Pastor told member to "keep his mouth shut"

[Joanne98]

In New Hampshire, Southern Baptist pastor Timothy Dillmuth and two church elders, Richard Eland and Robert Gagnon, were found guilty of failing to report child sex abuse. As reported yesterday in the Union Leader, the men will be sentenced on December 21st.

According to the judge’s written ruling, pastor Dillmuth “had met with the parents of a child who had been molested by a member of the church, which he later confirmed after talking to the child.”

“The information was shared with other members of the board of elders in September 2009,” and was discussed at some meetings of the church board.

A month later, when another member of the church urged the child’s parents to report the matter to authorities, pastor Dillmuth talked to the concerned church member and told him to “keep his mouth shut.”

“That church member subsequently left the church after belonging for over five years.”

Testimony showed that, at least into November 2009, the matter continued to be discussed at meetings of the board of elders, and “it became contentious.”

However, it was only in February 2010, after another church member heard about the abuse and threatened to go to the police, that pastor Dillmuth finally agreed the matter should be reported. Then, as stated in the judge’s ruling, church officials “put pressure on the parents… to do what the elders had a duty to do months before, report the child abuse to authorities.”

As police began to investigate, they turned their attention to the church officials’ conduct in failing to report the abuse. In a police interview, church elder Richard Eland justified their failure by saying that they “respond to a higher authority.” Thus, he used religion as a rationalization.

Because of this, the judge observed that “they would do it again.”

It was "deliberately attempted" to keep it within the church, wrote the judge.

http://stopbaptistpredators.blogspot.com/2010/11/pastor-told-member-to-keep-his-mouth.html

[intheflow]

1. Crime is punishable with up to a year in jail and $2k fine.

I hope they all get both jail and the full fine. Fucking MEN on the church board colluding to keep how they treat women and children "in the family." :puke:

Edited to add: Good on the REAL Christian in the congregation who threatened to report this to the police that day if the board didn't contact the authorities immediately.

[beyurslf]

2. I wonder what he thinks their "higher authority" says about people who have sex with kids?

Not a god I would revere much, I think.

[Tsiyu]

3. These Southern Baptists

give all glory to Paul.

Paul is God's Real Son, the hero of their male-centric mythology, who is quoted more often by these types than Jesus is.

But if they claim to believe in Christ and all that, Matthew 18:10 would appear to apply.

Make no mistake: these are brutal people who believe they are God's gift to themselves. I feel very bad for the child who had to wait this long to see some justice.

[rwiliff]

4. Failure to report

"were found guilty of failing to report"

Warmest Regards,
Robert

[morningglory]

5. “That church member subsequently left the church after

belonging for over five years.” He needed to go where he would have a frese new, naive population, as is the pattern of a serial molester.

[Celtic Raven]

6. Think you misread the post

The person who left was the one the Pastor told to keep quiet because he was urging the parents to go to the police. He wasn't the molester.

A month later, when another member of the church urged the child’s parents to report the matter to authorities, pastor Dillmuth talked to the concerned church member and told him to “keep his mouth shut.”

“That church member subsequently left the church after belonging for over five years.”