BishopAccountability.org
	Woman Testfies about Sexual Misconduct by Ex-Youth Pastor By Andrew Clevenger Charleston Gazette January 27, 2009 http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200901260589 A former youth pastor at Chesapeake Apostolic Church lured a 16-year-old student into an empty house he was renovating and rubbed himself against her, the alleged victim testified in Kanawha Circuit Court Monday. The alleged victim, now 19, said Timothy Charles Edmonds, 37, told her not to tell anyone about the encounters or he might not be able to preach anymore. "He started rubbing on my bottom when we were standing up," she said. "I felt something, and I turned around, and he was zipping his pants back up." Edmonds "rubbed his private part" against her crotch and rear end on four different occasions in March 2006, she said. These included once in a storage room at the church and once in a basement room at the Upper Kanawha Valley Christian School, where she was a student, she said. During one encounter at the renovated house, he told her to put on a pair of pantyhose so that he could photograph her legs for a "prettiest legs" contest, she said. He also took cushions off of a couch and put them on the floor, where he laid down on top of her and rubbed himself against her, she said. A grand jury indicted Edmonds on charges of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian in August 2008. The alleged victim's mother became alarmed when she found a letter her daughter had written to "Tim," describing intimate kissing, the mother said. "She didn't have a boyfriend or anything like that," the mother said. "I just couldn't imagine who that was." Her parents decided to put their daughter into the tiny school, which had a dozen students in one room, after she struggled with special-education classes in public schools, she said. Soon, their daughter wanted to go to services at Chesapeake Apostolic, which was associated with the school, she said. Edmonds' wife taught at the school, and his father-in-law, Phillip Priddy, is the pastor of the church, she said. During her opening statement, Kanawha County assistant prosecutor Michelle Drummond said semen found on pantyhose the girl gave to investigators matched Edmonds' DNA. Defense attorney John Sullivan said State Police Sgt. Larry O'Bryan had conducted a slipshod investigation, and could not locate key pieces of evidence, including the letter to Edmonds. The family of the alleged victim had also sued the church and reached a confidential settlement, meaning the accusations might be motivated by money, he said. Court records indicate the family resolved a lawsuit against Edmonds, the church and the school in June 2008. Testimony continues today in front of Judge Irene C. Berger. Reach Andrew Clevenger at acleven@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1723.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.