Not any more.
Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list
Posted on 01/15/2004 7:15:42 AM PST by Born Conservative
Pastor convicted of soliciting sex from teenager Associated Press
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - A Philadelphia pastor who has condemned homosexuality and was known for using a bullhorn to preach to passers-by at colleges was convicted Wednesday of soliciting sex from a teenager.
Jurors deliberated for 3 1/2 hours before convicting the Rev. Craig Stephen White of criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses.
White, 40, who faces a minimum of three years on the most serious charge, showed no reaction, and neither did his wife. His mother wept and said, "He's innocent; he's innocent."
Chester County Judge Anthony A. Sarcione revoked White's $20,000 bail and sent him to Chester County Prison.
"He's a preacher, and he has access to children," Sarcione said. "This jury has spoken. He has been convicted of attempting to lure a child into a vehicle" for sexual gratification.
Defense attorney Robert J. Donatoni said he was "disappointed but not surprised." "This was a very difficult case for everyone," said Donatoni, who suggested that the teenager was mistaken, confused or just seeking attention.
On June 26, White, who was driving a Ford minivan, stopped in West Chester and asked a 14-year-old boy for directions.
The boy said White also asked about strip clubs or adult book or video stores, asked him to get in and help the driver find the regular video store, and later came back and offered him $20 for taking part in sexual activity.
White denied that he made any sexual proposition and said he asked directions to a video store because he wanted to buy the movie "Shrek" for his children.
White, who moved to Philadelphia in 1991, started a Temple University campus group called Soldiers for Christ, worked at a youth ministry in Gloucester County, N.J., and began the Philadelphia Gospel Outreach Center in North Philadelphia.
He was a fixture on the University of Pennsylvania campus and preached to passers-by at other campuses in the Philadelphia area. He was a prominent enough figure at Penn that the chaplain's office held a panel discussion about his methods in 1998.
White preached against homosexuality and atheists, using a bullhorn to rile at students and faculty about "fornicators," "whores" and "sodomites."
Assistant District Attorney Kimberly A. Callahan called White a threat to society. "I'm relieved the jury believed the victim and understood the seriousness of the case," she said.
White supporter Michael A. Marcavage called the verdict "an outrageous travesty" and said the community should be alarmed. "Citizens should be concerned about how a man can be tried and convicted on the testimony of a 14-year-old," he said.
Pat Noordewier said she worked with White and a youth group for years and that he often stayed at her home. "This man is innocent," she said. "His ministry is kids."
If we assume the guy is in fact completely innocent of soliciting for sex, he is still a complete IDIOT for putting himself in the position of the appearance of doing what he was accused of doing.
That said, I have to think that Mr. Stephens is probably guilty as charged. It seems that ardent activists often skate very close to the edge of succumbing to the very temptations they preach against.
Why does it so often seem that behind every criminal there is this enabling mother who lives in complete and total denial? Man! If there's a stereotypical profile for the criminal there surely must be a stereotypical profile for the enabling criminal's mom.
I have not heard of that version of Shrek.
I can imagine an adult version of Toy Story though.
I have also found myself wondering about the Phelps guy. He is the one who showed up at Matthew Shepherd's funeral with signs saying, "Matthew is in hell. Get over it." or something like that. What a couple of morons. The love of God is no more in them than the people they criticize.
About 30 years ago I knew a guy that got charged for indecent exposure in an incident similar to this. The charges were eventually dropped but it totally ruined his life (he was a bit on the weird side and may have actually been guilty, but so was the accusing teenage girl. had it gone to court I'd expect him to have been convicted because of the way he was whether he did it or not). At that point I made a vow to myself to never stop and ask a teenager walking down the street for directions.
True. Christianity is about forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God, not condemnation and hell. Prayer for the forgiving of sinners, even dead sinners, is more in the spirit of Christianity than what was done by Phelps and company in the Shepard case.
Not any more.
Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list
Beware of preachers who come "using a bullhorn". If God uses them, its a miracle.
Those folks are just plain whackjobs -- no different from nazis, IMHO.
A couple of years ago they picketed outside our church (huh -- you'd think they'd have picked on the Unitarians up the street....)
They had a bunch of little kids with them, holding signs. If Matthew Shepherd is really in hell, I'm sure he's preparing a nice welcome for Fred and the boys.
LOL!
It's weird the guy is married and still attracted to boys... I personally know two men who left their wives and children to embrace the gay lifestyle. One of them has SEVEN boys and the other has a son and daughter. Weird.
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