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

kxtv ^

[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.

[widowithfoursons]

If parents are not vigilant then atrocities occur. "Trust, but verify" is applicable in all situations. All of the press regarding priests, and now LDS is just the Devil tearing down the Church, but remember that G-d cleans His own house first. He has specific use for the serpent which we don't always understand.

[Monti Cello]

When is my local cable service going to start carrying The Firing Squad Channel?

[chance33_98]

The perp's pic

[bimbo]

Whenever I hear about children being abused, neglected, murdered, etc. I always ask myself this question: Where is the Child's Father ??? Fathers are the protectors of their children. When I was a child, it was pretty clear that my father was a protector.

[Edward Watson]

Castrate the bastard. I hope the law is very harsh on this animal. As a father with three small children, I would go ballistic if anyone sexually abused them in any way. The pervert would suffer horribly.

The article should clarify that an "elder" and Sunday School teacher in the Mormon Church isn't the same as those found in other faiths. An LDS elder is simply a male above the age of 18 years who has been given the Melchizedek Priesthood. Approximately half of all LDS adult males are elders. An LDS Sunday School teacher is simply a unpaid volunteer who has been assigned to teach the Sunday School lesson for that year (or for several years). This isn't really remarkable given that it is only one out of at least a dozen or so Sunday School teaching positions in any ward and only one out of 300 volunteer offices available in any LDS congregation (it's a lay congregation all they way).

Also, the article should clarify the LDS Church is the most intolerant of any Christian faith against child abuse. Offenders are promptly excommunicated and can never be reinstated without express consent of the First Presidency (the prophet and his two councillors). It is also the only church I'm aware of where children are actually taught to report any form of sexual abuse, even if its from their own parents, to the police. It's terrible this child didn't heed this teaching until a year had elapsed.

[ClearCase_guy]

A lot of people who claim to be doing the Lord's work, are actually playing for the other team. What does that say about their true feelings for their church? Do they feel Hatred for their own religion? Contempt? Ridicule?

A very special punishment awaits them.

[logic101.net]

This picture needs cross hairs superimposed on it.

MARK A SITY
http://www.logic101.net/

[GovernmentShrinker]

Actually, I think in situations like this one (and I've heard of quite a few similar cases), single/divorced/widowed mothers may be hearing too much of the "boys need a father figure" message. Yes, ideally boys will have fathers as role models, but letting men who aren't the boy's father or stepfather assume the role of a father is a dangerous route. I keep hearing of these cases where a young boy has been frequently spending the night alone with one of these "father figures", with the mother's full knowledge and consent, and I can't figure out why else the mothers would be allowing it.

[zlala]

Nice summary.

Thanks for the additional facts.

[livius]

He has specific use for the serpent which we don't always understand.

You may be right. Maybe the Christian Church is being purified for what is about to come. I'd never considered this before. Thanks for an interesting insight. (I'm Catholic, btw.)

[gitmogrunt]

Why didn't they just transfer the sunday school teacher to another parish?

Why are they filing charges?Was it the first time?

Aren't pedophiles supposed to get many chances before anything happens in our society?

Couldn't this be handled within the church, like other denominations do?

fecious/sarcastic post

[widowithfoursons]

I agree with you. The only "mentoring" my boys have received has been through NJROTC which is at the high school level. If my brother lived nearby he could have spent time with my boys, but strangers???? NO WAY.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I think the LDS Church (and others, though few others are as well-organized about communicating with members) need to promulgate a no-exceptions rule against children spending the night alone with unrelated adult males. It's nice to tell the children to report sexual abuse, but someone needs to tell the parents to call the bishop pronto if a Sunday School teacher, Scout leader, etc. even INVITES a child to spend the night. And if the bishop is doing the inviting, the stake president should get the call.

I've heard that the Church has a no-exceptions rule about missionaries entering a residence where they will be alone with a woman or girl (resulting in some amusing anecdotes about missionaries standing outside in the snow, at a home where they've been invited for dinner, because the wife is there, but the husband is late getting home). Time to expand on that rule.

[Monti Cello]

A very special punishment awaits them

Here's hoping Leroy down at cell block H can give him a little preview -- some special mentoring -- show him how reassuring it is to have a larger older figure taking down your pants.

[widowithfoursons]

Livius, that G-d cleans His own house first is clearly stated in the Bible more than once. May I suggest that your New Year resolution could be a cover to cover daily reading (KJV is my preference). It only takes a year to finish. But start with the NT. Merry Chrismas to you and your family.

[widowithfoursons]

Chrismas=Christmas. Ooops.

[widowithfoursons]

It evolved many years ago that pastors could not be alone with females in the congregation. I'm talking Evangelicals here. ALWAYS a witness there in case of a lawsuit. This is SICK. And SICK that any Christian should need to worry about this stuff. Purge the Church.

[Pushi]

I have told this story here at FR before, but here it is again: My sons were in the Boy Scouts--as a matter of fact, in one location, I was the scoutmaster. Later, we moved and the younger one, while still in high school, participated as a junior assistant scoutmaster. I was a member of the troop committee. The scoutmaster, a bachelor, was excellent, except I thought he was a little too familiar with the boys and particularly one boy who had that tender, good-looking, queer-bait appearance. I was in a job that involved running background investigations on prospective employees. So, I ran an investigation on this guy. It turns out that he did have a criminal record, but unassociated to child molestation--illegal sales of alcohol and solicitation of prostitution. I confronted him with it on a personal basis. He said that he had been arrested while managing a bar. He had sold alcohol after hours and there were loose women around the bar and that he had been accused of pimping. He plead "no contest" because he couldn't afford to fight it. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but I attended every scout meeting and went on every scout hike thereafter. When we were on overnight functions, I slept in the tent with him so I would know if he ever left the tent at night. It was a pain in the butt to have to do this, but I believe nothing ever happened. Maybe it wouldn't have happened anyhow, but I could not take a chance.

[widowithfoursons]

Well, you are a prescient dude (hope you need to look it up). Kudos. But you should have exposed him. He deserved it.