Posted on 11/07/2013 4:15:46 AM PST by Colofornian
MARTINSBURG - A lawsuit filed in Berkeley County against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon Church, and local church officials accuses church leaders of covering up allegations that the son of local church officials sexually abused 12 children over the course of more than five years.
Christopher Michael Jensen, 22, of Cheswick Drive, Martinsburg, was found guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual abuse by a custodian Feb. 6 following a jury trial in Berkeley County Circuit Court.
The criminal charges involved only two of the 12 children suing the church, who were ages 3 and 4 at the time of the abuse.
Jensen was sentenced July 29 to 35 to 75 years in prison. He was the son of a church high priest in the church's Hedgesville Ward and his mother previously served as a local Relief Society president with the church. The suit accuses church leaders of holding out Jensen as a church member who could provide leadership and counsel to young church members, even though the church was allegedly repeatedly put on notice or had knowledge about allegations that Jensen had sexually abused children of church families. The suit also accuses church officials of recommending Jensen as a babysitter for church families, despite allegedly being made aware of sexual abuse allegations as early as 2007.
The children suing the church were between the ages of 3 and 12 when they say they were sexually abused by Jensen.
The suit names the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the church; Don Fishel, who was the bishop of the Hedgesville Ward for the Martinsburg stake of the church between 2007 and 2013 and a former member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg; Steven Grow, stake president in Martinsburg; Jensen, who was a member and elder of the Hedgesville Ward of the church; Jensen's father, a high priest and member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg between 2007 and 2010; and Jensen's mother, a member of the Hedgesville Ward and Relief Society president for the church in Martinsburg between 2006 and 2009.
The Mormon Church is divided into various "wards" and "stakes." At the local level are wards, consisting of a geographic area administered by a bishop and two counselors. A cluster of eight to 12 wards is grouped into a stake, which is administered by a stake president. The Relief Society is the official adult women's organization of the church and members are considered to be spiritual leaders appointed by a ward bishop.
A stake, including the wards within a stake, is governed by the stake president and the Stake High Council, a body of 12 high priests.
In 2007, before the alleged abuse of the children suing the church began, Martinsburg's Stake High Council - whose members included Grow, Fishel and Jensen's parents -held a meeting, during which the alleged sexual abuse of two children by Jensen was allegedly discussed, a copy of the suit reads.
The council allegedly failed to report the allegations of abuse to authorities, as required by law, and Fishel denied the allegations as hearsay. Jensen's parents allegedly learned that their son was sexually abusing at least one child sometime between 2006 and 2007.
After learning of the abuse, Jensen's parents allegedly banished him from the family home and made him sleep in the backyard but, at the time, allegedly encouraged church families to use their son as a babysitter, the suit reads.
In early 2008, one of the victims suing the church, a 4-year-old boy, told Jensen's mother that Jensen had sexually abused him. In 2008, Fishel, who was also allegedly already put on notice that Jensen had been accused of sexually abusing children, was told by the mother of another alleged victim that Jensen had abused her younger son.
The suit alleges that instead of reporting the abuse to authorities or taking action to warn or protect other children, the church, through its agents, took the opposite approach. The suit accuses the church and church leaders of actively covering up the abuse and assisting Jensen in committing further acts by enabling him to babysit for and live with other church families with young children. The pattern allegedly continued for more than five years until Jensen was indicted in 2012 in Berkeley County.
The suit says the church has not accepted responsibility for what it allegedly did or failed to do, despite allegedly being confronted with information about the alleged abuse on several occasions.
The suit also alleges that the church has continued its cover up, sending emissaries from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Martinsburg to instruct witnesses not to talk with attorneys representing the children suing the church.
In addition, the suit alleges that the church, through its leaders, has tried to intimidate the families of the children suing the church and has allegedly directed fellow church members to try to convince them to abandon their claims "lest they run afoul of church teachings regarding forgiveness," a copy of the suit reads.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages. The Mormon Church receives $5 billion to $7 billion per year in tithing from members and Time magazine estimated in 2001 that the Mormon Church owned financial assets and real estate in excess of $120 billion, according to the suit.
"Punitive damages, in addition to compensatory damages, are not only warranted in these circumstances, but also are necessary to send a message to this institution and its agents that abusing young children is not acceptable, that compliance with secular laws requiring that sex abuse be reported to the authorities is mandatory and that the church's self-interest cannot be elevated over the needs of young children," a copy of the suit reads.
On Aug. 18, the Martinsburg Stake High Council excommunicated Jensen from the church.
-Staff writer Edward Marshall can be reached at 304-263-8931, ext. 182.
A lawsuit filed in Berkeley County against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon Church, and local church officials accuses church leaders of covering up allegations that the son of local church officials sexually abused 12 children over the course of more than five years. Christopher Michael Jensen, 22, of Cheswick Drive, Martinsburg, was found guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of sexual abuse by a custodian Feb. 6 following a jury trial in Berkeley County Circuit Court. The criminal charges involved only two of the 12 children suing the church, who were ages 3 and 4 at the time of the abuse. Jensen was sentenced July 29 to 35 to 75 years in prison. He was the son of a church high priest in the church's Hedgesville Ward and his mother previously served as a local Relief Society president with the church.
Cont'd:
The suit accuses church leaders of holding out Jensen as a church member who could provide leadership and counsel to young church members, even though the church was allegedly repeatedly put on notice or had knowledge about allegations that Jensen had sexually abused children of church families. The suit also accuses church officials of recommending Jensen as a babysitter for church families, despite allegedly being made aware of sexual abuse allegations as early as 2007. The children suing the church were between the ages of 3 and 12 when they say they were sexually abused by Jensen. The suit names the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the church; Don Fishel, who was the bishop of the Hedgesville Ward for the Martinsburg stake of the church between 2007 and 2013 and a former member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg; Steven Grow, stake president in Martinsburg; Jensen, who was a member and elder of the Hedgesville Ward of the church; Jensen's father, a high priest and member of the Stake High Council for Martinsburg between 2007 and 2010; and Jensen's mother, a member of the Hedgesville Ward and Relief Society president for the church in Martinsburg between 2006 and 2009.
Cont'd:
In 2007, before the alleged abuse of the children suing the church began, Martinsburg's Stake High Council - whose members included Grow, Fishel and Jensen's parents -held a meeting, during which the alleged sexual abuse of two children by Jensen was allegedly discussed, a copy of the suit reads. The council allegedly failed to report the allegations of abuse to authorities, as required by law, and Fishel denied the allegations as hearsay. Jensen's parents allegedly learned that their son was sexually abusing at least one child sometime between 2006 and 2007. After learning of the abuse, Jensen's parents allegedly banished him from the family home and made him sleep in the backyard but, at the time, allegedly encouraged church families to use their son as a babysitter, the suit reads. In early 2008, one of the victims suing the church, a 4-year-old boy, told Jensen's mother that Jensen had sexually abused him. In 2008, Fishel, who was also allegedly already put on notice that Jensen had been accused of sexually abusing children, was told by the mother of another alleged victim that Jensen had abused her younger son. The suit alleges that instead of reporting the abuse to authorities or taking action to warn or protect other children, the church, through its agents, took the opposite approach. The suit accuses the church and church leaders of actively covering up the abuse and assisting Jensen in committing further acts by enabling him to babysit for and live with other church families with young children. The pattern allegedly continued for more than five years until Jensen was indicted in 2012 in Berkeley County.
Cont'd:
The suit says the church has not accepted responsibility for what it allegedly did or failed to do, despite allegedly being confronted with information about the alleged abuse on several occasions. The suit also alleges that the church has continued its cover up, sending emissaries from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Martinsburg to instruct witnesses not to talk with attorneys representing the children suing the church. In addition, the suit alleges that the church, through its leaders, has tried to intimidate the families of the children suing the church and has allegedly directed fellow church members to try to convince them to abandon their claims "lest they run afoul of church teachings regarding forgiveness," a copy of the suit reads.
Cont'd:
The lawsuit seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages. The Mormon Church receives $5 billion to $7 billion per year in tithing from members and Time magazine estimated in 2001 that the Mormon Church owned financial assets and real estate in excess of $120 billion, according to the suit.
2012
* Late December 2012: Former LDS Church worker pleads guilty to child sex abuse: Courts » Timothy Bothell admits to abuse involving two young girls [For initial arrest article of sexual abuse of 13 and 11 yo in August, 2012, see: LDS LEADER CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD]
* Late July 2012: 3 more women claim GOP political activist abused them [Brings to at least 7 Utah victims]
* Mid-July 2012: GOP activist facing 23 charges of kidnapping, rape [Temple recommended Mormon targeted Lds victims]
* Mid-July 2012: Romney, Utah politicians denounce accused rapist's actions
* Earlier July 2012: Former Boy Scout leader sent to prison for making child porn
* Early February 2012: Former BYU student charged with sex abuse
2011
* December, 2011: Judge weighing whether Mormon bishop should stand trial for failure to report abuse
* Mid-November, 2011: Provo city to file charges against LDS bishop
* April, 2011: Mormon Church Denies Prior Knowledge of Susan Brock Affair With Teen Boy, Which is a Lie
* March, 2011: Sacramento News & Review
* February, 2011: Father of The 5 Browns pleads guilty to sexually abusing his daughters
* December, 2010: Did fellow Mormons cover up officer's baby
And then here are some more cases going back to 2010
BTW...it's easy to broad brush an entire religious sect over the acts of just “one” individual. But recognize that supposedly “moral” religionists – while not above sin – would be expected to have criminal sexual rates less than what is 1.7% of the entire population.
* Did fellow Mormons cover up officer's baby molestations?
* Ex-LDS Seminary principal gets 5-to-life for abusing student
* Brock Police Report: Removal of "Temple Garments," a Meeting With LDS Officials
* Brock pleads guilty (Woman and daughter both have sex with underage male-Phoenix)
* Heber charity founder Lon Kennard Sr. charged with years of sexual abuse
* Family apologizes after sexual abuse arrest
* Ex-BLM Manager charged with sex abuse commits suicide
* Woman who had sex with therapist sues LDS Family Services for negligence
* Fake [LDS] marriage therapist arrested for sex abuse [this is a separate abuse story involving another lds therapist than the fake Lds therapist story listed right before this one]
* Ex-BYU student pleads guilty in attack on woman he was assigned to home teach
* 2 Mormon missionaries jailed 17 years for defilement
* Board rejects Utah County doctor Max Cannon's request for reinstated license
* Teen not getting new trial in attempted rape case
* Man jailed for indecent exposure [22 yo BYU-Idaho student]
* Cheryl Maher says Kevin Garn lied about hot tub contact
* (Utah) Rep. Garn resigns following hot tub confession
* LDS Church says local leaders handled claims against Garn
* Garn pleaded guilty in 2006 to alcohol-related charge [Lds bishop DUI]
Rope, millstone, depths of the sea.
I’ll be REAL surprised if the mormon “church” is held responsible...the fact of the matter is that they can disassociate themselves from responsibility because the ward and stake level “leaders” are essentially volunteers...not “employees” of the church.
This is but one more example of the poor methodology the mormons use when selecting “leaders”. I guess god just keeps giving those who are “praying about it” the wrong answers or they’re ignoring what their god is saying.
Anyone who has ever received a calling in the mormon church, knows that the mormons claim it came from the mormon god via the bishop. If you turn it down, you’re turning god down.
--MormonDude(When would be a good time for a couple of our clean cut young folks to stop by your home and more fully explain the Restored Gospel® to you and your loving family?)
Actually, I prefer “petty, hateful bigot who spews bile, lies and misinformation...”
This happens in all churches unfortunately for some reason. How sad. I hope the children's lives recover from these vile deeds and the perp sees the inside of a prison for a long long time.
The Mormons recently, within the last several years, replaced nearly all the doors in all their buildings so that none of them except for the pastors door could hide anything. All the doors now have glass windows so that the occupants of classes and offices can be viewed from the outside. A lot of money was spent to make sure this kind of stuff is less likely to happen. Unfortunately it won't stop it, slow it down a little perhaps but not stop it. The queers of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to rape angels that came to visit Lot & Abraham, they aren't going to stop because of a few windows in doors.
In the past, when societies found queers they sentenced them to death. It certainly reduced repeat offenders. I have mixed emotions about it all. I kinda feel that what two people do in their own place is their business and we should let them alone, the problem is that it so often seems to spill out past their own place. I am inclined to agree with The Lord Jesus Christ, it would be better that a mill stone were placed around their neck and thrown into the sea.
Well...I did say that I would be "REAL" surprised if this were the case...and I personally doubt it is the case...
I may be viewed as an anti, bigot, hater, or whatever other adjective the simpletons come up with simply because I post in opposition to mormonism, but if there's one thing I work hard at, it is being factual.
The individual's suing have little chance at the big purse (SLC), IMO.
It happens in practically every institution in which children are left to the designs of wicked people...Scouting, Boys and Girls club, you name it, I'll bet it's going on.
"The Mormons recently, within the last several years, replaced nearly all the doors in all their buildings so that none of them except for the pastors door could hide anything. All the doors now have glass windows so that the occupants of classes and offices can be viewed from the outside. A lot of money was spent to make sure this kind of stuff is less likely to happen."
Haven't seen this in any of the bldg's in my SoCal area, yet...but is a good move. Right now, some bldg's have opaque glass, but you can't see anything except shadows/outlines.
"The queers...they aren't going to stop because of a few windows in doors." BUMP!
"I am inclined to agree with The Lord Jesus Christ, it would be better that a mill stone were placed around their neck and thrown into the sea."
Seconded...
Did a Mormon run over your kitty when you were a little girl?
They just are so great it'd be great to be with them eternally -- and not just temporally...
Or do you just don't give a rat's ass about the eternal welfare of any given cultist out there?
Are you simply a religious libertarian? (Exist & let die mentality?)
In separate news, Hillary says some of her best friends are black.
Since they are all Freepers, and you are so close to them, the best way to correct them is to deride their faith on the world wide web.
I can feel the warmth.
Hey, I just posted a "Praise God!" over FreedomLover's comments from June 30, 2013 on two other threads on comments to you.
Surely you won't deride FreedomLover's personal conversion -- with God using these FR threads in the process? Or are you?
Who are you again to demean the process God has used to bring ex-Mormon Freepers like Freedom Lover, Szonian, Sentinel, and untold others out of Mormondom?
Are you unhappy that they have come to the same Christ that the Baptists you worship with worship?
Do you always advocate for these perps by distracting attention off of what they did?
Is laotzu a Baptist?
If so, then I think there is a disconnect within the Baptist faith based on laotzu’s positions and those of my Baptist grandparents.
My Baptist grandparents spared no effort in their attempts to show us the errors within mormonism.
Fortunately, they lived long enough to see me come out of mormonism and it was due in no small part to their efforts and the efforts of folks like Colofornian and the FI’s.
So the personal jabs and attacks from other so-called “conservatives” and “christians” aside, I am thankful that God has soldiers like Colofornian and the FI’s.
Praise God that we have people with the courage to withstand the attacks not only from the outside world, but even from those who would claim they’re “Christian brothers”.
O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
—Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 9:28
... men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.
Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 26:29
The Church is like a great caravan—organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place.
What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.
Is there a ravine to cross, a miry mud hole to pull through, a steep grade to climb? So be it. The oxen are strong and the teamsters wise. The caravan moves on.
Are there storms that rage along the way, floods that wash away the bridges, deserts to cross, and rivers to ford? Such is life in this fallen sphere. The caravan moves on.
Ahead is the celestial city, the eternal Zion of our God, where all who maintain their position in the caravan shall find food and drink and rest. Thank God that the caravan moves on!
—Bruce R. McConkie Modern day Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ
No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done. —Joseph Smith—History of the Church, 4:540.
The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
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.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.