By Maureen Wurtz
WPTM
December 10, 2011
http://www.kptm.com/story/16231197/kptm-exclusive-man-guilty-of-sex-abuse-gets-visits-with-kids-over-mothers-objection
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| Brent Girouex |
OMAHA (KPTM) - A former Council Bluffs youth pastor accused of sexually assaulting several boys he counseled made a deal with Pottawattamie County prosecutors to plead guilty to fewer charges.
Police say the abuse started five years ago. 31-year-old Brent Girouex was originally charged with nearly 90 counts of 3rd degree sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist.
Victims started coming forward to report the assaults in February. In a deal reached November 23, Girouex plead guilty to one charge of third degree sexual assault.
Girouex also entered Alford pleas for two exploitation counts. An Alford plea means the defendant admits there is evidence that could convict, but still maintains innocence.
He will be sentenced in March.
Girouex and his wife, Erin are separated and she is filing for divorce. After a visitation hearing Friday in Pottawattamie County, she was outraged the court will allow her husband visitation with their children.
"There's a huge injustice that puts my children at risk of horrible things," she says. "I don't understand how you can plead guilty to such heinous crime, and still be able to see your four small children-three of which were boys."
Girouex was a youth pastor at Victory Fellowship in Council Bluffs. Head Pastor Lonnie Parton said he never noticed anything wrong until the first victim came forward in February. Since then, more boys broke their silence.
"These are young men now," Barton says, "so they do want to see justice happen for the many victims he's been a perpetrator of."
Pottawattamie County assistant attorney Dan McGinn is prosecuting the case. "I see kids rise from the ashes," McGinn says, "they are always in a better spot and they rise up."
It's the victims standing up that has Erin Girouex saying thank you. "I'm proud of the victims for coming forward and protecting my kids-because they are the ones that are protecting my kids," she says. "My pastors protecting my kids, my parents are protecting my kids- I'm trying, but I'm not getting any help from the court system at this particular time."
Now, however, Girouex thinks the court system is putting her children back into harm's way. "For many years, we've adopted babies. To think that again, those children, are in harms way is sickening."
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