BishopAccountability.org
	Fresno Pastor on Trial in Abuse after Girls Recant Two Girls Said They First Told of Sexual Abuse Because They Tired of Pastor's Rules By Chris Collins Fresno Bee January 9, 2008 http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/313128.html Even though two girls in Fresno pastor Charles Dickerson's family now say they were lying when they accused him of sexually abusing them for years, prosecutors argued Wednesday that jurors should still find Dickerson guilty of molestation and rape. Dickerson's defense attorney, Glenn LoStracco, said in an interview prior to opening statements in Dickerson's trial Wednesday that a defense investigator interviewed the girls two months ago, and they recanted their allegations of sexual abuse. He said the girls had originally come up with their molestation stories because they were tired of living with Dickerson's rules and wanted him to leave the house. Recently, however, the girls have socialized with Dickerson and now regularly attend his church, Pearly Grove Baptist Church in southwest Fresno, where Dickerson remains its pastor, LoStracco said. Prosecutor Art Corona conceded in his opening statements in Fresno County Superior Court that he expects the girls to deny that their previous statements were true, but he said it is not uncommon for victims of sexual abuse to recant even when the allegations are true. To protect their identity, The Bee is not identifying the girls or reporting their ages. Dickerson, the California state overseer for Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, has been a vocal leader in southwest Fresno. He has frequently called for an end to street violence, once standing beside Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer at a news conference. He also has encouraged people to support black-owned businesses. On Wednesday, a dozen of his supporters were in the courtroom. But members of Pearly Grove Baptist Church are divided over whether to back their preacher. Some have said that fellow church members are blindly following Dickerson instead of God. LoStracco, however, says the accusations stem from an estranged wife with a vendetta and girls who were unhappy with Dickerson's strict rules. Last March, one of the girls testified in a preliminary hearing that when she was younger than 10, Dickerson started molesting her. She said that when she was several years older, Dickerson would often ask her to come into his room and turn up the volume on a TV set while he was in bed. When she gave him a hug, he would pull her onto him, she said. Corona said that's when the molesting would begin. Later, the girl said, after she became pregnant by another man, Dickerson raped her in his bathroom. Corona said Wednesday that this girl was eventually raped three times. He said there is a third victim -- a male identified only as "James R." -- who when he was 16 was molested by Dickerson in 2000. At the time, Dickerson was a popular pastor at a church in Washington State, Corona said. Neither the defense nor the prosecution has indicated that James R. has recanted his allegations. Corona also said that there are other witnesses who can verify the girls' story, including a baby sitter who says she overheard one of the girls talk about the abuse. LoStracco said his client may not be "the easiest guy in the world to live with," but said Dickerson simply wanted to lay down rules for his family members to live by -- and that some in the family rebelled. He said the rebellion intensified after an incident at church one day: During the service, five girls -- including the two alleged victims -- passed around a note about sexual acts. The note was discovered and "as was the church practice," LoStracco said, it was given to Dickerson, who read it to the congregation, causing the girls much embarrassment. "That's what lit the fuse," he said. "It was a big brouhaha." LoStracco said the girls have since recanted their accusations because they are "scared" and realize that "they are the ones who started this whole thing." The reporter can be reached at ccollins@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6412.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.