Accuser: Church Knew about Molestation Claims against Pastor, News4Jax, May 24, 2006

Accuser: Church Knew about Molestation Claims against Pastor

News4Jax
May 24, 2006

http://www.news4jax.com/news/9269585/detail.html

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A woman allegedly abused by a Westside pastor accused of abusing other children nearly 30 years ago said the church has known about the allegations against the pastor for years.

Sandy reads a portion of an e-mail she said she sent to Trinity Baptist's current pastor, the Rev. Tom Messer.

Dr. Robert Gray, 80, a former pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, was arrested and charged with capital sexual battery on two children last week after two women came forward, saying he molested them when they were 6 years old and attending a school associated with his church.

One alleged victim talked to Channel 4 reporter Melanie Lawson, saying officials at Trinity Baptist knew what was going on, but failed to take action.

Sandy, who asked that the station not use her last name, recently told investigators about abuse she said she suffered at the hands of Gray. Sandy said that when she was 12 years old Gray sexually abused her during a church camp, but she said she told the same story to church leaders in 2004.

Sandy said that back then she called the church because she did not think church leaders knew about the allegations against Gray, but she said, to her surprise, it was well known.

"He told me that in 1992 when (Gray) stepped down that he had confessed, repented and had gone up under disciplinary actions, basically, through the church," Sandy said.

So, almost two years later, Sandy said she sent an e-mail to the church again addressing Gray, stating: "You may recall our conversation by remembering that I asked you to look at your children and ask yourself that if it happened to your children, would you have made the same decision?"

Sandy said her e-mail was not the only proof she had that the church knew about the allegations. She said she talked with many of the accusers.

The Rev. Bob Gray preaching at Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., two months ago.

One of the accusers gave investigators a letter on Trinity letterhead that Sandy said was signed by a church leader acknowledging the allegations, and even apologizing for Gray and stating the church was handling it internally.

"We have tried to deal with the situation and tried to take the matter seriously. While some people do not agree with how we handled it, we have tried to handle it nonetheless," Sandy said.

The church's attorney, Ed Trent, told Channel 4 that the only comments he could make about the Gray case are what's on the church's Web site.

The church has been assuring its members that neither the church nor its current pastor have been the subject of any criminal investigation and they have pledged full cooperation with Gray's investigation.

However, Sandy said, the church is doing too little too late.

"Until the pressure went on … that's when they decided to do something. They were just hoping it was going to go away," Sandy said. "Well, the congregation has a right to know this."