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	Judge Reassigns Lambert Case By John Ford Neosho Daily News September 29, 2006 http://www.neoshodailynews.com/articles/2006/09/29/news/04lamberts.txt Pineville - A change of judge has been granted in the case of four McDonald County church leaders accused of felony child sexual abuse. Raymond Lambert, pastor of Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, and his wife, Patty Lambert, face felony child abuse charges stemming from incidents dating back to 1995. Meanwhile, Patty Lambert's brothers, Paul and Tom Epling, face child sexual abuse charges dating back to the late 1970s. A request by an alleged victim in the case to disqualify McDonald County Associate Circuit Court Judge John LePage has been granted. Fortieth Circuit Court Judge Timothy Perigo has given the go-ahead to assign the case to Newton County Division II Associate Circuit Court Judge Greg Stremel. Paperwork on the assignment was expected to be completed by early this afternoon, according to a spokeswoman in Judge Perigo's office. "All four cases have been sent ahead on the motion to disqualify," said Dan Bagley, assistant prosecutor for McDonald County. "One of our victims had a minor concern and we went ahead with the request. We anticipated different motions and wanted to go ahead and act on the request of the victim for a motion to disqualify." Meanwhile, charges against the Epling brothers may be dropped because of Missouri's statute of limitations. The Eplings face felony sex abuse charges in connection with incidents ranging from 1977 until 1982. However, Missouri's statute of limitations for cases of this type is 20 years. The statutes vary by crime and are set by the Missouri Legislature. "Prosecutions for unlawful sexual offenses involving a person 18 years of age or under must be commenced within 20 years after the victim reaches the age of 18 unless the prosecutions are for forcible rape, attempted forcible rape, forcible sodomy, kidnapping, or attempted forcible sodomy in which case such prosecutions may be commenced at any time," reads Section 566.037 of the Missouri state statutes. There is no statute of limitations for murder, forcible rape, attempted forcible rape, forcible sodomy, attempted forcible sodomy, or any Class A felony, according to state statutes. Bagley said his office intends to ask for a continuance in the case, pending a Missouri Supreme Court ruling in a similar case, State vs. Thomas Graham. That case, Bagley said, concerns prosecution of sexual abuse charges dating back to the 1970s. State vs. Graham is expected to be argued before the state's high court within a month. A call to the Missouri Supreme Court concerning the exact date of this litigation was not returned by press time. All four church leaders are to appear for a preliminary hearing before Judge Stremel at 1 p.m. Monday in the McDonald County Circuit Courtroom. Raymond Lambert faces a Class A felony count of first degree child molestation, four Class D felony counts of second degree child molestation, and a Class C felony charge of second degree statutory sodomy. His wife faces a Class B felony charge of endangering the welfare of a child in a ritual or ceremony and a Class D felony count of second degree child molestation. In a probable cause statement, Deputy Mike LeSueur, an investigator with the McDonald County Sheriff's Department, said Raymond Lambert, fondled a 12-year-old girl in 1987. As time progressed, the deputy said in his report, the girl was required to perform oral sex on Raymond Lambert. The incidents happened repeatedly until 2005, when the girl left the church compound. LeSueur said in a probable cause statement that Patty Lambert, compelled a 16-year-old church member to strip, whereupon she was allegedly fondled by Raymond Lambert while Patty Lambert was naked in the bed with them. The deputy added that in permitting the contact between the pastor and the young church member, Patty Lambert endangered the welfare of the teenager. LeSueur said in a probable cause statement that Tom Epling fondled a church member between 1976 and 1978, beginning when the child was only four years old. And according to a probable cause statement, Paul Epling reportedly fondled the same child during 1977 and 1978, telling her "he was preparing her body for service to God." When the girl was 10, the statement concluded, Paul Epling allegedly attempted sexual intercourse with her, stopping "only after she protested due to pain." Patty Lambert is the daughter of church founder Cecil Epling, who died as a result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident in 1982. Cecil Epling was also the step-father of Raymond Lambert, making Lambert and his wife, as well as her brothers, step-siblings. Raymond Lambert's uncle, George Otis Johnston, faces 17 felony statutory sodomy charges in Newton County and a felony charge of first degree child molestation in McDonald County. Johnston, 63, the pastor of Grandview Valley Baptist Church, an offshoot of the McDonald County congregation, was expected to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today on part of the Newton County charges.
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