BishopAccountability.org
	In Our View: Sex Crimes The Joplin Globe [Missouri] September 1, 2006 http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/local_story_244013559.html?keyword=topstory Allegations in the sexual-abuse cases of two pastors of affiliated churches in Newton and McDonald counties are discomforting and raise comparisons to revelations in recent years involving pedophile priests. In both instances, the public has been confronted with crimes purportedly committed against innocent children by individuals in positions of spiritual and moral leadership. Our sense of outrage is heightened not only by the youth of the alleged victims, but by the suspicion that a sacred trust may have been violated. The allegations of abuse are serious and carry serious consequences if those charged are found guilty. Yet, any early, emotion-driven rush to judgment would ignore a cornerstone of our criminal justice system: Innocence must be presumed until guilt is proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Such verdicts will be handed down on the basis of evidence and testimony in a court of law by a judge or jury. The public has every right to be outraged and dismayed at the eight felony counts of sexual abuse alleged in the Newton County case and the multiple charges brought against the pastor, his wife and two deacons in McDonald County. We might wonder, too, if other charges might be forthcoming as the investigations into the churches — Grandview Valley Baptist Church North in rural Granby and Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church near Powell — continue. The biggest question hanging over this sordid episode is who was looking after these children. Prosecutors, we assume, are asking the same question and directing investigators to find out. If, as sheriff's affidavits in both Newton and McDonald counties say, some of these crimes were part of "rituals," then it is logical to assume that others besides the actual perpetrators were involved, or at least knew of the alleged activity. One is nearly as bad as the other and should be criminally pursued.
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