Minister Admitted to Sexual Abuse after Confronted by Victim's Parents

By Michelle Manchir and Jeremy Gorner
Chicago Tribune
June 27, 2014

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/oak_park_river_forest_forest_park/chi-cops-west-suburban-pastor-abused-boy-for-6-years-20140626,0,1554170.story

A minister was charged with sexual abuse this week after his alleged victim, now 19, remembered while training to become a camp counselor that he had been attacked years ago, authorities said Friday.

“During the training, the victim learned about how to respond if he were to learn of the sexual abuse of a child,” prosecutors said in court documents. “This triggered the victim's memory and he immediately (told) his parents.”

The parents confronted John Hays, 57, who admitted he had molested the teen, according to prosecutors. The teen was sexually abused from the time he was 8 until he was 13 years old, prosecutors said. Hays was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

When the abuse began in February 2003, Hays was the victim's neighbor, father of his friends and a pastor, prosecutors said. The victim would come to Hays' house to play video games with Hays' sons, they said.

Hays would “enter the room and place the victim on his lap” and fondle the boy, prosecutors said.

Hays would also play a “tickle game” with the victim and touch him “all over the victim's body,” prosecutors said. In addition, Hays would grope the victim when driving him to school, they said.

The abuse stopped in 2009, prosecutors said. Police began investigating Hays in late May, and he was arrested and charged Thursday.

Hays most recently was director of congregation life for First Presbyterian Church of River Forest.

While an ordained minister, Hays did not serve as a pastor at the Presbyterian church, according to Kevin Murphy, an elder at the church. He was on the church staff as director of congregation life but was dismissed May 26, Murphy said.

Some who lived on the same block as Hays said Friday the news of his arrest was a shock.

Wendy Spraggins, 47, who said she’s lived on the block a few houses down and across the street from Hays said she never spoke with Hays or his family but they “didn’t bother anybody.”

“They just went in and out of the house,” she said, adding that it appeared that a man, woman, a college-aged woman and another child lived there.

“That was a shocker,” Spraggins said about the arrest, calling the charges “unfortunate.” “The mailman told us.”

Crystal Raper, 41, who lives a couple houses down from Hays, said they sometimes waved at each other and the family that lived there seemed “nice” and kept to themselves.

Because of incorrect information provided by prosecutors, an earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the charge against Hays as sexual assault.

Contact: jgorner@tribune.com