Former Calgary Pastor Charged with Historic Sex Assaults

By Sarah Offin and Melissa Ramsay
Global News
April 10, 2014

http://globalnews.ca/news/1262685/former-calgary-pastor-charged-with-historic-sex-assaults/

Police have charged a Carstairs man with allegedly sexually assaulting two girls during his time as a pastor at a northwest Calgary Baptist church.

The charges date back to 1970, when Thomas Larry Jones was working as a religious leader and teacher.

Jones allegedly began abusing one victim in 1979 when she was five-years-old, and continued until she was 15.

It’s alleged he also abused another victim starting in 1986 when she was nine-years-old, and continued until she was 18.

The assaults allegedly occurred in the church, and at Jones’ then neighbouring home.

In both cases, the victims were parishioners at the Baptist church.

Police arrested Jones on Wednesday. He is charged with:

Indecent assault of a female

Three counts of gross indecency

Four counts of sexual assault

Two counts of sexual interference

Two counts of sexual exploitation

“I’ve been in consistent contact with [the victims] for the last few days, and they were aware that Mr. Jones was going to be arrested and charged yesterday,” says Det. Jeff Klinger with the CPS Child Abuse Unit. “They were happy to hear that them coming forward has resulted in an investigation that’s given enough evidence where charges could be laid.”

The allegations came to the attention of police after a similar case in 2012, where another leader at the same church was charged with sexually assaulting three male victims in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The important thing to realize is that this isn’t about an institution,” says Det. Klinger. “Places of worship… places of business… don’t commit these offences, it’s people commit these offences against other people.”