Lenexa Church Faces Lawsuit Claiming Knowledge of Bible School Leader's Prior Sex Offense

By Kylie Callura
KCTV
June 9, 2016

http://www.kctv5.com/story/32179040/lenexa-church-faces-lawsuit-claiming-knowledge-of-sexual-predator-before-assault

A Lenexa church is facing a hefty lawsuit after a teenage member sexually abused children and one of the assaults happened at the church.

In October 2015, Kessler Lichtenegger was convicted on half a dozen charges including rape and sodomy after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in the parking lot of the Westside Family Church. He was also accused of using social media to make sexual advances toward an 11-year-old girl who was also a member of the church.

On Wednesday, the young girls' families filed a lawsuit against the church insisting church leaders knew Lichtenegger had a previous conviction for sexual assault from 2012.

"We weren't aware of events of 2012 where he was convicted of some kind of sexual offense," said Brad Russell, who represents the church.

As a freshman at Shawnee Mission East High School, Kessler pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious behavior and battery which landed him on the juvenile sex offender registry.

"It's our understanding the church did know this predator had been convicted just a couple years before he abused kids at church," David Clohessy with SNAP, the survivors network of those abused by priests.

It's a back and forth over who knew what and when. Russell said all they heard were a few rumors about Lichtenegger's past but based on those rumors, church leaders said he had to be with a parent at all times.

Still, Lichtenegger was allowed to participate as a leader and volunteer in vacation bible school and that's how the girls' families believe he was able to get access to the girls.

"You guys were keeping an eye on him and wanted him to be with a parent, how did we go from that to, 'Let's put him with kids at bible school?' Clohessy said.

According to the lawsuit, Lichtenegger got their contact information because of his leadership roll.

It was then that the girls say Lichtenegger engaged in lewd, lascivious and sexual behavior with them at church. One of the girls says he forced her to perform sex acts on him on church property and threatened to go after her younger sister if she did not comply.

Lichtenegger pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was sentenced to 17 years for attempted rape of minors. His sentencing was part of a plea agreement.

Since that time, the church has expanded their background checks and require parents to sign a waiver disclosing any criminal history with their children. Anyone with a history of sex crimes is no longer accepted at Westside Family Church.

Clohessy says the church had a responsibility to keep these kids safe and it failed.

"They were warned and had reason to be suspicious about the young man but let him be around kids in positions of authority," Clohessy said.

Had the church conducted background checks prior to the incident, the juvenile sex offender registry is private. Only judges have access to it.

Here's what parents can do to educate their children on the dangers of predators:

Monitor their internet access. The days of a stranger approaching a child on a playground are far less likely to happen. In today's world, a predator will find a child on social media and spend as long as it takes to gain their trust before making a move.

Have conversations about what is appropriate and what they need to do if they are touched inappropriately. The earlier you have those conversations, the more likely your child will be to feel comfortable telling a predator no and telling an adult.

Educate yourself about what camps, bible schools or extracurricular activities your child is attending. Does the business or organization do background checks? Who will have access to your child? Will they be going anywhere public that others could have access to your child? How are they monitored?