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	Charges Expanded Girls Testify to Assaults in Criminal Sexual Conduct Case By Corky Emrick Sturgis Journal May 12, 2006 http://www.sturgisjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=2 &SubSectionID=65&ArticleID=21252&TM=40832.29 CENTREVILLE — Charges against a former pastor of a Sturgis church were amended Thursday at a preliminary examination in St. Joseph County District Court. Steven Lynn Ruger, 42, of Vicksburg was originally charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in one case, and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in a second case. Ruger now faces six counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. District Judge Jeffrey Middleton set a circuit court arraignment date for June 16. He also denied a request to lower Ruger's bond. The first of two cases against Ruger was held in a closed courtroom to protect the 13-year-old victim. She took the stand after a friend of the family. The first offense is said to have taken place April 27. The girl testified that Ruger "was a friend" and told the court she trusted him. She said the sexual assault took place at the parsonage, in Ruger's office. "I was sitting on the couch and he sat next to me and started touching my chest," the victim said. She went on to describe what happened after Ruger unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. "He said I was sexy. I was afraid," she said. Under cross-examination by Kalamazoo attorney James Champion she talked more about the assault. "I was too afraid to do anything," she said. "It scared me." Middleton said prosecutor Douglas Fisher had met his burden of proof and also amended the charges because of the authority status Ruger held as pastor. In the second set of charges against Ruger, the girl's mother testified first, saying Ruger was a mentor and had counseled the family. The victim then took the stand and testified that she had been a member of the church for more than 10 years. She testified about the assaults. "He started giving me compliments and then he started asking me sexual questions," she said. She talked about a first encounter when she was babysitting. She said she was sleeping in another room and Ruger woke her up and got into bed with her. She said Ruger's wife was out of town. She told how the assaults increased and Ruger began furnishing the victim with alcohol. "I would say this isn't going to happen, but it did," she said. "After a while, I expected it." Under cross-examination the victim had to expand on the sexual assaults. "When I told him I couldn't do it anymore he would get off," she said. Asked why she never came forward, she told the court "I did it to protect Jen (Ruger's wife). If I was the only one who knew, nobody would get hurt." The girl struggled while testifying about some of the encounters. Fisher said the presence of TV cameras at Thursday's hearing may have contributed to that. "I thought the way the television camera intruded into the court room hampered the goals of justice and the pursuit of the truth," Fisher said. "No adult witness would have been able to maintain his or her composure with a camera that close to them. A child victim of this CSC had no chance to gain or maintain her composure." Fisher said testifying was "horribly traumatic for both victims." In asking to amend the charges, Fisher said he asked the victim to think of the number of times she was certain she was assaulted. She said five. Middleton ruled again that the prosecution had met its burden of proof and amended the charges. "Alcohol appeared to be used in the grooming of this victim," Middleton said. Middleton then denied a reduction in Ruger's bond. "Both of these girls are credible," Middleton said. "These crimes will affect them for the rest of their lives. This affected the church, other families and the community of Sturgis." Corky Emrick is a staff writer for the Journal. Contact him at emrick@sturgisjournal.com.
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