JW Elder Sentenced for CSA
by EasyPrompt 33 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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EasyPrompt
According to the article, the man had previously served 10 years in prison for rape. Was already a Level 3 sex offender when "appointed" as an elder.
From the article...
"SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A 62-year-old Springfield man, classified as a Level 3 Sex Offender is facing years in jail after being found guilty on multiple counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child.
The female victim in this case was 13-years-old at the time, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.
Jay Aaron Smith, who serves as elder in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Springfield according to authorities, faced 4 Counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14.
He was recently found guilty by a Hampden Superior Court jury and on Wednesday a judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years probation.
According to Jim Leydon, representative of the Hampden DA’s Office, the sexual abuse happened over a number of months.
“The abuse of the child appears to have occurred over a series of several months from late 2020 through early 2021, the child would have been 13 years old at the time,” Leydon noted.
We’re told Smith previously served 10 years in prison in Georgia for rape in the late 1980′s. He was classified by the State of Massachusetts’ Sex Offender Registry Board as a Level 3 Sex Offender at the time of these offenses.
In this latest case, the Hampden DA called the female victim brave for bringing Smith to justice.
“I am deeply grateful to the brave survivor for bringing this abuser to the light of justice. Her courage and strength keeps other children safe from this predator. I thank the survivor, the jury, detectives with the Springfield Police Department, and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Vasiliades, who is assigned to my office’s Special Victim’s Unit, for her skillful prosecution of this case.”
Hampden District Attorney, Anthony Gulluni"
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EasyPrompt
This man was appointed as an elder even though he was already busted before for sodomy and rape...
https://www.city-data.com/so/so-Springfield-Massachusetts.html
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was a new boy
One helluva way to kick off the 2024 Service Year.
At least the Elders obeyed the Ungodly Rules when appointing him!
12. A person who has engaged in child sexual abuse does not qualify to receive any congregation privileges or to serve in a position of responsibility in the congregation for decades, if ever. —
'JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES’ SCRIPTURALLY BASED POSITION
ON CHILD PROTECTION'
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EasyPrompt
Must be the Service Department didn't consider him "predatory" enough to label as a predator...
(2012 Letter to elders telling them not to warn the congregation about sexual predators unless they get permission from the Service Department...)
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joe134cd
Sorry I don’t live in the USA, but just looked up what level 3 means. It’s the worst of the worst. I can’t understand what they were thinking when they appointed him.
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EasyPrompt
https://services.gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryRedirector.jsp
"A Level 3 Sex Offender status is applicable to convicted offenders with a strong possibility of committing another offense. Anyone with this classification will almost certainly be required to wear a monitoring device." (from grishamandpoole.com)
"Dangerous sex offenses that require registration include:
- Rape
- Aggravated assault where rape was the primary intent
- Statutory rape in cases where the offender is older than 21 years of age
- Incest
- Aggravated sexual battery or second conviction of sexual battery
- Child molestation and aggravated child molestation
- Kidnapping a minor younger than 14 years of age by an individual other than a parent
- False imprisonment of a minor younger than 14 by an individual other than a parent
- Sodomy and aggravated sodomy
- Enticing a child for indecent reasons
- Sexual exploitation of minors or child pornography
- Sharing obscene materials with minors electronically
- Obscene telephone contact
- Sexual assault against individuals in custody
- Enticing a minor for indecent reasons
- Any other sexually motivated offense against a minor." (from screenandreveal.com)
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EasyPrompt
"I can’t understand what they were thinking when they appointed him."
Even though the publications talk about elders needing to interview a potential new elder and ask them three questions, it says the new elder would be appointed if they answer "no" to all three, but it doesn't say anywhere that they WON'T be appointed even if they answer "yes" to any of the three questions...
"(1) Is there anything from your past, even before baptism, or in your personal or family life that disqualifies you or that would prevent you from accepting this appointment?
(2) Is there any reason why your appointment should not be announced to the congregation?
(3) Have you as an adult ever been involved at any time in the past with child sexual abuse?"
If the brother answers no to the questions, the circuit overseer will provide the elders with a signed appointment letter..." (from "Shepherd the Flock of God" under appointing elders section)
"Shepherd Flock of God" regarding removing restrictions...
https://files.accessjw.org/s/NSCySFCnaSiE2A5
Branch Manual regarding removing restrictions...
https://files.accessjw.org/s/KN3wgcSJwYxxFfi
"At least the Elders obeyed the Ungodly Rules when appointing him!"
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joey jojo
joe134cd
Sorry I don’t live in the USA, but just looked up what level 3 means. It’s the worst of the worst. I can’t understand what they were thinking when they appointed him.Up until this court case, this guy was probably classed as a shining example of transforming from a lion into a lamb.
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TxNVSue2023
Shamefull! What's unbelievable is that he had a history of sex offenses & did prison time! Don't they run background checks for elders?