Man arrested in historical sexual assault

By Kevin Vink
Didsbury Review
April 15, 2014

http://didsburyreview.ca/article/20140415/DID0801/304159964/-1/did08/man-arrested-in-historical-sexual-assault

A 69-year-old Carstairs man and former Baptist church leader turned himself in to Calgary police to face charges related to alleged sexual assaults against two females dating as far back as the 1970s, say police.

Det. Jeff Klinger spoke to press in Calgary on Thursday, April 10, stating that Thomas Larry Jones was charged the previous day with a total of 12 counts related to the case.

The case came to light following another case where a man turned himself in and admitted to assaulting three male victims while in a leadership role in a Calgary-based Baptist church, he said.

A female came forward with claims against Jones in 1993, but Klinger said there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case.

After the case involving alleged abuse against male victims came to light, he said more claims came in about Jones.

As it happened 20 to 30 years ago, it took a while for police to track down those who were involved, and who knew about the alleged assaults, he said.

“Once we were satisfied that we had spoken to enough people, we came to a point where Mr. Jones needed to be arrested and charged,” said Klinger.

The investigation revealed the alleged sexual abuse against one of the females began in 1979, when she was five years old, and continued until she was 15, he noted.

The other female was nine years old when the alleged abuse began in 1986, and continued until she was 18, he added.

In both cases, the females were parishioners at the Baptist church where the accused was a religious leader and teacher.

The alleged assaults were said to have occurred in the church and at the accused’s then neighbouring home.

Although Jones and the previously charged man were members of the same church, Klinger noted there is no indication that they were working together in any way.

“The important thing to realize is that this isn’t about an institution,” he added.

“Places of worship, places of business, don’t commit these offences. It’s people who commit these offences against other people.”

He said the man was in a position of trust at the church, and was also teaching children non-religious classes in the basement of the church.

The complainants were “happy to hear that them coming forward has resulted in an investigation that’s given enough evidence where charges could be laid today,” he said.

“They were, and happy to see that they’ve received closure to that point, anyway, that Mr. Jones is going to answer to what he did to them, in court.”

He noted a lot of time has passed, and there have been resources made available to the women who were involved.

“I know from meeting with them and talking with them…that they do have supports in place, and relatively speaking – without putting words in their mouths – they’re moving forward, which is nice to see.”

Jones, who was arrested at the Calgary Police Service Westwinds Campus, has been charged with indecent assault of a female, three counts of gross indecency, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference, and two counts of sexual exploitation. The charges have not been proven in court.

Klinger encouraged anybody else who may know about other alleged crimes that involve the man to come forward, no matter when they occurred.