Special Victims Unit nabs another pastor

Wow - it's just like watching TV. There really is a Special Victims Unit.

A former Clarkson pastor has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy back in 1982.

Officers from the Peel Regional Police Special Victims Unit charged the 48-year-old Acton man on Jan. 11.

Police say the accused was a youth counselor and youth pastor at St. Brides Anglican Church in Clarkson and an "out-trip" director at the Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney, Ontario during the time of the alleged assault.

Garth Stanwyn Bent has been charged with indecent assault.

Source: Former Clarkson pastor facing sex charges - The Mississauga News - Mississauga.com

I wonder if we will see this story as a ripped-from-the-headlines special?

Technorati tags: Child Molestation, clergy sexual abuse, Garth Stanwyn, Canada, pedophilia, pedophile

Youth pastor re-sentenced

"Pastor" Paul Gagnon, a pedophile convicted of 38 charges related to the production of child porn, was re-sentenced to 93 months to 20 years in prison. His original sentence was 13-to-20 years.

A Flint man and self-described youth pastor who preyed on children was re-sentenced after a judge exceeded his guidelines at an earlier sentence.

Genesee Circuit Judge Archie L. Hayman told Paul L. Gagnon he wished he could sentence Gagnon to life in prison.

"I can't even give you the amount of time I think you deserve," he told Gagnon, citing state-mandated guidelines.

Gagnon was known as "Pastor Paul" to the scores of children.

In May, Hayman sentenced Gagnon, 52, of Flint, to 13-20 years in prison on 38 counts related to manufacture and possession of child porn.

But because of sentencing guidelines, Hayman re-sentenced Gagnon to 93 months to 20 years on those charges.

Source: Sentence reduced for 'vile' youth pastor - News Now - The Flint Journal - MLive.com

This is one sick man. It is too bad he did not qualify for a "die in prison" re-sentencing. And to be fair, Gagnon is a self described youth pastor.

Technorati tags: Youth Pastor, sexual abuse, child abuse, child pornography, Paul Gagnon, pedophile, pedophilia

Allen Kauffman tries to make it go away

Pastor Allen Kauffman, who also happens to be the mayor of Collins, Missouri, tried to make his case go away by using his power and influence to persuade a police officer to lose evidence. I am sure Kauffman has some important work to do for Jesus... in prison.

A mayor and pastor from a small Missouri town — who's facing charges of enticing a child over the Internet — is accused of trying to make the case go away.

Police say he placed a phone call to the investigating detective at home, and asked him to stop the case. The detective, Jim Murray, taped the call.

On the tape, Allen Kauffman is heard asking for mercy, and asking if the detective could "just take" the hard drive that was seized from Kauffman's home computer, and not do anything with the evidence.

Kauffman confirms that he made the phone call, but says he wasn't asking the detective to destroy evidence.

Kauffman was arrested Friday on four counts of felony enticement of a child. It was the result of a sting orchestrated by Murray, who was posing online as a teenager. Prosecutors say Kauffman believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl, and that he asked the girl for sex and for nude pictures.

Source: FOXNews.com - Pastor Caught in Child Sex Sting Accused of Asking Cops to Ditch Evidence

This case will be fun to watch. I predict Christian hypocrisy at its best.

I have another post on Kauffman here.

Technorati tags: Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, hypocrisy, Allen Kauffman, Missouri, Collins

Tucson Youth Pastor Accused Of Sex Crimes

Christopher Decaire stands accused of a heinous crime; molesting a 13-year-old girl under his care. Decaire has been a youth pastor at the East Tucson Baptist Church for the last two years.

Decaire is charged with two counts molestation of a child, four counts sexual conduct of a minor, two counts sexual abuse and one count sexual abuse of a child because police say the abuse may have gone on for a year. 

Source: Tucson Youth Pastor Accused Of Sex Crimes

I found this story care of Youth Pastor Watch and God Mocker. Youth Pastor Watch had an odd comment.

Well, old men in the bible married 13 year old girls all the time. What is the problem? Jesus says it is a-okay. At least it was not an adult guy he was fucking around with. We'd have to stone him then.

I recognize sarcasm when I see it, but this poster has a point. Marring 13-year-old girls was ok in the Old Testament. Maybe there is a causal link between bible believing church goers and child molestation?

Technorati tags: Tucson, Arizona, Christopher Decaire, Baptists, child molestation, clergy sexual abuse

Some might find that statement very troubling

A fundie quote from Mike Huckabee on Monday in Michigan:

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.

Source: The Raw Story | Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in 'God's standards

Note to Willie Geist, the reporter who was interviewing Huckabee at the time of this statement The correct response to this un-American dominionist turd of an idea is "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Technorati tags: Mike Huckabee, fundies, 2008 election, politics, religion

Blogroll Update: The Humanist Life

I'm happy to introduce a new voice to the Atheist blogosphere, The Humanist Life, written by the cryptic anexa85, who could be an 85-year-old blogger named Anexa, (or maybe a 20 something blogger with a first name starting with A and a last name of Nexa). I don't know if the author is male or female, nor do I know his or her nationality, sexuality, ethnic origins, food preferences, or the type of car (or maybe bike), he or she drives. But what the hell, he or she is an Atheist, so that is good enough for me.

In his or her own words:

This site was created to inspire individuals who have have chosen not to take up a religious position to feel safe and comfortable with that decision. The term Humanist is used throughout this site in order to stop advocating the idea that we must label ourselves in opposition to another set of beliefs or ideas. There are no A-racists as Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith, so eloquently puts it, so why A-theists? It is time that we created a name under which people who want to see the betterment of mankind, but without the supernatural meddling, can come together to bring a sense of understanding and acceptance of this viewpoint to the world we live in today. I don't personally have a problem with the term Atheist but that only tells me who you're not, I'm more interested in who you are.

Note from Mojoey on the name Atheist self styled replacement name "Bright"... dumb as hell. I despise the Christian name for us, Darwinists. Yuck! Something more eloquent would be nice, but I don't really care enough about the issue to invest any gray matter. I will tell you this, if you must describe me try atheist, naturalist, libertarian, skeptic, socially liberal, tolerant, and don't forget snarky bastard. 

And yes, I am in a very weird mood this evening. I think I need to fire up Team Fortress and kill a few heavies.

Technorati tags: The Atheist Blogroll, Atheism, blogging

Let's play pass the pedophile

That's right! Pass the pedophile is an exciting new game where a pastor is passed from church-to-church whenever there are allegations of sexual misconduct. The pastor is never held accountable... because his is a man of god (of course). This time it is a Baptist pastor.

Pastor Darrell Gilyard watched his congregation at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church grow by the thousands since he first took the pulpit in 1993.

But after one of those members accused him of sending obscene sexual texts to her teenage daughter last month, he resigned.

Pastor Gilyard was arrested Monday by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on lewd and lascivious charges.

It isn't Gilyard's first time to meet with such accusations.
According to church leaders in Texas, Pastor Gilyard was forced to leave four churches in the eighties and nineties after women complained of sexual abuse.

Source: Local Pastor Arrested; National Religious Leader Accused of Turning a Blind Eye. By Lindy Thackston

Or course, Darrell Gilyard has never been convicted of a crime and at the moment, his arrest is for the alleged crime of lewd and lascivious behavior, but you get my point.

Was he really passed from church-to-church after women made complaints of sexual misconduct? I think there is strong evidence to suggest this report is accurate. This guy was a sexual assault waiting to happen. Why did they let him back in the pulpit? Let the lawsuits begin.

You can catch a video of his act here.

Technorati tags: Darrell Galiyard, pedophile, pedophilia, Baptists, sexual abuse, clergy misconduct

Why is this man a pastor?

...and who is their right mind would go to his church?

A pastor has been convicted of sexually assaulting a parishioner to whom he gave healing baths and naked rubdowns to rid her of evil spirits.

Source: TheStar.com | GTA | Pastor guilty of sexual assault

Pastor Frank Seeko Lawrence was supported by a dozen or so of his parishioners when the verdict was read. Lawrence ran the Toronto based Mount Zion Revival Church of the Apostle from the basement of his home. It appears to have been a 30 year scam. He also admitted to fathering nine other children by four women, not counting the two children from the women from this case. Who in their right mind would go to his church? I mean, come on. this is just stupid.

Lawrence would charge money to give a healing bath, then rub his victims bodies with oil, and then rape them. Apparently, he has a long history of this behavior. Yet, people keep attending his church and giving them their money. Even some of the victims. I don't get it.

I learned something new from this case. In Canada, having sex with a person who one has a position of trust, power, or authority over is against the law. If a Pastor has sex with one of his flock, it's illegal. I do not think this law covers farm animals.

Technorati tags: Frank Lawrence, clergy sexual abuse, rape, hypocrisy

A new year, a new logo

Q from Let There Be Light was kind enough to volunteer his artistic services to the Atheist Blogroll. He's made three new logo's. My question for the group, which one shall it be? Or, should we use all of them? Q is a talented graphic designer, he's even open to suggestions.

Version #1








Version #2








Version #3

Pedophile pastor Alan Curtis goes to prison

Oh it hurts - 18 months in prison for having sexual contact with a fifteen year old girl. It's not Alan Curtis's first time with young girls, he father a child with a 17-year-old some years back. Of course, the courtroom was overflowing with people supporting pastor Curtis. According to reports, the overflowed into the hallway.

A crowd of Curtis' friends, family and parishioners cried and bowed their head in prayer.

Source: Pastor's emotional plea doesn't halt prison time

This whole stand-by-your-pastor thing is a sick trend. Let's hope Christians get the message. Pastors who abuse their privileges have no right running churches or keeping their fans. And when they commit crimes, they go to jail just like the rest of us.

Pastors with fans, what a joke.

Technorati tags: Child Molestation, Pedophilia, Pastor Abuse, Abuse of Power, Bruce Curtis

The fundie back rub, Washington style

We all know how politics work. You rub my back and I'll rub yours is simply the way business gets done. President George W. Bush has carried on the tradition, only his emphasis has been on helping spread Christianity as well as enriching his posse.  It all started with the war in Iraq and some large contracts going to organizations with connections to Bush or Cheney. In this case, large contracts were award to Blackwater who is owned by fundie and Bush political crony Eric Prince. Somehow Prince found a way to funnel more than million dollars to fundie organizations run by James Dobson, who in turn used his influence to guide the malleable minions of Christ towards a demonist paradise. It is enough to make one distrust the government; perhaps even enough to vote for a democrat.

I have a prediction. Once Bush is gone, I think Congress will be consumed rooting out these scandals. Indictments will follow.

Read all about Blackwaters' charitable giving here.

Technorati tags: Fundies, Politics, James Dobson

Collins mayor arrested in Internet sting

The Internet is the worst thing to happen to the impulse control challenged sex addict. Take pastor Allen Kauffman, Mayor of Collins, Missouri, pastor of Temple Lot Church, and now accused Internet predator and pedophile.

On Nov. 15, Allen D. Kauffman, 62, approached a 13-year-old female decoy during an on-line training session for a Jasper County sheriffs detective, said Brumfield.

Kauffman told the decoy that he did not show a photograph of himself on his Yahoo profile so no one can trace me down, Brumfield said in an e-mail received Friday evening by the Neosho Daily News. However, he later turned on his webcam and numerous screen shots were taken of his face and other body parts.

Source: Collins mayor arrested in Internet sting - Neosho, MO - Neosho Daily News

"and other body parts"... yuck.

Kauffman may have flushed it all away simply because of the ease and accessibility of the Internet. I wonder how somebody in Kauffman situation would have satisfied his cravings before the Internet, adult bookstores maybe?

Kauffman is a Christian pastor and civic leader who allegedly likes 13-year-old girls. Where is the much flaunted Christian morality in this story?

Technorati tags: Child Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, hypocrisy, Allen Kauffman, Missouri, Collins

Pictures of Pennies

Does anyone want to guess what I'm going to be doing with the rest of my Sunday? Stacking  Pennies!

Sorting pennies is one of my favorite stress reduction exercises. Stacking pennies offers so much more. What was I thinking?

Technorati tags: Pennies, Stacking Pennies, hobbies, Coins

More on Hugh King

I realize Pensacola is a long way from Los Angeles, but the painful downfall of disgraced Pastor Hugh King is too fascinating to let go.  Since he announced his plans to plead plea no contest to a cocaine-possession charge. Now King faces political retribution in the form of removal  from the park's Board of Trustees.

"My view is that we are really considering a disposition here as to whether he should continue to serve ... and for the purposes of that, (a no contest plea) is considered the same as a guilty plea," Collier said.

Source: Park board could oust King - pnj.com

King refused to admit his guilt, pleading no contest is simply the next phase of his efforts to escape direct responsibility. This time it could cost him.

Technorati tags: Hugh King, Florida, cocaine, Pensacola

Increasing blog traffic

Vjack at Atheist Revolution offers up some sound blogging advice with Maximizing Reciprocity in the Atheist Blogosphere. Invest a few minutes of your time, it will be pay off in more traffic.

One of the great things about the way the World Wide Web works is that those of us who link to one another are interconnected. This means that what benefits one of us is likely to benefit all of us. Think about it - if a blog links to you, then helping that blog attract more visitors means that more people are likely to find you as well. This should give all of us a powerful incentive to promote other blogs. I'm going to give you some easy ways to do this, some of which might not have occurred to you.

I am going to take vjack's advice. My recommended blogs will magically appear on my sidebar in a few short minutes (or hours).

Technorati tags: blog, blogging, atheist, reciprocity, blog promotion, blog traffic, blogroll, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Digg, Reddit