By Lawrence Smith
West Virginia Record
August 15, 2008
http://www.wvrecord.com/news/214210-kanawha-man-indicted-on-sex-abuse-charges
CHARLESTON - A grand jury has indicted a youth pastor of an upper Kanawha Valley church for allegedly sexually abusing a former student of the church's affiliated school.
On July 31, the Kanawha County grand jury returned two counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian against Timothy C. Edmonds of Chesapeake.
The indictment does not give many specifics except that Edmonds "did engage in or attempt to engage in an act of sexual intercourse with ... Angel Green ... while [she] ... was in the care, custody and control of [Edmonds]."
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Also, the indictment alleges the "[Act] occurred within three years prior to the date of the finding of this indictment."
However, as previously reported in The West Virginia Record, court records show Edmonds, 37, was initially arrested and charged with one count of sexual abuse by a parent or guardian on May 2, 2006.
Edmonds' arrest came two weeks after James and Debbie Green, Angel's parents, informed police of a letter she wrote them detailing kissing between she and Edmonds "on an intimate nature."
In an interview conducted by Trooper L.G. O'Bryan of the West Virginia State Police, records show Green, now 18, said on several occasions she'd been alone with Edmonds for long periods of time.
These times alone, she said, happened at both Chesapeake Apostolic Church and 11937 MacCorkle Ave., a home owned by Patricia Priddy, Edmonds' mother-in-law, which was being remodeled.
During these times alone, Edmonds would ask her to wear pantyhose, and would take pictures with her "dress pulled up and wearing the pantyhose in a sexually explicit position." On at least one occasion, Green alleged she and Edmonds were lying on the floor and he rubbed his penis against her while she was wearing pantyhose.
In his investigation, O'Bryan said he found one witness who observed Edmonds and Green entering the house alone only to then "have the doors locked and secured against entry."
When the witness "knocked several times on the door ... there was a long pause before the two answered the door," papers say.
Also, records show the witness claimed to observe Edmonds pick up Green one day as she was walking home in the rain and transport her to her residence in Hernshaw.
On May 11, 2006, Edmonds was released on $5,000 bail which was posted by his wife, Karin. Eighteen months later, on Nov. 27, the original criminal complaint against him was dismissed at the request of the Kanawha County prosecutor's office.
Assistant Kanawha Prosecutor Scott Reynolds said the State Police had yet to complete a grand jury report, and state law requires all felony suspects to have their cases presented to the grand jury within a year following their arrest.
Seven months prior to the dismissal of the criminal charges, the Greens filed a civil suit against Edmonds, CAC, its pastor, K.D. Priddy and the Upper Kanawha Valley Christian School, which CAC oversees, and where Angel was attending school.
In their suit, the Greens allege Priddy, CAC, UKVCS were alerted to allegations that Edmonds engaged in "prior sexual deviant behavior…at a previous congregation," but conducted no investigation into the allegations.
The suit also alleged that Edmonds, acting as CAC's assistant youth pastor committed these acts to "gratify a perverted sexual need." In their respective replies to the suit, Edmonds, Priddy, CAC and UKVCS denied he was ever employed as an assistant youth pastor or served in any other capacity in the church's or school's administration.
The case, which was slated for trial this month, was dismissed following an out-of-court settlement the parties reached on June 5.
Edmonds was not immediately available for comment concerning the indictment.
In West Virginia, sexual abuse by parent or guardian is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison and carries a fine of $500 to $5,000.
Edmonds is scheduled for arraignment before Judge Irene C. Berger on Aug. 20.
Kanawha Circuit Court, Case No 08-F-365
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