Order Denied for Church Defendant's Wife, by Dana Willhoit, The Ledger, November 6, 2007

Order Denied for Church Defendant's Wife

By Dana Willhoit
The Ledger
November 6, 2007

http://www.theledger.com/article/20071106/NEWS/711060414/1004

BARTOW | The wife of Marshal Seymour, the church volunteer charged with molesting several teenage boys he met through the youth ministry at his church, on Monday lost a motion for an injunction to keep him away from her.

Susan Seymour filed a motion for a temporary injunction on Oct. 31 asking that her husband not be allowed to go within 500 feet of their home on Berkeley Avenue in Lakeland, or the family business, Fire Equipment Service Center.

In her motion she said "I'm here because I am filing for a divorce and I'm afraid of what he is going to do because he feels like he has lost everything. DCF (Department of Children and Families) is involved and actually told me yesterday I need to file for an injunction. My husband is being investigated for allegations of sexual abuse against minor boys. My husband is very emotional right now. He says things like 'Things will be better off for you and (our son) if I weren't around.' I just don't know what his state of mind is and I fear he will do something to himself, or to our son, maybe take him out of state, I just don't know.

Copy mug of Seymour Marshall in Lakeland, Fl. November 3, 2007.Seymour is charged with three counts of using a child in sex performance , unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and tampering with a witness. Seymour turned himself in to the the Polk County Sheriff's Office Friday evening.He was a volunteer mentor at The First Baptist Church at the Mall. Dana match.
Photo by David Mills

"I'm mainly trying to protect our son also. With the allegations and his emotional state, I just don't know what will happen. My husband knows the marriage is gone, he is probably going to jail, he most likely will have limitations with visits with his son. ... The detective told me that if my husband came by to see me or our son I would have to call him right away. The detective or DCF does not want any contact by my husband with us. We are mainly trying to protect our son.

"The detective did tell me that they are considering my husband a sexual predator. They are investigating eight cases against my husband."

Seymour's lawyer, Rusty Franklin, filed a response asking that Susan Seymour's request for a temporary injunction be denied.

In it, he said "The petition contains no factual allegations that the petitioner is a victim of domestic violence or has reasonable cause to believe that she is imminent danger of becoming the victim of an act of domestic violence."

At Monday morning's hearing, Judge Ellen Masters issued an order of dismissal, simply stating "This court grants respondent's motion to dismiss."

Seymour, 40, has been in the Polk County Jail since Friday night. He and his wife are the parents of a 9-year-old boy.

Seymour is charged with sexually molesting three teenage boys who he met through the youth ministry at the First Baptist Church at the Mall. Police have said the investigation is ongoing.

Seymour has a previous conviction stemming from his sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy he met while he was a youth pastor in Mobile, Ala., Lakeland police said. In that case, Seymour pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor assault charge on Oct. 13, 1999. He was originally charged with sexual abuse and sodomy, Lakeland police said. Police said Seymour moved to Lakeland later that year.

Lakeland police investigated Seymour for two weeks before issuing an arrest warrant for him on Nov. 2. A police report shows that they interviewed Seymour on Oct. 17 about the allegations against him.

Franklin, Seymour's lawyer, said "My client has a constitutional right to the presumption of innocence. I'm currently investigating these allegations and I refuse to try this case in the media."

Seymour currently remains in jail on $325,000 bail. He has a hearing scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in front of Judge Donald Jacobsen, in which his lawyer will seek a reduction of his bond.

Dana Willhoit can be reached at dana.willhoit@theledger.com or 863-533-9079.