Ms - Abusive Baptist Minister Pleads Guilty, SNAP Responds

By Barbara Dorris
SNAP
January 22, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ms_abusive_baptist_minister_pleads_guilty_snap_responds

Today, a disgraced Baptist minister has pled guilty to charges that he molested five boys in the 1980’s.

We are glad that some justice has been served in the case against John Langworthy. While it is likely that more truth would have come out if this case had gone to trial – including what other church officials knew about Langworthy’s crimes, and when – we are glad that the victims in this case are spared the pain of having to testify. We are disappointed that as a condition of this plea that Langworthy will not be sent to jail because kids are always safer when predators are behind bars. We are grateful, however, that he will be made to register as a sex offender, which will allow parents and community members to know that he is a potential danger and will prevent him from freely interacting with children.

The victims in this case deserve praise for coming forward and reporting their abuse to police. It is a very difficult thing to admit to others that you were sexually abused as a child, but by coming forward these victims have helped keep other children safe from Langworthy and hopefully deterred other predators from committing similar crimes. Silence is a predator’s best weapon, and we are grateful to those who broke their silence to ensure that justice is served.