BishopAccountability.org
	No Criminal Complaints Filed against Former Minister WAPT August 10, 2011 http://www.wapt.com/news/28826252/detail.html [with video] Plenty of questions were swirling around Wednesday about why the former associate music pastor at a Clinton church was allowed to stay on the job after claims surfaced that he had abused teen boys 22 years earlier. On Tuesday, 16 WAPT News aired a videotape of John Langworthy at the pulpit Sunday speaking to the congregation of Morrison Heights Baptist Church. "Prior to coming to Clinton 22 years ago, while serving at a church in Mississippi and then Texas, I had sexual indiscretions with younger males," Langworthy said Sunday. Langworthy was fired from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, after claims were made against him. No criminal charges were filed in Texas. Langworthy resigned from his job as an associate minister of music at Morrison Heights in May. Langworthy also had worked for Clinton Public Schools as choir director of the high school. The school district said it learned of the Texas allegations in August 2010. Langworthy resigned at the end of the 2011 school year, the district said. "Because of this accountability and God's grace, there has been no sexual impropriety while serving here at Morrison Heights Baptist Church," Langworthy told the congregation on Sunday. Langworthy admitted to having a Mississippi victim more than 20 years ago. Clinton Police Chief Don Byington said no one has filed any complaints with his office. "We have been familiar with this for some time now," Byington said. "But no one has stepped forward here, so we have conducted no type of investigation whatsoever." Amy Smith, one of Langworthy's former co-workers in Texas is a member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which is a victim's rights group. Smith said she has fought to bring Langworthy's story to light. "Because we at SNAP care about protecting children, and our view is that though there have been reports to the police, no one has come forward to them in the past 22 years alleging any inappropriate behavior on John's part. The only responsible action is to err on the side of safety," Smith said. "For victims of child sex abuse, particularly by those of authority, it takes many, many, many years -- decades, in fact -- if ever they speak out."
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