Pastor Joseph R. Fultz formerly of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Longmont, was arrested for failing to report alleged sexual abuse. From my read of he story, it sounds like he’s the victim of a witch hunt.
Fultz allegedly failed to report sexual activity between boys attending his church and a private Christian school. The boys were members of I”wiener club”. Club members, boys from 5 to 12 years of age, would fondle each other while in the bathroom. Fultz allegedly told the boys to keep the incident quiet. He did not participate in the alleged sexual activity, nor from what I can tell, did he encourage it. Yet he was reported to police for failing to report “the abuse”.
Prosecutors allege that Fultz had reasonable cause to suspect the children had been abused, and he was bound “in the course of professional duties” to report the incidents to Walworth County authorities.
Since when is childhood sexual curiosity considered abuse? I don’t think these charges will hold up in court. The case is further undermined by a statement released by Faith Christian School (pdf), where some of the abuse is alleged to have happened. They deny the abuse happened.
School officials knew of only one incident in which two 5-year-olds touched each other inappropriately in the bathroom during a break, the letter states.
Fultz's connection to the school was that his son was a student, but the minister was never assigned to conduct any investigation, the letter states.
Is this incident something that you arrest a man over? Where is the crime? The story could have gone down something like this: Fultz is made aware of the Weiner club. He investigates and then tells the boys to, “knock that shit off and tell no one.” He gets arrested because a mother wants to shift blame from her son to another.
I could be wrong. Let us see how this one plays out.
