Chicago Religious Community Denies Sex Abuse Charges

By Willis Kern
Peoria Public Radio
August 8, 2014

http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/chicago-religious-community-denies-sex-abuse-charges

Attorneys for a religious community in Chicago are threatening individuals who have leveled sex charges at the organization with slander unless they stop talking publicly about the allegations.

The abuse charges were made in two lawsuits filed against Jesus People USA earlier this year, as well as in a documentary about the community by filmmaker Jaime Prater. Prater lived at the Jesus People community as a child and is now suing the community. He says he and other former child residents will not be silenced.

"Most of us got really irate. We've been quiet about this for years, for 30 years in some cases."

Jesus People and its sponsoring church, the Evangelical Covenant Church of America, deny the allegations which involve physical as well as sexual abuse of minors.

In a letter, attorneys for Jesus People asked Prater and other former members of the community to stop talking about the lawsuits in the media, in social media, and at public events. The attorneys for Jesus People and the Covenant church did not respond to requests for further comment.