Wyckoff Youth Pastor Charged with Sex Assault

By Marina Villeneuve And Stefanie Dazio
The Record
March 21, 2015

http://www.northjersey.com/news/wyckoff-youth-pastor-charged-with-sex-assault-1.1292915

David Hayman

A youth pastor in a Wyckoff church has been charged with sexual assault and child endangerment in connection with alleged physical contact and text messages with several teenage girls in a church youth group

David M. Hayman, 37, of Oradell is charged with two counts of sexual assault in connection with offenses committed in 2014 and 2011, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said. He also is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of children in 2003, 2006, twice in 2010 and also in 2013, according to jail records.

Hayman’s arrest Thursday came 10 months after a church representative had first reported inappropriate text messages to authorities, Cornerstone Christian Church senior Pastor Fred Provencher said Friday. Hayman remained in the Bergen County Jail on Friday on $250,000 bail.

Hayman was dismissed by the church in May 2014 when its leaders first learned of the text messages, but sexual assault had not been reported at the time, according to the Prosecutor’s Office and Provencher. A spokeswoman for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office could not confirm Friday if and when any representative of the church had contacted police.

Maureen Parenta, the spokes­woman, wrote in an email that “in 2014, there was no indication that there were victims. Recently, local police were informed of juvenile victims.”

She said her office could not provide further details.

Hayman allegedly engaged in sexual activity and exchanged sexually explicit videos on numerous occasions with two female acquaintances, both of whom were 16 when the activity began, according to the Prosecutor’s Office. He also exchanged sexually explicit text messages with three other teenage girls, Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said in a release. One victim was 15 when the text messages were first sent; the other two were 16.

All five girls were members of the church’s youth group, the release said.

'Built up a lot of trust'

Hayman was in charge of the youth program at the church for about 10 years, according to Provencher.

He worked primarily with children in grades 10 through 12 and it was common for Hayman to talk with teens and text them, Provencher said. Over the years, Hayman led a series of mission trips to Ireland, where the teens would work with local ministries on drop-in shelters for local youth. Such trips occurred in 2011 and also in early 2014.

“It was a mark of the level of experience he had, setting up stuff like that,” Provencher said. “Because of that, he had built up a lot of trust.”

Probe advice

Provencher said someone reported misconduct to the church in May 2014, and church officers launched their own investigation and contacted police. The church confronted Hayman, confiscated his work cellphone and computer and discovered several instances of inappropriate conduct: text messages and evidence of “minor physical contact” with underage females, Provencher said.

“It was terrible, and it was scary,” he said. “It wasn’t anything anybody anticipated.”

Within five days of beginning their inquiry, church officers dismissed Hayman, and the same day “we called Bergen County Special Victims,” Provencher said, referring to a county investigative branch.

Police recently interviewed two victims, who provided specific details about what had occurred with Hayman, the prosecutor’s release said. The investigation then led to the identities of other victims and, ultimately, to Hayman’s arrest, the prosecutor said.

Authorities seized electronic equipment from the church and his home in Oradell.

As the youth pastor from 2002 to 2014, Hayman also oversaw the staff and interns, and organized Bible instruction, counseling and service trips, Provencher said.

Hayman had previously worked in another church in South Jersey, Provencher said, but he could not immediately recall its name.

Provencher said Hayman was a skilled youth minister who was looked up to by others. In 2009, Hayman won an honorable mention award from The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Ministries for his outreach to those with disabilities and special needs.

“He showed by all accounts a deep passion, faith and a deep love for teens,” Provencher said.

Within a week of Hayman’s dismissal in May, church officers gathered the congregation in two open sessions to discuss the allegations, while guarding the privacy of the teens who had been involved, Provencher said.

They also told parents to ask their children if they had had problems with the pastor.

“We asked them for help in finding anything that we might have missed,” Provencher said. “We wanted to be transparent. We were mostly concerned about the kids.”

Provencher said he and others at the church spoke with a professor of youth ministry at Nyack College and others for advice on investigating the incident. “We were talking to people, who told us, ‘This is what you do: You confiscate these things, you investigate these things, make sure nothing else is out there,’Y” he said.

Church officers followed up with those affected and encouraged them to get counseling and offered help for anyone unable to afford professional care, Provencher said. They also brought in a therapist to help parents talk with their children about the alleged abuse. “It was helpful for all parents, to create a safe environment for addressing these types of things,” Provencher said.

“It’s just an unbearably sad day,” he said.

Email: dazio@northjersey.com