By Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail
February 27, 2009
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200902260834
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Pastor Sandy Cook took the witness stand in his trial and adamantly denied he ever had any sexual encounters with three boys in his youth program in the 1990s.
"No. Never. No. Never," he replied each time he was asked Thursday about specific testimony regarding sexual activity alleged by Michael Lewis, Jose Strickland and Michael Bradley.
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| Pastor Sandy Cook took the witness stand in his trial Thursday. Photo by Bob Wojcieszak |
Instead, Cook painted a picture of tumultuous church politics, power struggle and bruised egos that resulted when Lewis, 29, wanted to be minister of the Shrewsbury Church of God himself.
Lewis gave emotionally charged testimony earlier this week - requiring the judge to recess because of his tears - that Cook was a mentor, substitute father and even a hero to him as a young boy. But he said Cook sexually abused and assaulted him from the time he was 12 years old.
Cook, 49, denied that, and told jurors that while he had encouraged Lewis and hoped he would take his place someday, he wasn't ready to give up his position so soon. Lewis, he said, became angry and the two suffered a permanent rift.
"He became belligerent," Cook said. "He threw a fit because I wanted him to get his license first."
The relationship became more and more strained, Cook said, as the two disagreed about how programs should be run at the Church of God. Finally, he told jurors, he requested a meeting with state church administrators.
"And we have never spoken since," Cook said.
Lewis told jurors the two had a close and loving relationship from the time they met, and he even moved into the parsonage with Cook at age 15. He lived there until the day before his wedding at age 20.
Lewis told the jury he kept quiet about the abuse because as a boy he didn't realize it was wrong, and as an older teenager he was intimidated by Cook's threats.
The two other alleged victims gave similar testimony, saying that they admired and respected Cook but that he forced them to perform sexual acts.
Jim Cagle, Cook's defense attorney, asked him, "Did you, through your religion, try to trap these youths into sexual escapades?"
"No," Cook insisted. "I used my religion to try to keep them from that kind of stuff."
When asked if he ever drove the boys in his vehicle to secluded eastern Kanawha County locations and engaged them in sexual acts, Cook said he did not. His van, he said, would have been damaged if taken off the main roads.
Cagle put on the witness stand several witnesses - church members, church officials, co-workers and also some other men who were in the same youth group as the three alleged victims in the 1990s. All described Cook as a respectable man who was admired in the community.
One was P.J. Hodge a Kanawha County Sheriff's deputy who is part of the K-9 unit. Hodge, who grew up in Shrewsbury, said he was friends with the alleged victims and often spent nights at the pastor's residence.
But he said he never viewed any pornography there as the other three testified and was never asked by the defendant to engage in sexual activity. He described Cook as "truthful, honest, hardworking."
Testimony has concluded in the trial. Attorneys were scheduled to give their closing arguments Friday and jurors were to begin their deliberations.
Contact writer Cheryl Caswell at cher@dailymail.com or 304-348-4832.
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