Alleged Victim of Alto Pass Pastor Sex Assault Speaks out

By Allison Twaits
KFVS
October 28, 2014

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/27146078/alleged-victim-of-alto-pass-pastor-sex-assault-speaks-out

A former southern Illinois pastor accused of sexually abusing foster children will likely spend the rest of his life locked in a mental hospital.

Bill Vandergraph, 76, was indicted on several sex crimes back in 2010

He was later found mentally unfit to stand trial.

A woman, who claims she was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her foster father and former pastor, is speaking out. However, she doesn't want her identity to be revealed.

She said she doesn't feel the punishment is harsh enough.

“I went through a lot more than what he is going through,” she said.

Now 18, the woman claims she was sexually abused by Bill Vandergraph from the age three to 13.

“A lot of kids will talk about their childhood and my childhood is not a good childhood. My childhood is getting raped,” she said.

She said Vandergraph and his wife adopted her.

She claims she can't remember any of the fun times she had growing up, only the horrible abuse she went through.

“He's hurt more than one girl, he's hurt multiple girls. Honestly, I think he should be dead,” she said.

Vandergraph, the former pastor at the Full Gospel Pentecostal church in Alto Pass, was arrested in July 2010 and charged with criminal sexual assault of two victims.

Since he was found unfit to stand trial, Vandergraph couldn't be convicted and sent to prison

Instead the judge committed him to the custody of the Department of Human Services to spend up to 51 years, in a mental institution where he will be re-evaluated every 180 days to see if he should continue to stay at the institution.

A punishment one of his victims said doesn't add up.

“I've had to leave my school that was my home town school my senior year when I should be graduating from my class, so it's been crazy,” she said.

As Bill Vandergraph's case worked its way through the courts, he spent years out on bond.

Vandergraph's next status hearing is in April.