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	Pastor's Abuse of Power Condemned By Jeffarah Gibson The Tribune September 16, 2011 http://www.tribune242.com/09152011_sexscandal_features_pg28 Tribune Features Writer THE Christian community was hit with another sex scandal last week when a Freeport pastor was found guilty of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Albert Alexander Whyley, 59, a local clergyman and fruit vendor, was charged with having unlawful sex with a nine-year-old girl on February 6, 2011. Whyley had been convicted of the same offence almost 18 years ago. He will be sentenced on November 11. Members of the Christian community weighed in on the scandal surrounding the pastor. Tameka Grant told Tribune Religion she was outraged after hearing of Mr Whyley's conviction. "I was sick to my stomach when I heard about that. My God she is just nine years old and he was supposed to be looking after her and he went and did that to her. She will be tramautised for the rest of her life. Sometimes I wonder how people like him sleep at night. That situation is just sad and these are the people that you trust your children with," said Ms Grant. "I do not know what is with these pastors, when they are not gay they molesting little children. How could you be ministering to someone and in the back of your mind you are fantasising about them, that is a bunch of foolishness. "(And to think) he did it before. I do not know what we are going to do with this country. All we could do is pray," she said. Cleophas Darling*, follower of the Baptist faith and a regular church-goer, said the actions of the convicted sex offender can never be justified, and he must now seek forgiveness for his transgression. "Its a very unfortunate situation. The only way out of a situation like that would be to repent and ask God to forgive you because no sin can be forgiven if you do not confess your sins." He went on to explain that although pastors are respected highly by society, they, too, sin and fall short. "Even though you are a pastor you can still fall into sin. People fail to understand that a pastor is just a pastor. He is not God and he is still in reach of the devil. Being a pastor does not mean you do not have feelings. As a pastor your temptation is even greater, however, it is no excuse for wrongdoing. The only thing he could do is look to God for help," he said. Speaking with Tribune Religion on the condition of anonymity, one woman said, "if you do the crime you pay the time". "If he did the crime then he needs to be punished and put to shame openly. Just because he is a pastor that does not mean he can escape judgment. Therefore you do the crime you pay the time and that's my five cents," she said. The case of Mr Whyley is not the first to rock the religious community. On October 4, the fate of Bishop Earl Randy Fraser will be determined when his unlawful sex trial comes to a close. It is alleged that Fraser, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Temple on St James Road, had an unlawful sexual relationship with a girl between July 2005 and February 2006. Additionally, an Atlanta-based man reportedly raised in the Bahamas was the fifth accuser in the sex scandal surrounding American religious leader Bishop Eddie Long, according to news reports in the US. Last September, four young men, all former members of New Birth Church, sued Mr Long, accusing the bishop of lavishing money, trips and gifts on them while having sexual relations with the men. Mr Long publicly denied the allegations. Earlier this year the matter was settled out of court and the lawsuits against the pastor were dropped. *Names have been changed.
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