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	Pierce Convicted, Gets 10 Years Courier August 27, 2009 http://www.bentoncourier.com/content/view/185462/1/ David Pierce, the former music minister of Benton’s First Baptist Church, confessed to and was convicted of four counts of sexual indecency with a child before Saline County Circuit Judge Grisham Philips this morning. According to the negotiated plea, Pierce, 56, will serve 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. The actual sentence includes two six-year terms to run concurrently and two four-year terms to run concurrently, followed by an additional term of two years’ suspended imposition of sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be listed as an habitual offender, Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady said following today’s court proceeding. At the close the hearing, Pierce was handcuffed and taken from the courtroom the Saline County Detention Center to await transfer to a Correction Department facility. The four felony counts involve three separate victims who were former members of Pure Energy youth choir at First Baptist, which Pierce directed. He had been charged earlier with 54 counts of the charge, but the number of counts was reduced to the number of victims involved in the prosecution, Casady said. “Obviously, this case was one of great public interest,” Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady said. Both he and Mark Hampton, Pierce’s attorney, said they are satisfied with the outcome of the case. “I received substantial public input,” Casady said. “A prompt resolution that was both acceptable to the victims and to me as the advocate for the interests of the state was of paramount importance. “The prospect of testifying was both painful and embarrassing for the boys who were victimized by Pierce, though many were prepared to face him and do so,” Casady said. “In bringing this case to resolution, the things I considered were Mr. Pierce’s actions toward the victims, the long-term insidious nature of these actions, and the impact of those actions on the victims. “The victims who were willing to come forward and be consulted supported this plea and sentence,” Casady noted. Hampton shared a prepared statement from Pierce. In that statement, Pierce said: “The past several weeks have been very difficult for many including the congregation of First Baptist Church, the people of this community, and those affected by these circumstances and especially my family. By God’s grace, we pray that all can find peace and comfort during these challenging days. “Our family has learned that forgiveness and reconciliation are the first steps to mending broken hearts. To that end, I express my most sincere apologies to every person affected by my actions. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. Finally, my family and I want to thank many special friends who have so eloquently displayed forgiveness by their unconditional friendship, compassion and acts of kindness during this time.” At the time Pierce was informed by church leaders that he was being terminated from the position he had held for 29 years, he reportedly apologized to the leaders as well as the church body for his behavior. Part of the letter, which was included in court records, stated: “I feel that it is important for you to know that while I fully acknowledge the sinfulness and immorality of my past behavior, I did not engage in actual sexual contact (specifically oral sex, intercourse or masturbating another individual) with any person, nor do I believe that in recent conversation with legal counsel that I have violated criminal or civil law.” Today, Casady said many persons claimed to have been victimized by Pierce during the past two decades, but the statute of limitations has run on many of the incidents. “These range from young men to those in their 30s,” he said, “and these people are still dealing with psychological issues from the things that occurred.” According to documents from the case file assembled by Detective Alison Hoskins of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, for much of the past 20 years Pierce used his position of authority and trust over young boys as their choir director or voice coach to involve them in his own sexual gratification. Court records note that Pierce would “groom boys as young as 11 or 12” by taking an extra interest in their participation in youth choir. During the years of Pierce’s tutelage, he would entangle discussions of a sexual nature with the boys’ choir participation. As the boys reached puberty, Pierce introduced them to a process he called “charting,” the case file notes. In this process, Pierce convinced the boys that in order for them to progress in the areas of voice and choir that Pierce needed to take measurements of their bodies, including measuring their genitals. Pierce kept records of these measurements through the years. After Pierce introduced the boys to charting, which reportedly was done on a legal pad, he would commonly have the boys masturbate in front of him, the case file notes. It also notes that often he would “then expose himself to the boys and masturbate.” The incidents would occur at the church or wherever Pierce could get the boys alone, the case file notes. One of the victims told authorities that Pierce took him to a cabin in a county location where, in addition to the charting, he also spoke with him about sexual activities, such as masturbation. Pierce allegedly told the teenager that he had a “strong bond with all past presidents in the student ministry and would do ‘charting’ with them,” the records show. “The many boys and young men that did come forward to talk to Sgt. Hoskins during the course of this investigation conducted by Sheriff Bruce Pennington’s department are responsible for everyone Pierce has ever victimized having this day of justice,” Casady said. “I want to thank those witnesses and the Sheriff’s Department for their detailed investigation of this case. It closed a painful chapter in the history of this community.” Pierce had been free on a $25,000 bond set previously by Benton District Judge Mike Robinson. Dr. Rick Grant, senior pastor of First Baptist, called today’s events “a sad day for many people. It is hard to see someone you’ve known for years as a friend, mentor and colleague end up in this kind of circumstance. I’m also sad for the victims in this ordeal — young men and their families who trusted David as a teacher and leader. “The faith at First Baptist continues to be strong,” Grant said. “It is a church that serves an incredibly great God, who will bless us if we strive to follow His will for our lives. I would ask that you please continue to pray for all involved and for the church. “Finally, I’d like to thank law enforcement, government officials, and others who have handled this with promptness and professionalism,” Grant said. The Baptist Press previously carried a story about Pierce’s arrest. In that account, it noted that the Southern Baptist Convention has gone on record “for having stood strongly against sexual abuse,” Morris H. Chapman, president of the denomination’s Executive Committee, said. “We have long condemned those who would use our churches as a hunting ground for their sick and selfish pleasure. “ ... Even though the number of Southern Baptist ministers who are sexual predators may seem to be relatively small, we must be on watch and take immediate action against those who prey on the most innocent among us,” Chapman said. “One sexual predator in our midst is one too many.”
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