BishopAccountability.org
	Woman Tells Court about Sexual Relationship with Pastor By Sue Lindsay Rocky Mountain News [Denver CO] June 5, 2007 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5571931,00.html Pastor Michael Peters began a sexually explicit relationship on the Internet with a 17-year-old girl that led to sexual encounters when she babysat at his home for his three children, the girl told a Denver jury today. "It was kinda weird, but also exciting," the girl, now 21, said of the graphic sexual descriptions o the Internet that began a relationship with her youth pastor and counselor at the Second Baptist Church in Boulder. She said she had a crush on Peters, who directed the youth choir at the church. After the first "cyber sex" exchange, she said he told her to keep it secret. "He said he would be toast if (her parents) found out," she said. Peters, 37, is on trial for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. The girl's father testified that he arranged for Peters to counsel his daughter about a sexual assault by a family member that took place when she was about 8 years old. But defense attorney Lisa Wayne said the relationship between the two ended with Internet fantasy sex, not the real thing. Peters may be guilty of an extreme lapse in moral judgment, but committed no crime, Wayne said. "These were two people who fought against their feelings and couldn't do it," Wayne said. "He was caught up in a fantasy world with her. But it was a fantasy world, not a criminal act." Their first graphic "cyber sexual" encounter took place in July 2003, the girl said. Two weeks later, she said they kissed and fondled each other over their clothing until Peters' wife and children returned home. The petting sessions continued, she said, when Peters drove her home from regular sessions at an athletic club and they would sit in front of her home in the car for an hour. She said Peters told her she was beautiful and that he loved her. "I felt special," she said. The relationship continued even after the girl went off to college in Missouri and she said the two had phone sex four times a week. Ultimately, they had sexual intercourse during another babysitting session when she stayed over one night during Christmas break 2003, followed by several other sexual encounters. The girl became pregnant in 2004, suspecting it was Peter's child, although later DNA tests showed that it wasn't. She said Peters "freaked out" when she told him she was pregnant, fearing the child was his, and told her they had to end their physical relationship. She didn't tell her parents about the relationship until 2006, when they confronted her after hearing rumors. Prosecutor Kerri Lombardi said Peters "betrayed everything he stood for and everyone who trusted him" when he began a sexual relationship with the girl. "He was her confidant," Lombardi said. When they spent time together, she said, "Everyone thought it was OK because he was her minister."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.