Preacher Charged with Rape, Tom Smith, Times Daily, May 1, 2009

Preacher Charged with Rape

By Tom Smith
Times Daily
May 1, 2009

http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090501/ARTICLES/905015022/1011/NEWS?Title=Preacher-charged-with-rape

Kenneth Dyar Wood

MOULTON - Authorities have arrested a 70-year-old preacher who is accused of raping a Colbert County girl in December.

Kenneth Dyar Wood, 3914 Lawrence 81, Danville, was arrested Thursday afternoon at his residence in the Speake community.

Authorities charged Wood with first-degree rape and sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old, according to Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Mitchell. Both charges are felonies.

Investigators say Wood is pastor at Barnett Chapel Pentecostal Church in Morgan County. He is accused of raping an 11-year-old girl from Colbert County who is an acquaintance of Wood's family.

Mitchell said the investigation began two months ago after the Colbert County Department of Human Resources received a complaint.

Investigators said the child told her mother about the incident after developing medical problems. Details of the medical problems were not released Thursday.

"The mother contacted DHR and we began an investigation when notified of the allegations," said Lawrence County investigator Capt. Tim McWhorter.

The sheriff said the rape reportedly happened at Wood's residence while the child was visiting.

"He's charged with one incident at this time, but we believe it happened other times and had been going on for at least a couple of months," McWhorter said.

Wood says he is innocent, McWhorter said.

Mitchell said investigators were told that at least two other people said Wood touched them inappropriately.

"At this point, we're not sure if there will be any additional charges on these other incidents, but we are taking a very close look," McWhorter said.

Kathy Connolly, executive director of Rape Response in Florence, said 15 percent of sexual abuse victims nationwide are younger than 12 years old.

"It's not uncommon for a victim to know their assailant," Connolly said.

"In fact, 77 percent of adults (who are attacked) know their attackers."

She said U.S. Justice Department statistics show 93 percent of juvenile victims of sexual attack know their attacker.

Connolly said the age difference between the accused attacker and victim in the case - 59 years - is not unusual.

"We see perpetrators of all ages," she said.

"No one is ever too old to be a perpetrator or too young to be a victim."

First-degree rape is a Class A felony, punishable by 10 years to life in prison. A person convicted of sexual abuse of a child under 12, a Class B felony, faces a sentence of 2-20 years in prison.

Wood is being held in Lawrence County Jail with bail set at $70,000.

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com