his connection to pedophile pastor Markus McDowell. Apparently McDowell would visit Wintersteen’s church each year with children from his youth group. I thought it odd that Wintersteen would be connected to McDowell. I guess they run in packs.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Pedophiles

Comments (31)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

0 Vote up Vote down

Steve · 804 weeks ago

Great work exposing these miscreants(!)

0 Vote up Vote down

mike · 804 weeks ago

How do you know of Steve and his connection to McDowell? Was the church in Modesto or Shaver Lake?

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Shaver lake friend · 804 weeks ago

Did you know Steve at the time he was pretending to be a reverened, and still married to his good wife? A lot of people in this community were fooled by him, including his wife. Several customers of her shop visited their home at this time and occationally visited their church. Are all of us who knew him or had contact with him pedophiles? Your logic isn't exactly genious. Don't smear all of us good people who knew him then, or actually didn't know the real Steve, just because we were taken in by his very devious charade.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

shaver citizen · 804 weeks ago

You don't know anything about what happened here in Shaver, including anything about Mcdowell. You know Wintersteen has been arrested and is guilty of misrepresenting himself in the most shameful, perverted, and vulger way possible. Because Mcdowell was convicted before, does that mean that he is guilty of everything everwhere.? Get out the vegilantes, and forget the constitution. You that live here. You know Wintersteen has been arrested and misrepresented himself in the most shameful and perverted and vulgar way possible.

One thing, unfortunately ,about the internet is that everyone thinks they are an expert on everything and everyone, but hey, thats the great thing about the constitution If you have read it.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Eric changed · 804 weeks ago

I don't think your deep thoughts are deep enough.
You stated that" in my book once a pastor always a pastor".
Well, I was once an athest and now I'm a Christian. Do you think people don't ever change? I've seen people, from all walks of life, change their thinking radically and therefore thier behavior. People can and do change. To think otherwise, is pretty nieve.

1 reply · active 804 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

keep_prayin 1p · 803 weeks ago

You cant belive everything you read in the papers he is not as bad as the media made him out to be he is seeking counsel and trying to come back to the lord and I dont think it right to start gossiping about pepole you dont know. The only thing Mojoey knows is what he reads in the paper now thats resourceful and whats is say in the bible about gossip and judging people go ahead stat throwing stones! You want to write about something try something that isn't going to hurt people how do you think it makes his family feel its bad enough the junk on the news but then you have fellow belivers that should be helping you through this hard time but instead you make it worse just because he was a minister 10 years ago makes it all okay huh why dont you try praying for him and his family.

1 reply · active 803 weeks ago

0 Vote up Vote down

no name · 803 weeks ago

How do you know he isn't as bad as the media made him out to be? Because he told you it isn't that bad? Has anyone thought about the fate of the EIGHT year old! What is wrong you people. These predators destroy innocent lives, but it really isn't all that bad? WOW. Of coarse I feel for his family, this is a terrible blow I'm sure. But we must as a society protect our children and that means exposing these predators for what they are. This is not gossip, this is protection. The only thing silence does is protect the predator. Not the victims.

0 Vote up Vote down

CTK · 803 weeks ago

You were abused by a priest/pastor, weren't you mojoey? That explains a LOT of your deep bitterness and anger. Or you are close to someone who has been... I am sorry for the wounds that you have, but my friend, the thought that you are 'punishing' those or 'exposing those in spiritual authority is NOT punishing Christ. It is you, venting your anger at a god you gave up on a long time ago. But a God who has never once given up on you... Praying for you...

1 reply · active 803 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Neal · 791 weeks ago

Mr Wintersteen convicted today in OKC court; 1 count interstate travel with intent to have sex with minor, 1 count child porn on computer. Sentencing by judge in 90 days.

+2 Vote up Vote down

mystery_person 1p · 791 weeks ago

Is soooo happy that he is going away. He could and SHOULD serve the full 40 years in prison.

0 Vote up Vote down

No Name · 791 weeks ago

I was so disgusted when I read about him having sex with his own daughter when she was 13. Poor thing. I can only imagine the hell she has had to go through in life due to her own father's torture. I hope she has support from her family or good friends. I also wonder if she was abused by this McDowell character too. Mojoey, you did say these people run in packs.

1 reply · active 753 weeks ago

-1 Vote up Vote down

OverSite · 786 weeks ago

ENTRAPMENT: The inducement of one to commit a crime not contemplated by him, for the mere purpose of instituting a criminal prosecution against him. People v. Makovsky, 3 Cal 2d 366, 44 P2d 536; State v. Marquardt, 139 Conn 1, 89 A2d 219, 31 ALR@d 1206. Measures used to entrap a person into crime in order, by making him criminal, to aid the instigator in the accomplishment of some corrupt private purpose of his own. Woo Wai v. United States (CA9 Cal) 223 F 412.

0 Vote up Vote down

keepprain · 776 weeks ago

You can't believe what the media say's he DID"NT have sex with his Daughter

0 Vote up Vote down

no name · 776 weeks ago

Is there any news on this guy. I thought he would have been sentenced by now.

As far as not believing the media, it was Steve Wintersteen's own words, that he had sex with his daughter when 13. I don't think the "media" made that up. Sorry.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

no one · 753 weeks ago

http://oklahomacity.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel1...

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

keepprayin · 751 weeks ago

He feels like he won they wanted to put away for 30 years and he will be out in 9 and 1/2

+1 Vote up Vote down

citizenlen · 748 weeks ago

As a victim of child abuse, I am appalled by some of the idiotic comments. "dont believe everything...the media is making it sound worst....he is a changed man....he isn't as bad as the media said....blah, blah, blah" Try being raped at 6 and feeling scared and distrustful of people for the rest of your life. It's like living in an invisible cage and there is no key. That's what these rapists, pedophiles does. They murder your whole being and soul. Till it happens to you, then you have no fucking right to say he isn't as bad as the media portray. This disgusting man is a predator and I'm surprised that other pastor continue to have contact with children. And before you fanatics start throwing your Christianity and hurling your moral compass. How dare you! Just because a person may not believe in God, or have a religious preference it doesn't mean their moral code is tainted or he should be discredited. And you call yourselves Christians! Your fanaticism makes you look like sheep. Thank you Mojoey for keeping the public informed.

0 Vote up Vote down

jane doe · 588 weeks ago

A family member of mine married him 30 years ago when she was 17 and he was 30. She divorced him at 18 because she caught him with a kid doing what he intended to do here. She attempted suicide when she found out this now. He has been a predator for a very long time, and she is only beginning to recover a faith in God. I wonder where are all the other kids he surely abused? What about his own daughter? this case is horrifying. Jesus did not come to rape children. It is nonsensical to even go there. Anyone who thinks this guy really tried to be a follower Jesus is not right in the head. If a cop turns out to be a perv, does it mean all cops really do is molest children? Of course not.

1 reply · active 511 weeks ago

Post a new comment

Comment as a Guest, or login:

Tweet this comment

Connected as (Logout)

Email (optional)

Not displayed publicly.

Submit Comment

Subscribe to

Comments by IntenseDebate