Former Deacon, Teacher Gets Three Years for Sex Abuse of Children

By Dianne Wood
The Record
February 13, 2012

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/671104--former-deacon-teacher-gets-three-years-for-sex-abuse-of-children

CAMBRIDGE — Denouncing the former church deacon for preying on innocent children to satisfy his sexual cravings, a judge on Monday sentenced Chesley Petten to three years in penitentiary.

Justice John Lynch said appeal courts have stressed the need to impose stiff sentences in such cases to denounce the sexual molestation of children.

Petten, 49, had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual interference and two counts of sexual exploitation involving three boys aged 11 to 15 from 1991 to 2007.

Petten was a deacon at Temple Baptist Church and a teacher at Temple Christian Academy in Cambridge. He was forced to resign as deacon in 1995 after one victim's mother found her son with a pornographic movie Petten had given him.

The boy did not reveal the full extent of Petten's actions at the time for fear that no one would believe him, so no charges were laid.

A small Cambridge courtroom was filled to overflowing for the sentencing, with supporters of both the victims and Petten.

The judge noted that Petten was in a position of trust over two of the boys whom he taught. He was a family friend to the other boy.

He took the boys camping, invited them over for movies, and gave them alcohol, marijuana and cash, the judge said. He let one of the boys drive his car.

The judge was particularly concerned with the length of Petten's abuse of one boy, which went on for five or six years.

It's unclear exactly when it started. The boy believes he was eight, but the court accepted that he was 11.

He finally told police in 2010 because he couldn't handle the stress anymore.

"The accused had to know the harm he was causing," Lynch said. "He's intelligent, well-spoken and educated. He was a teacher.

"How could he not know the serious psychological harm he caused?"

One of the victims, who once looked up to Petten, called him a "monster" at an earlier court appearance.

The court also heard details of Petten's relationship with a fourth boy. No charges were laid in connection with that boy, but Lynch said it was obvious that Petten was grooming him.

The judge gave Petten credit for pleading guilty and saving the victims from having to testify, and for starting counselling after he was arrested.

He noted the "numerous positive letters of reference" he received for Petten. But he largely discounted them, saying "It's only the outwardly appropriate people who are allowed to maintain a position of trust. Evidence of good character warrants little weight."

Petten apologized to the victims at a court appearance several weeks ago. He called his behaviour "despicable."

The judge prohibited him for life from going places frequented by people 16 and under, such as parks and playgrounds.

Contact: dwood@therecord.com