Louisville Native Abused 3 Kids, Prosecutors Say

SNAP
May 7, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ky_louisville_native_abused_3_kids_prosecutors_say

A prosecutor has disclosed that a now-imprisoned admitted serial child molester who is a Louisville native and worked in Louisville churches abused at least three Louisville kids.

We call on his former church supervisors and colleagues in Louisville at Southeast Christian Church to aggressively seek out others he may have assaulted. And we call on Louisville police to investigate whether any of those church supervisors or colleagues might be charged with ignoring, concealing or enabling his crimes.

[blogs.riverfronttimes.com]

A St. Louis newspaper is reporting that St. Louis County prosecutor Michael Hayes says Brandon Milburn molested three victims Louisville, Kentucky dating back to 2000, when Milburn was in his early teens and the three boys in preschool.

Last year, Milburn pleaded guilty to molesting two eleven-year-old boys in St. Louis. Hayes argued for the stiffest possible sentence for Milburn. In March, the offender got 25 years behind bars.

"Your Honor," Hayes begins, "Mr. Milburn has plead guilty to the seven counts of statutory sodomy, first degree. These seven counts represent a pattern of abuse that took place over a period of years, from the summer of 2007 till the spring of [2009]. The defendant had ingratiated himself with the victims' families and with the church that they all participated in."

We strongly suspect there are others in Louisville who were hurt by Milburn and are now suffering in shame, silence, confusion and self-blame. It’s the duty of his former employer and co-worker to reach out to those vicctims.

As horrific as this case is, there are some heroes here. They are the brave men, women and teenagers in St. Louis who have exposed and are exposing an allegedly complicit church hierarchy. They are Dawn and Roger Varvil, Titus and Kari Benton, Jacob and Carrie Anderson, Doug and Tammy Lay, Sarah Thiele, Nathan Rayner, Scott Seppelt, and Lisa Womble. (Some of these are pseudonyms.)

We applaud them for their strength, courage and caring. We are saddened by their suffering. But we hope other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers like them emerge in Louisville.

We urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Milburn or cover ups – in St. Louis or Louisville - to summon the strength to call police and prosecutors. Though Milburn is behind bars, it’s possible that some who ignored or concealed suspicions of his crimes may face justice too (on charges like tampering with witnesses, endangering children, obstructing justice, destroying evidence, etc.)

Kim Richardson, kimmi.rich@gmail.com