Sunday School Teacher Arrested on Molestation Charges (police say he molesting a 12-year-old boy)

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[chance33_98]

Sunday School Teacher Arrested on Molestation Charges

Sacramento police have arrested a 36-year-old Sunday school teacher on charges of molesting a 12-year-old boy.

Christopher Todd Hettiger was a church elder and taught Sunday school for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Rio Tierra Avenue in south Natomas.

Hettiger apparently met the boy and his mother through the church and hired the woman as a housekeeper. The boy attended Hettinger's Sunday school class and stayed overnight at Hettiger’s home on several occasions.

According to police, the case broke when the boy no longer wanted to visit Hettiger. When his mother asked why, he revealed the alleged molested, which had been going on for more than a year.

Hettiger also worked in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program four years ago. His many contacts with young people have raised suspicions that there might be additional victims.

According to investigators, Hettinger has no criminal record. He is self-employed, working out of his house as a computer consultant.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call (916) 443-HELP.

[Edward Watson]

You're right. As for missionaries being alone with a young woman, that's allowed as long as it isn't just one of the missionaries being alone with her. The two missionaries have to be together with the woman at all times.

Reminds me of a (now) funny incident when I was a missionary. While going somewhere on public transportation, my Filipino companion was sitting next to a young woman friend who was accompanying us to an appointment, I had to sit further away because there wasn't any space available next to my comp. A few months later after this elder was transferred to another location, the woman confided in me that he was hitting on her throughout the trip. Why she didn't whack the little worm I'll never know. Ah, memories ...

[Edward Watson]

You know, my bishop's (pastor/priest/rabbi to those not LDS) office has a reverse peephole in the door, where ANYONE can peek inside to see what's going on when he is interviewing or talking to people in his office. It is the ONLY place where he's allowed to be alone with female members of the congregation. No sense taking chances.

[Edward Watson]

You know, my bishop's (pastor/priest/rabbi to those not LDS) office has a reverse peephole in the door, where ANYONE can peek inside to see what's going on when he is interviewing or talking to people in his office. It is the ONLY place where he's allowed to be alone with female members of the congregation. No sense taking chances.

[CARepubGal]

Does the name Michael Rex Shean ring any bells? The case was especially heinous because the bastard was caught 15 years prior to being arrested and his Mormon ward quietly excommunicated and reinstated the SOB. They then put him in lots of contact with his prey: preteen and teenage boys (10-14) and he was allowed unlimited and unsupervised access to biys for the next 15 years. It wasn't until one group of the boys came forward that Shean was arrested, tried and convicted for multiple counts of child abuse.

Mormons also have a bad habit of blaming the victim in these cases "That 4 year old tempted me" is considered a viable and acceptable defense in your church courts. I frankly hope the lawyers sue Mormons and win. That may be the only way to stop the problem of molestors given access to potential victims.

[Edward Watson]

Oh, it's you again. How are you my dear bigot? I see your hatred of everything Mormon is as virulent as ever.

My church has indubitably made mistakes - unlike Catholicism and Protestantism, our ecclesiastical leaders are purely unpaid volunteers and aren't formally trained. They didn't know how to respond to cases brought before them and thought Christ's admonition to forgive offenders who showed remorse and humility was also applicable to sexual offenders.

My church has paid dearly for its earlier naivete. Millions were paid to victims, resulting in the LDS Church now being recognized as the most intolerant faith in the US today in regards to sexual offenses. It excommunicates all those guilty of such heinous offenses towards children in addition to reporting them to the civil authorities. These monsters can never, EVER be re-admitted to the church unless the First Presidency itself authorizes the re-baptism, and even then, the offender, regardless of how long in the past the offense took place, is never again placed in any position where he is placed in authority over children or youth. We're also the ONLY church that teaches our children, right in our Sunday Schools, the seriousness of sexual abuse and how they must resist any attempts to defile them and immediately report the offender to the police even if he's their own father or relative. Is your church as strict as we are?

I have no doubt you know all this, and yet, mistakes of the past are still somehow valid to you as long as they put Mormonism in a bad light.

How sad.

[bimbo]

... but I could not take a chance.

That's because you are a good father with an interest in protecting his sons.

[CARepubGal]

Another attempt to sidestep. My church has strict requirements regarding who is allowed to deal with children, something common in Christian churches is running a background check since pedophiles tend to charm the adults they come in contact with. I was fingerprinted and had a background check run on me (with my consent) in order to tutor teenagers in a learning center (as are all volunteers and staff). This is normal (something I was stunned that Mormons do not do). Are you saying the LDS check their prospective Primary YM/YW (teenaged groups) teachers out this carefully, then I will believe you have changed as a church.

I doubt that the practice of interviewing teenagers (from the age of 12 on up) about their lives, including sexual questions by a Bishop or his assistant 1 on 1 has been discontinued however and this is utterly inappropriate and can cross the line from inquiry to some horny guy getting some twisted sexual fulfillment from a guilt ridden teen. Think about it. Or because some old guy who claims he speaks for the Lord told you to pray, pay and obey (emphasis on Obey) you will stop and that is unfortunate.

[Edward Watson]

Sounds like your church had a heck of a lot more problems with sexual abuse than my church ever had. After all, if we did have such a level of abuse in our past, we would probably be doing the same thing.

We don't NEED background checks on those teaching our teenagers. Why? Because no lessons can be given when there is only one student present. Safety in numbers. Besides, the only place where teaching can occur is in the chapel during meeting hours and only in the designated classrooms. Whenever outside activities take place, there are ALWAYS more than one teacher present at ALL times. The companionship rules for our missionaries are extended to our teachers.

The bishop interviews members for personal worthiness as well as receives confession from the members. Any worthiness question is strictly by the book (in my bishop's case, laid right in front of him). If serious trangressions exist, a disciplinary council is convened.

As for a bishop getting sexual kicks from interviewing, the likelihood always exists, but seriously, what profession guarantees it can never happen? Are you saying no police officer never got his kicks from interviewing rape victims? Or no psychologist never felt any arousal from listening to his patients? What do you suggest? A castration of all males to prevent any impure thoughts?

Boy, your hatred of Mormonism sure blinds you to common sense. Very sad indeed.

[restornu]

You are so unfriendly you have been trailing me and other LDS people, you never met or know and than you drop your bitter acid all over for the hell of it!

It is one thing to have an ax to grind with a faith, but you carry this over to people you don't even know!

This is not healthy!

[CARepubGal]

Bitter Acid? So what dragon am I? Ihaven't played D&D for years so I forgot which dragon I get to be. Metallic dragon is my preference. So what is your answer to my questions regarding the safety of children in your church? Or are you more interested in creating mental health concerns my former therapist and I could not seem to find (got a clean bill of health with not a single SSRI: Imagine that!) And please check the beam in your eye before searching for motes.

Frankly 100%+ of my "venom" is reserved for the molestors and the leadership that protects them. I want these folks to be shot. And their enablers to be tried convicted and sharing a cell with Big Buford in Oz. And that goes for all molestors of all faiths. Mormons have not handled these issues well at all and have allowed molestors free reign. Are your leaders at least screening youth workers? I can say with all confidence that mine are.

[CARepubGal]

So you have changed your policies recently. The last time I visited an LDS friend, this was not in place. Thank you for the updated information. Your insults I will ignore (triggering will generate insults). I am curious about the amount of training your bishops receive. Are they trained to handle people in crisis?

[restornu]

Excuse me you are the with the endless tyrade of post to me! When others post to me that disagree with my faith, It is never personal, you make each post an personal attact. I live on the east coast, and you are on the west coast, I don't think I know you!

I never played D&D don't even know what it is about! I do play PacMan!

My use of the term of acid means you make Caustic remarks! For some reason you take your animosity out on strangers who are LDS, for some encounter you had in the past.

CA you were given by Ed the guidelines that the LDS follows in these situation, the supect is turn over to the authorties right away, and if found guitly they are excommunicated.

No male or female is to be togather in a room with out a third party. The General Conf. had address this one year even in social setting be it on dates or at work. Guidelines of for singles and married people to advoid temptation and the appearance of inappropriate behavior!

[CARepubGal]

I am a bit confused here. I asked what steps your church was taking to safeguard children and that is attacking you as a human being? I missed something apparently. Do I hate you? Well, you are not part of the Clinton Crime family so NO. I do hate Clintons though and jehadis and peruvian puppy killers.

I am asking for an answer since I have had not stepped into an LDS building in a couple years and my information may be out of date. I would rather not have a misconception (and Ed Decker is not a source of info or amusement) I find the "personal worthiness interview" idea chilling and had a bishop that did interview hoping for some big transgression (it was really creepy). Many Mormons are decent people and trying to do what all of us want to: get through life in the modern world as best we can.

[Salvation]

Did you see this?

Ping!

[Edward Watson]

AHA! Now I see the reason for your hatred against all things Mormon. You're an APOSTATE, an ex-Mormon anti-Mormon! Now it all makes sense.

You obviously have very severe hangups and obviously never understood Mormonism or lived it, which explains why you go out of your way demonizing it whenever you can. It has been my observation that every single ex-Mormon turned anti-Mormon have ALWAYS FAILED to live the commandments they are required to abide by as Mormons. Inability to live the commandments is twisted to blame and find fault with the church. I wonder what your failing was? Sexual immorality? Smoking, drinking, coffee, drugs? Of course it's none of my business and I expect you to deny it, get your back up or claim you were as pure as the virgin snow before the meany Mormons got our filthy paws on you.

Kinda ironic. I'm an ex-Roman Catholic but I've NEVER demonized my former faith. I've never felt the need to constantly oppose and ridicule it. Heck, I even send my children to a Roman Catholic school (they're the only LDS in the entire school) and I defend the RCC on numerous occasions, even here in the Free Republic.

I've often wondered at the motivation of ex-Mormons with their bitterness. Why can't they seem to get on with their lives? And yet you claim to have LDS friends! Surely you jest. How can you have LDS friends when all you do is demonize their faith and oppose it?

[RnMomof7]

I guess it depends how you define "sexual childhood abuse"..were not some of the plural wives of the Joseph Smith and Brigham Young 14 or so?

In our culture that would be child abuse..

[Wrigley]

Kinda ironic. I'm an ex-Roman Catholic but I've NEVER demonized my former faith. I've never felt the need to constantly oppose and ridicule it.

When did you convert and go thru the endowment ceremony? If before the change, you certainly did ridicle Christians, including the RC church.

[Wrigley]

To rest, any questioning of her (false) church, is an attack on her.

[Wrigley]

Sounds like your church had a heck of a lot more problems with sexual abuse than my church ever had. After all, if we did have such a level of abuse in our past, we would probably be doing the same thing.

No, what it sound like is extreme measures to help ensure nothing like this happens. You can't assume that the measures were done after the fact. They could be preventative.

[drstevej]

Your post, tone and content, is reason enough for one to leave the Mormon Church.