By Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail
May 14, 2009
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200905140328
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A former Shrewsbury pastor will spend the next 20 to 60 years in the penitentiary for sexual acts he performed on three young boys in his church more than 15 years ago.
Sandy Martin Cook, 49, was found guilty on all 16 counts of sexual abuse and sexual assault alleged by three victims. Those victims came forward in 2007 about the crimes that occurred when they were boys attending the Shrewsbury Church of God in the 1990s.
Cook asked Kanawha Circuit Court Judge Irene Berger for leniency before he was sentenced Thursday, but did not admit those sexual acts took place or apologize to his victims, who are now grown men.
Instead, he asked for forgiveness for his appearance - bearded, scruffy, handcuffed and dressed in the familiar orange jail jumpsuit.
"I've always been a God-fearing man," Cook told the judge. "And took my vow to the Lord seriously. I love God and I love people, but my heart aches.
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| Sandy Martin Cook enters Judge Berger's courtroom where he was sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison for sexually abusing and assaulting young boys in his Shrewsbury church in the 1990s. Photo by Craig Cunningham |
"I beg the court to look favorably upon me," he said. "I would love to prove to the public that I'm no threat to anyone."
But Berger said it was that very association with God and the church that disturbed her the most about Cook, who denied at his trial that he molested or had sex with the boys.
"As someone who was raised in the church, it was despicable to me to hear that someone would use Bible verses and God's teachings in order to encourage children to commit sexual acts far beyond their years and what they should have been able to know about."
She recalled portions of the detailed, tearful testimony of each of the three victims at the February trial.
"You woke up Mr. Lewis and you were praying over him that God would use his life while your hand was in his genital area," she said. "We saw from the witness stand his conflict.
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Photo by Craig Cunningham |
"He had difficulty understanding, as a grown man now with a family, how these acts were committed," Berger said. "He was conflicted about his love and respect for you in regards to these acts that had been done to him for some time."
Michael Lewis, now pastor of the New Life Center in Cedar Grove, said after the
"The only question that remains is why the denomination did not respond," said Lewis. "If they did it 20 years ago, they'll do it now."
Lewis said churches need to establish procedures to prevent sexual abuse.
One of the victims came forward to church authorities in 1994 about sexual acts involving him and Cook, but his family did not press charges. Church of God officers locally and statewide did not respond then, and have not responded now, Lewis said.
Jose Strickland, whose account of sexual abuse opened the official investigation into Cook in 2007, said after the hearing that he was confident the sentence was appropriate.
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Photo by Craig Cunningham |
"I'm satisfied with the sentence," he said. "I feel very comfortable with it. I only have one regret - that I did not come forward sooner.
"There are many people who are relieved that he will be put away for at least 20 years," Strickland said.
Assistant prosecutor Michelle Drummond recognized Cook's contribution to his community as a pastor and as a nurse at Charleston Area Medical Center. But she called his crimes "heinous" and asked Berger to sentence Cook to prison.
"He manipulated his position in the church to acquire access to these children," Drummond said. "And he invoked the name of God to continue those relationships.
"Childhood is supposed to be carefree and innocent and this defendant robbed three children of their childhood and he should pay for doing that," Drummond said.
Cook's wife and niece spoke at the hearing, and asked Berger to allow Cook to serve his sentence on probation or home confinement.
His wife, Deborah Cook, said, "I feel I am caught in the middle of a nightmare I cannot escape."
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