"This Cannot Happen': Boulder Judge Sentences Vinelife Church Leaders for Not Reporting Sex Assault
By Alex Burness
Seeking to send a message, a Boulder County judge exceeded prosecutors' requests Thursday in ordering two VineLife Church officials to serve 10 days in jail or on a work crew for failing to report sexual-assault allegations levied against the church's youth pastor in 2013. Two elders with the church, located at 7845 Lookout Road in unincorporated Boulder County, received lesser sentences for their role in what prosecutors have described as a cover-up. "There was enough information that the parties should have made that report to law enforcement," Judge David Archuleta said during Thursday's sentencing hearing. "A message has to be sent that this cannot happen."
VineLife pastors Walter Roberson and Robert Young will serve 10 days in jail or on work crew, elder Edward Bennell will serve two days in jail or on work crew, and elder Warren Williams will perform 40 hours of community service. The four men previously had pleaded no contest to failure to report child abuse, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Prosecutors initially had asked the judge to sentence the four men to either eight days on a jail work crew or 100 hours of community service. At Thursday's hearing, however, Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Lorenz told Archuleta, "I think a day in jail might even be necessary." The judge, however, left that part of the sentence up to the four defendants, and, after the hearing, Bennell said he, Young and Roberson all would opt for the work crew option over the jail sentence. All four men also will be subject to one year of unsupervised probation, which Archuleta described as "pretty much ceremonial." The sentencing took place one year to the week after ex-VineLife youth pastor Jason Roberson, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison and 10 years of intensive probation as punishment for a seven-year relationship he initiated with a 15-year-old congregant. Prior to his sentencing, Jason Roberson had pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting and stalking the victim, who is now 25. "I know that my actions, my poor, inexcusable actions some years ago, were just that — inexcusable," he said at the time. The four church officials sentenced Thursday were approached by the victim in March 2013, but did not contact authorities at that time. Prosecutors and the victims' supporters have said VineLife leaders' no-contest pleas indicate what they see as a conscious neglect of the legal responsibility to report Jason Roberson's crimes. Bad advice The four sentenced for failure-to-report maintained that their silence on the matter was motivated largely by poor advice from a lawyer who said that the victim's status as an adult at the time she came to them, plus the fact that Jason Roberson had been placed on administrative leave, exempted them from further responsibility. They also believe the statute around who must report what, and when reports must be made, is murky at best. Archuleta himself acknowledged as much at sentencing.
Prosecutors never bought the excuses, though, and in a pre-sentencing memorandum earlier this week described a "disturbing culture of secrecy" at the church. "They don't get it," Deputy DA Lorenz said in court Thursday. "It's clear that the defendants do not have respect for the law, after multiple opportunities to take responsibility, and two years of reflection." Three of the victim's supporters, including her husband, a pastor and a family friend whose child was also the victim of sexual abuse, echoed that sentiment in emotional remarks to Archuleta. "These men were supposed to be leaders, and instead of leading and doing what's right, they dumped the responsibility on the shoulders of the victim," Pastor Matt Patrick said. "That's sickening." Expressing remorse For all the allegations of neglect and secrecy, however, the accused expressed profound remorse at sentencing. All but Williams offered comments. "I have 12 children. I would not want this to happen to any of them," said Walter Roberson, Jason's father. "In many ways, (the victim) was like one of my own. She was in my home, she was on our staff, and we loved her. And we still do. I deeply regret what happened to her and her family. "I'm not standing here making a defense. What happened is wrong, and I'm very sorry for it. I just trust that somehow there could be healing for (the victim's family). That's my greatest desire." "We let her down," Young added. "Our job was to report. Period." Then, turning to the victim and her dozen supporters present Thursday — a roughly equal number sat on the other side in solidarity with the VineLife men — Young said: "I'm so sorry. We never meant for this to happen. ... We made mistakes, and I hope you'll be able to find it in you to forgive us, because we're terribly sorry. "... You are a victim. You're a victim of our incompetence." To the victim, Bennell said, "Hearing about your abuse shocked me and broke my heart. ...I never thought you were complicit in any way, and I've continually expressed that." Understanding responsibility Though Archuleta said he is sympathetic to the fact that the officials may have received bad advice, and may never have understood the law on this matter in the first place, he emphasized that their only justifiable action would have been to report Jason Roberson immediately. "Why didn't they take more action?" the judge asked. "I think there was some measure of confusion, but I also think there was either overtly or subconsciously an effort to protect the parties in this case ... and also to protect the church." After the hearing adjourned, the victim's mother said her family appreciated Archuleta's response. "What we truly hope," she added, "is that where there are victims out there, or people who have been told about actions like this, that this will help them to understand their responsibility in coming forward, because it's the best thing to help the healing of the victims."
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