Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 20, 2012
Robert Lacy / St. Andrew Missionary Baptist • Michael MIller • Eight Northern Ireland Catholic militants
Charged: Christopher Joseph Guardado, 48, volunteer first- and second-grade Bible teacher, Calvary Chapel Pacific Coast, Westminster, California, with two felony counts of lewd acts with a minor; i.e., sexually molesting two girls under the age of 14, repeatedly over a two-year-period. The girls and their families attended the church and considered Guardado a family friend. Guardado, who is being held on $1 million bail, is scheduled for arraignment August 3, 2012. Story: CBS Los Angeles, July 18, 2012; OCWeekly, July 18, 2012
Charged: Jeffrey J. Halle, Jr., 32, teacher, King High School, Tampa, Florida, and church musician, First Baptist Church, Plant City; with sexual battery and traveling to meet a minor (for sex), according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: “On or about March 17, 2012 through July 12, 2012, Jeffrey Halle Jr. allegedly had sexual contact with one of his 17 year old female students in a vacant classroom… This incident occurred while the victim/student was enrolled in an after school program supervised by Halle. Mr. Halle and the victim made arrangements during normal school hours to meet in the vacant classroom during the after school program. … On July 10, 2012, Jeffery Halle made arrangements with the victim via text messages to meet with her at her residence, located in Hillsborough County, so he could engage in sexual activity. When Halle arrived to pick up the victim, Halle was confronted by the victim’s father and Halle left the residence. The parents then notified HCSO and an investigation was initiated. Detectives arrested Halle on July 16, 2012, at the Criminal Investigation Division. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Orient Road Jail.” Story: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, July 12, 2012; WTSP, July 16, 2012
Fired: Metropolitan Jonah, 52, archbishop, Orthodox Church in America, for failing to take proper action with regard to a priest who raped a woman and engaged in other “episodes of violence and threats toward women,” as well as “a repeated pattern” of “taking other unilateral actions” at odds with official church policy and protocol. After more than a week of complete silence from the church since a vague July 8th announcement that Jonah had
“In slightly less than four years as our leader, Metropolitan Jonah has repeatedly refused to act with prudence, in concert with his fellow bishops, in accordance with the Holy Synod’s Policies, Standards and Procedures on Sexual Misconduct (PSPs), and in compliance with advice of the Church’s lawyers and professionals in expertise in dealing with cases of sexual misconduct. …
“At some point after his enthronement as our Primate, Metropolitan Jonah unilaterally accepted into the OCA a priest known to him and to others to be actively and severely abusing alcohol, which more than once was coupled with episodes of violence and threats toward women. One of these episodes involved the brandishing of a knife, and the other the discharge of a firearm, the former resulting in the man’s arrest. The man was also incarcerated for three days in yet another incident, shortly after he was accepted into the OCA by Metropolitan Jonah. While under Metropolitan Jonah’s omophorion, this priest is alleged to have committed a rape against a woman in 2010.
“Metropolitan Jonah was later told of this allegation in February 2012, yet he neither investigated, nor told his brother bishops, nor notified the Church’s lawyers, nor reported the matter to the police, nor in any other way followed the mandatory, non-discretionary PSPs of the OCA. The alleged victim, however, did report the rape to the police. We know, too, that the alleged victim and a relative were encouraged by certain others not to mention the incident, and were told by them that their salvation depended on their silence. As recently as last week Metropolitan Jonah was regularly communicating with one of those who tried to discourage the reporting of this crime by the alleged victim and her relative. In addition, the Metropolitan counseled the priest to pursue a military chaplaincy, without informing the military recruiter of any of the priest’s problems. Finally, the Metropolitan attempted to transfer the priest to other Orthodox jurisdictions, and ultimately did permit him to transfer to another jurisdiction, in each case telling those jurisdictions there were no canonical impediments to a transfer. …
“Moral, canonical and inter-Orthodox relations issues aside, in light of the recent widely-publicized criminal cases involving sexual abuse at Penn State and in the Philadelphia Archdiocese and the Kansas City Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, the extent of the risk of liability to which the Metropolitan has exposed the Church cannot be overstated. …
“Leading up to this most recent problem, there has existed for several years now a repeated pattern by Metropolitan Jonah of taking other unilateral actions … which prolonged or caused litigation involving the OCA, which substantially increased legal fees, which created confusion in negotiations, and which exposed the OCA to otherwise avoidable additional financial and legal liability. …” Story: Orthodox Church in America, July 8, 2012; Diocese of the Midwest, July 16, 2012
Sentenced: Leon Waverly Jones, 57, founding pastor, Renewed Hope Christian Church, Baltimore, Maryland, to 45 years, 25 suspended, plus five years’ probation, following his conviction in April of eight counts of second-degree sexual offense committed against a teenage girl over a period of two years. The Baltimore Sun reports: “The girl, now 27, was introduced to Jones by her mother, who participated in the abuse and was convicted of five counts of child sexual abuse.” The Sun also reports: “According to prosecutors, Jones … forced the victim to engage in oral sex with him … and to fondle and kiss her mother.” His church website says: “On November 21, 1992 in the Park Heights Multi-Purpose Building, Reverend Leon W. Jones, Jr answered the call placed on his life to lead and care for God’s people, and to carry out the vision God had given him. … Sixth of nine children, Pastor Jones is a strong advocate of the family and believes in order to have the abundant life that the Bible teaches, there must be a revival of Godly principles; spiritual commitment, family values, self-respect and most of all the love of God. … He is the devoted husband of Pastor Jacqueline Jones and the warm and loving father of eight children.” Story: Baltimore Sun, April 19, 2012; Baltimore Sun, July 18, 2012
Policy changed: BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit), regarding the solicitation of funds at its train stations. The Bay Citizen reports: “BART leaders have decided to alter the transit agency’s free speech-related policy after discovering that a private school and church in West Oakland used unaccompanied children, some as young as 7 years old, to solicit funds at stations after school and at night.” That “private school and church” is St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church, headed by 70-year-old pastor Robert Lacy, a.k.a. Robeth Lacy, a.k.a. Roberth Lacy, who has a history of legal problems, and has (along with other church and school administrators, including one son) been accused of severe physical abuse of students (for details, see link to previous ConBab entry below). The Bay Citizen contiinues: “Under the new rules, which could take effect Aug. 1, children are required to be accompanied by an adult and are not allowed to solicit funds during school hours or after dark. Agency leaders are also considering requiring solicitors to stay in a specified location on BART property or behind a table, a policy change that concerns some free speech advocates. BART spokesman Jim Allison said other changes could still be made.” Story: Conservative Babylon, June 5, 2012; Bay Citizen, July 20, 2012
Not guilty plea: Michael Miller, 42, former assistant pastor, St. Paul Catholic Church, Kensington, Connecticut, to a total of eight charges, including possession of child pornography, obscenity, attempting to commit an obscene act and and risk of injury to a minor. Separate charges related to allegations Miller sent sexually explicit messages to several adolescent male parishioners via Facebook are scheduled to be heard August 22, 2012. Story: Conservative Babylon, June 19, 2012; Berlin Patch, July 10, 2010
Arrested: Eight Irish Catholic militants, who “attacked riot police Thursday in a divided corner of Belfast,” reports AP, which notes that the incident “in the hardline Catholic Ardoyne district marked the fourth straight year that the area has descended into anarchy following the annual passage of Protestant marchers from the Orange Order brotherhood.” These parades, or Orange Walks, “are a series of nonviolent demonstrations held annually by members of the Orange Order” — a unionist Protestant fraternal organization — “during the summer in Northern Ireland, to a lesser extent in Scotland, and occasionally in England, the Republic of Ireland, and throughout the Commonwealth. These typically build up to the 12 July celebrations which mark Prince William of Orange’s victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Although the term ‘march’ or ‘parade’ is widely used in the media, the Order prefers terms such as ‘walk’ or ‘demonstration’. … Throughout the history of the Orange Order, Orange walks have faced opposition, generally from Catholics and nationalists, who feel that the parades are sectarian and triumphalist. Although many nationalists find the parades offensive wherever they take place, conflict usually only arises when a walk passes through or near a Catholic-dominated area.” Story: AP, July 12, 2012
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