By Rocky Mountain News
Brian Maass
November 18, 2008
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/17/denver-pastor-accused-sexual-assault-lawsuit/
A former church secretary at Denver's Central Baptist Church has filed a civil lawsuit against the church and senior pastor Willie Simmons, accusing the prominent Denver-area clergyman of two incidents of sexual assault in the church office in 2007.
In a 2007 internal church memo obtained by CBS4, Simmons, a married, 58-year old father of two, acknowledged he engaged in a sexual encounter with the woman but claimed it was consensual.
"I wanted it to stop," the woman said in an interview with CBS4. "It wasn't consensual..."
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| Senior pastor Willie Simmons, left, a married father of two, has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit. Above, the pastor of Denver's Central Baptist Church speaks at a new conference in 2006. |
The woman requested her name not be used as she considers herself a victim of sexual assault.
Simmons has been a pastor at Denver's Central Baptist Church since 1990. Several years ago he was President of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, a collaboration of pastors representing about 65 predominantly black churches in Denver and Aurora.
According to the lawsuit filed in Denver District Court, Simmons engaged in sexual encounters with the woman on two occassions in February 2007, and she went to Denver Police to report the allegations after the second incident.
Investigators had the woman call Simmons as detectives eavesdropped on the conversation, according to the lawsuit.
According to a police report on the incident, Simmons told the woman, "I didn't know you went to the police station ... all I had to say was please forgive me, I'm sorry. I'll never say anything to you. I did get out of line. Like I said, you could keep your job."
The Denver District Attorney's office declined to file charges against Simmons.
Lynn Kimbrough, a spokesperson for the DA's Office, said there was "no reasonable likelihood of conviction" based on "our inability to disprove a consent defense."
The victim's attorney, Paula Greisen called Simmons' behavior "outrageous conduct" and said the fact the church did not fire Simmons was "unbelievably offensive."
Simmons would not speak in detail about the allegations to CBS4.
"I cannot discuss that," he said. "I will not discuss my personal life and other things."
His attorney did not return multiple phone calls.
Central Baptist treasurer Alex Armstrong acknowledged there had "been a disturbance at the church," but declined to answer any other questions.
James Slay, chairman of the church trustees, did not return multiple calls.
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