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Happy Valley pastor accused of drinking, drugs, adultery and sexual abuse of children
By Rick Bella
A Happy Valley church was launched with an idealistic commitment to Christian scholarship, but it gradually deteriorated into an authoritarian, cult-like organization that ignored heavy drinking, drug abuse, adultery and sexual abuse of children by its pastor, according to court testimony Tuesday. That's the picture of the North Clackamas Bible Community painted by prosecution witnesses in the trial of Pastor Mike Sperou, charged with abusing a girl under the age of 12 who lived with him in a communal setting. However, defense attorney Steven J. Sherlag, active during cross-examination, asked several former church members if they complained about Sperou's behavior or simply moved away from the church's cluster of rented homes that straddle the Happy Valley/Portland city limits. The answer in every case was "no." "You chose to participate in a small, faith-based community -- isn't that so?" Sherlag asked former Assistant Pastor David Martin, who left the church in 1996. "Yes," Martin said. The trial, expected to last two weeks, began Tuesday before Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl A. Albrecht. Sperou's case is unusual in several ways. He was investigated by Clackamas County sheriff's deputies and Portland police in 1997 after seven young girls living in the church homes accused him of inviting them to spend the night in his bed then touching their genitals. No charges were filed, and the case was dropped. In 2013, the same seven girls -- by then adult women -- refiled complaints, which were re-investigated. Police and prosecutors determined that the statute of limitations had run out on most of the cases, but they said one woman's allegations still could be prosecuted. A grand jury indictment now charges Sperou, 64, with placing his fingers inside the vagina of Shannon Clark while she lived at one of the church's homes in the 1990s. The Oregonian/OregonLive's policy is to not disclose the names of possible sexual abuse victims. But Clark and the six other women have asked that their stories be told. Albrecht has ruled the women can testify during the trial. In her opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Chris Mascal said Clark was raised in the church to respect and adore Sperou as a spiritual leader. "Even as he was breathing down her neck and kissing her," Mascal said. "Even as he put his hand down her pants. She didn't question the sexual details of her early years because she grew up with him." But Sherlag said Clark at first made few, undetailed allegations when interviewed by Portland police. Years later, when the allegations were re-investigated, Clark changed her story, Sherlag said. By that time, he said, she had discussed her experiences with other women. She also heard second-hand accounts from police, relaying what other woman had said -- considered to be an improper interview tactic. Sherlag said discord among adults in the church may have fueled Clark's allegations. "Almost 20 years ago, the seeds of false accusations were sown in a sectarian split," Sherlag told the jury. "And memories do change. ... We are going to show you how false memories can lead to criminal accusations." As she began presenting the state's case, Mascal called several older adults who formerly belonged to the church, asking them to describe the day-to-day workings. Ken Garrett, for the past 13 years pastor of Grace Bible Church in downtown Portland, said the North Clackamas Bible Community was attractive because of the apparent commitment and devotion of its members. There was a strong element of scholarship, with members urged to study the ancient languages of the Bible -- Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. And group activities were held throughout the week. "But it definitely became a top-down structure," said Garrett, whose daughters, Bryn Garrett and Rachel Schackart, are among the accusers. "Mr. Sperou is the main decision-maker in the church." Garrett said he was pressured to donate 25 percent of his income as a paramedic to the church. At the same time, church members "reproved" one another for inappropriate behavior -- a good method of reaffirming their faith. "But it ended up being a behavior-control mechanism to keep people off-balance," Garrett said. While admitting his own drug use, Garrett said Sperou had an insatiable appetite for painkillers and asked members to give him their prescribed medications. Shelly Mitchell said she saw Sperou in bed with one of the young girls in the church. "I saw an adult man in bed with a young girl in pajamas and the covers up over them," Mitchell said. Renae Allen testified that she saw Sperou in bed with his niece. Under cross-examination, however, both Mitchell and Allen said they did not witness any sexual behavior. David Martin, whose daughter, Emily Martin, and niece, Amy Bertram, were the first to bring sexual-abuse allegations, said at one point he left the church and spent the night in a motel for just one night before returning and hearing an acceptable "explanation" -- but not a true apology -- from Sperou. He said, "Reproving Sperou just wasn't done in that community." Martin later left the church for good. Contact: rbella@oregonian.com
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