Clackamas Pastor Charged with 3 Sex Felonies

KOIN
June 24, 2014

http://koin.com/2014/06/23/clackamas-pastor-charged-with-3-sex-felonies/

[with video]

Michael Sperou, the pastor of a Clackamas church, faces sex charges (June 2014, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)

The pastor of a Clackamas County church is charged with three counts of sex crimes.

Michael Sperou faces three felonies for unlawful sexual penetration. He is listed on the website of BcResources.net as a senior pastor and founding member of the North Clackamas Bible Community.

Michal Mitchell, Sperou’s niece and a member of the church, told KOIN 6 there is no physical church. Instead, members move from home to home. She also said her uncle is innocent.

“I’m convinced. I know him very well. I know that he’s innocent,” said Mitchell. “He’s the most wonderful person that I know, and it’s not just me. A lot of people would say he’s their best friend, and the most wonderful and influential person in their lives.”

However, a former member of the North Clackamas Bible Community, who did not want to be identified, said the allegations come as no surprise, claiming the church operates like a cult.

“A couple of times, he invited me down to watch TV with him on his bed, and he started touching himself on the bed – under the cover. At first I didn’t know what he was doing and then I figured it out later and then he started doing things to me in a pattern. It continued for awhile – inappropriate things,” she told KOIN 6.

The woman also said other church leaders were abusive, too.

“They were mean all the time and controlling. Every aspect of our life was controlled,” she said.

She spent 10 years living in a cluster of homes that housed members of Sperou’s church in Southeast Portland. She said she was sheltered and naive when she moved into the community.

Only later did she hear of younger girls being sexually abused. She said members were reprimanded if they contacted their families.

“They’ll tell you your family doesn’t care about you. They’re not important,” she said.

Members paid Sperou thousands of dollars, some draining their retirement funds, all for “training” from the church, she said.

She also said Sperou, who lives in an expensive Happy Valley home, had some members do illegal things for him, such as stealing drugs.

“When you’re there for so long, what a cult does is you end up brainwashed and rationalizing doing things you would never do, ever,” she said.

Sperou, who turned 64 on Sunday, is out on bail after being arrested last week. He’s charged with sexually abusing three victims, including a church member, a relative of his wife and a third woman whose relationship was not defined in court documents. The third woman told investigators that her last contact with Sperou was in 1996.

According to court documents, Sperou’s next court date is August 1.

The Portland Sex Crimes Unit is investigating the case.