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	Loveland Pastor Denies Coverup By Electa Draper Denver Post [Loveland CO] July 13, 2007 http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6362894 Loveland - Gateway Baptist Church Pastor James Rice on Thursday called false and unfair police accusations that he and two assistant pastors failed to report a church member who allegedly committed a series of sexual assaults over the last two years. Fort Collins police cited Rice and assistants Thad Gunderson and Eric Mowen on Wednesday for the misdemeanor offense of failing to report abuse or neglect. "If we were wrong, then we were wrong," Rice said. "We stand under the law and don't put ourselves above it. But we did not try to cover this up." Police officials said in a news release that the pastors were made aware of the illegal acts of 23-year- old Paul J. Lavertu of Windsor as early as summer 2006. Lavertu stands accused of improperly touching at least five children, boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 14, in their homes and at a church function. Four of the children attended Gateway. A fifth is not connected with the church, police said. Rice said the information the church had last summer was too sketchy to act upon. The pastors moved as quickly and as responsibly as they could this summer to investigate new allegations, inform church members and ban Lavertu from the church, Rice said. They also instructed Lavertu to turn himself in, which he did June 22, Rice said. The pastors then notified the police themselves. It was five days, June 27, before police met with the clergymen to take their report, Rice said. Police arrested Lavertu at his home Monday on suspicion of three felony counts of sexual assault, one felony count of attempted sexual assault and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual conduct occurring between summer 2005 and July 2007. The fifth child allegedly was assaulted by Lavertu after his June 22 interview with police. Fort Collins police did not return The Denver Post's calls Thursday. Rice said the church did not have enough information about an alleged incident in August 2006 to take any action then. Some church members had told Rice that Lavertu might have a problem because of an incident they observed, Rice said. They suggested the church provide counseling, which it did for a few months, Rice said. "We had just a hint of concern last summer," he said. On June 5, another family told Gateway leaders that Lavertu touched their child. Rice said he immediately undertook a 10-day investigation that included interviewing a number of families. Rice then confronted Lavertu on June 16, he said, telling him to go to the police with a lawyer. Staff writer Electa Draper can be reached at 970-385-0917 or edraper@denverpost.com
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