Minister Pleads Guilty in Child Sex Abuse

By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times
September 14, 2012

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019149992_molest14m.html

A Seattle minister and musician charged last year with the sexual abuse of young boys pleaded guilty Thursday to 22 counts.

Timothy L. Dampier, 39, abused 10 boys between 1997 and 2011, some members of his congregation, other members of youth programs he played a role in, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office.

His guilty plea is for charges that include: first- and second-degree rape of a child; first-, second- and third-degree child molestation; sexual exploitation of a minor; and possession of child pornography, said Dan Donohoe, prosecutor's office spokesman.

Dampier has served as a foster parent and worked at the Bellevue Boys & Girls Club, according to court documents. Seattle police say he once worked at Samuel House, a group home in Kent, and the Union Gospel Mission.

Dampier came under investigation by Seattle police after one of his alleged victims came forward in April 2011 and told police Dampier had started sexually molesting him when he was 10 and continued for three years, until 2002. The man, now 21, told police the molestation occurred in Dampier's van after church functions throughout King County, authorities said.

The man said he had reported the abuse to a minister at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church last year. When the alleged victim and the minister confronted Dampier about the abuse in October, Dampier said he'd engaged in "playful touching" but denied any molestation, according to court documents.

Other alleged victims and witnesses came forward during the investigation, according to court documents. Another man alleged that Dampier raped him, masturbated in front of him and showed him child pornography when he was between 12 and 13 years old in 2001 and 2002.

When questioned by police in May 2011, Dampier acknowledged he had inappropriately touched three boys and performed oral sex on one of them multiple times when the boy was around 12, according to court documents.

Prosecutors will be seeking a sentence of 22 years in prison for Dampier who faces a sentencing range of 20 to just over 26 years in prison.

Members of the executive staff at the Bellevue Boys & Girls Club are out of town this week and unavailable for comment.

Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com