Posted on 09/20/2010 4:23:53 PM PDT by Colofornian
American Fork » Former LDS seminary principal Michael Jay Pratt will spend at least five years in prison for sexually abusing a student 20 years younger than himself.
Fourth District Judge Christine Johnson imposed concurrent sentences of five years to life in prison for first-degree felony forcible sodomy and two object rape charges, and one to 15 years for forcible sexual assault, a second-degree felony. Johnson said it was a sentence that best balanced the needs of justice and mercy in a case that carried heavy religious overtones.
Pratt pleaded guilty to the crimes in June as part of an agreement in which prosecutors dropped 11 other charges.
Pratt’s attorney, Stephen McCaughey, sought to get Pratt two years in the Utah County Jail followed by a lengthy probation. He said Pratt had no prior criminal record, and the case did not involve violence or physical force. McCaughey argued Pratt would likely serve about six years in prison on the charges.
Pratt said he was sorry for what he had done, and was given enough time to hug his wife before he was escorted from the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies.
Johnson said Pratt’s position as a teacher and spiritual adviser at Lone Peak High School placed him in a position of trust which he abused.
The victim and her family also told the court how Pratt had gained their trust as a dedicated, popular teacher and church leader who was helping the victim through a rough spot in life. He then manipulated the victim into going along with his sexual fantasies.
“Justice was served, but it is a tragedy,” the victim’s stepfather said after the hearing.
THOUSANDS of them!
In your mind: pickin' at yer heresies...
O...
K...
T-shirt time:
It’s a UTAH thing:
You wouldn’t understand.
Well; I'm glad that I don't use strawmen AGAINST them!
They speak well enough on their own!
In yer pasture: chasing yer cureloms...
That's ok; for MORMONs have their WHOLE life to work their way back to their BISHOP's acceptance.
But now I am here; so it'll go down about 40!
Then don't ask a MORMON; for they have no IDEA which verses in the BIBLE are correct or not!
Articles of FAITH #8
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
(I have no idea WHY they haven't said in this 'article' that they ALSO consider the Doctrines & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price to be scripture as well.)
;^)
Brigham Young said,
“I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture.
You are right. Mormonism doesn’t allow repentance and reinstatement until after the prison term ends.
Yep, my 42 year old gay nephew still has his endowments and Temple blessings. We found out he was gay just after he got off his LDS mission, so it’s been 22 years of living openly gay for him. I wonder why the LDS dosn’t include GAYS in their PR push “I’m a Mormon.” They certainly wouldn’t include me either.
The LDS Org. only excommunicates you if it becomes public and embarrassing - like this particular sticky-wicket in the OP.
This seminary teacher didn’t do anything different than the Prophet Joseph Smith, except that the Prophet “married” a new teenage girl every MONTH!
OK, your ignorance slip is showing here. We're not talking about the normal principal of a high school here. (Obviously, Mormons aren't excluded from serving as normal principals of high schools...this guy didn't have the job description of the principal)
I specifically mentioned the LDS seminary principal position (what? do I have to bold face & underline everything for you to understand?) And, of course, an LDS Seminary principal is going to be a role held by a Mormon!!! (What? Do you think I expect Baptist seminary positions to be held by Catholics???)
Do you even know what a Mormon seminary is? (Do I actually have to take the time to inform you?)
You see, Mormon high schoolers attend "seminary" during the week...sometimes at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. in the a.m. This guy taught those classes.
I'm not asking why this guy was a teacher at the high school. I'm asking why Utah schools allow teachers to be formal spiritual advisers on campuses? (Informal roles? That's great! That's what expressing religious freedom in this country is all about! Formal roles???...well, then where do you stop? Should high schools have formal Wicca spiritual advisers employed by the state to specifically spiritually advise & teach on campuses???)
So by comparison, why doesn't this public high school have a Baptist seminary principal in addition to their Mormon one? Or a Presbyterian seminary principal? Obviously, several aspects combine to form this answer:
(1) Protestants wait til college years for "seminary" instruction;
(2) Mormons don't -- and this area is approximately 80-85% Mormon.
(3) In the past, there's been more of a "partition"; IOW, the guy teaching seminary classes wasn't also a formal teacher-employee of the school. So at many schools, this isn't even an issue...Mormon students simply attend the seminary down the street and are taught by a seminary principal who doesn't have formal campus access & authority. This is the way it should be.
Mormons have been "smart" to locate their "institutes" near college campuses -- and they do likewise for high schools. They take the time & $ to build these facilities near campuses, both college & high school. As long as these things remain privately run by non-state employee-teachers, everything's great. But when you have one-man spiritual adviser shows going on campus, I mean who's he accountable to? Both the school and The Mormon church as co-employers.
So what's the Mormon church doing running things on campus in public schools?
And, of course, what exacerbates this problem is this guy having both titles -- teacher and "seminary principle/spiritual adviser." IOW, this guy was wielding a lot of campus authority -- authority beyond what other educators had at the school.
That's the issue here.
Ouch!
Do NOT die in prison if MORMON!
And you, PD, are trying your hardest to delink this terrible thing to the LDS church in any way you possibly can. Doesn’t that then, PD, make you “guilty” of the same thing (whatever that is)— only taking the reverse angle?
There’s nothing to delink. It has nothing to do with the church. The article writer and anti’s such as yourself of course are the only ones trying to make some correlation.
(BTW, PD...you have this continual bad habit of gossipping ‘bout me on posts minus pinging me...is this what you continually do @ home...talk about others w/out cluing them in that you’ve gossipped about them?)
You don’t read your own threads? Believe me I am hiding nothing from you.
Well if they are not bigots why dont they hire Christians ???
They do. Mormons are clearly Christians.
Perhaps you don’t think they hire folks of other Christian denominations? Do they not?
I agree, I am sure he was quickly bounced from the church.
I would like to ask why would he be excommunicated at a time when he might need his church the most? I do agree that the LDS church does not need him at all. I guess I could spout all kids of innuendo and crap but I really want to know why these people are excommunicated so quickly.
The nature of his crime and being a felon have something to do with it but I admit I don’t know the details.
Don’t confuse excommunicated with shunned. I am sure at the very least his Bishop and priesthood leader will keep in contact with him.
THOUSANDS of them!
How Christian of you. (Not)
Then don’t ask a MORMON; for they have no IDEA which verses in the BIBLE are correct or not!
All you have to do is reference the Joseph Smith Translations of the clarified and/or corrected parts. Sorry your statement is false. Check out some of my links for info regarding this subject.
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