The following account is as accurate as I can get it. Some of the info is first-hand, but most is second and third hand. Most of the info that comes from the 1970s and 80s is "to the best of my recollection", since I had no reason to remember such. It is very possible, if not likely, that some of the details are not entirely accurate. The sad fact is that there are literally dozens of JWs who know much more than I about this situation; thus could relate a more detailed and more accurate account. However, until one of those JWs comes forward, this account will at least tell the world what the WBTS does not want told.
Sometime back in the 1970s, a Jehovah's Witness family of "pioneers" moved to where "the need was great" in southeastern Kentucky. As it turns out, this family of JW "needgreaters" may have had a "great need" of their own; they may have needed to get of state as fast as possible to escape the reach of CPS and/or the police.
I do not know whether their old Congregation or Brooklyn knew of their "problem". Neither do I know whether their move to where "the need was great" was sanctioned by the organization. I do know that this family moved nearly 2000 miles, and I have no recollection of the family having any connections whatsoever to Kentucky.
Just as with the "Vernon" family discussed in the other child abuse account, I have always confused members of this family with members of a second JW family in the Circuit. Thus, I can't recall exactly how many children were in this family, or the breakdown according to sex. I'm sure there were at least two daughters, but there may have been more. I'm unsure whether there were males. I seem to recall that this family had some children who either had left home, or were in the process of leaving home around the time of the family's move to Kentucky.
This "pioneer family" eventually became well known in the circuit as a theocratic family who were always trying their hardest to "serve Jah" despite setbacks here and there usually due to financial circumstances. All members of the family seemed as normal as most JW families. I do not recall hearing anyone ever saying anything negative about any of them, with the exception of some criticism of their subsistence standard of living.
Sometime in the mid 1980s, after the last two daughters had married and left home, the father lost his privileges as a Ministerial Servant. Not long thereafter, he and his wife moved to a nearby congregation. When I eventually had an opportunity to ask someone who might know what had happened and who would tell me, I was told that he was reproved because he had habitually been "co-mingling" congregation funds with his own. Supposedly, his business had been so bad one month that he had not been able to catch up at the end of the month, and he was forced to admit to the BOE what he had been doing. That resulted in his loss of privileges. The later move, I was told, was due to the harsh treatment by that BOE.
I bought both "stories" hook, line, and sinker. Everyone in the circuit knew this family struggled financially. Everyone in the circuit also knew that every member of the BOE were absolute jerks; save one. I even recall expressing disappointment over the BOE's failure to exercise appropriate mercy. Lttle did I know that the "excuses" were "cover stories" intended to keep the truth from the JW community.
Over the next ten or so years, I only had occasional opportunity to interact with JWs from this Circuit, but it seemed like every time such occurred the husband of the youngest daughter would be brought up in some negative fashion or other. Over time it seemed as if it was the main job of not only their own congregation, but of the entire circuit, to "assassinate the character" of the youngest daughter's husband. He could do nothing "right", while his wife could do nothing "wrong". Even though he often gave ammunition for criticism, I recall telling someone that despite such, he did not deserve the treatment he continually received from his JW "brothers and sisters". As bad as he was, he wasn't as bad as the JWs made him out to be.
Sometime in the mid 1990s, I was conversing with an Elder from one of the unrelated congregations in the circuit, and sure enough he brought up this youngest daughter of the subject "pioneer family". I recall the Elder repeatedly saying how hard of a life the daughter had had, and how big of a jerk was her husband. He kept repeating the points in different ways in what I later figured out was his way of trying to see if I knew what he knew. However, I did not know what he knew at that time, so he never told me the "secret".
It would be a few years later before some JW assumed that I knew what "everyone knew". Finally, one JW blurted out in a passing manner something about XXXX's being molested as a child. They were 5 sentences down the conversation before I could stop them and ask them to explain the passing "molestation" reference. That JW was surprised that I didn't know; despite their knowing that I had lived outside the Circuit for several years. The JW exaggeratingly said that I must be the only JW in the Circuit that didn't know about XXXX's molestation.
I was told that the "pioneer family" father had had an ongoing "incestual sexual relationship" with XXXX and her older sister(s). I recall not asking too many questions of that JW given the nature of the topic. I later asked questions of others as the opportunity presented itself, and I no longer recall which person told me what detail.
It is my understanding that multiple daughters were abused over many years. The abuse started so early that it was accepted as a normal part of life. No one I talked with had even a guess as to how a JW child could listen to what was said regarding fornication and adultery at the meetings and not understand that what the father was doing to them was "wrong", and thus report the abuse.
It is understood that the mother pled ignorance, although I heard others express wonder at how such could go on in the home for years without her knowing.
However, until the youngest daughter got married, she and evidently her older sister(s) had maintained the secret. I was told that even then it was not the youngest daughter who told the elders. It was her husband. Yes, the very person whose character the entire circuit had been trying to assassinate. Since when? Since he had went to the elders back in the 1980s. After he married the youngest daughter, it apparently came to his attention that his wife was not a novice when it came to sex. She eventually told him about her incestuous relationship with her father, and he went to the elders.
Other than what I related above about the father's reproof and his moving to a nearby congregation, I don't remember what else happened back at that time in the 1980s. I do know that the character assassination of the husband started soon thereafter. I don't know if the husband had threatened to go to the authorities, or whether he even may have done so. It is possible that he may have done so, and nothing was done by the local prosecutor. I knew the local prosecutor at that time, and given the passage of time and likely unwillingness of witness cooperation, he would not have pursued it. The daughter would likely have even denied it in order to protect "Jah's name" (ie, the WBTS's name). Whatever happened, there was no non-JW public disclosure and certainly no prosection.
As for the other victim(s) [older sister(s)], I don't know what occurred with them. They moved elsewhere that I don't know.
I have also wondered whether any of the sons were abused?
Whatever the husband did to peeve off the WBTS back when he reported the incest to the BOE, he finally was "assassinated". His wife and daughters finally separated from him in the late 90s, and they divorced a few years thereafter. She received the full support of elders. I've heard he was DF'ed or DA'ed. He moved, so I don't know.
I never had the courage to broach the subject with any of the "actors". I was told by others that the daughter has discussed the abuse with several others in the circuit, despite the fact that it was supposed to be kept quiet.
I also heard one remark which made me suspect that the abuse had been discussed with the elders throughout the circuit by the CO. I don't know if this was in an elder's meeting, one-on-one, or during the regular CO visit, or if fact it did occur. All seem to know about it, regardless.
So, there you have it. A JW family which practiced incest for years. Numerous JWs knew about it after it was disclosed in the 1980s. The probability is that it was never reported to the authorities.
To: Barbara Anderson -- Re: Your First Contact w/ Child Molestation Issue
by West70 23 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
-
West70
-
Quentin
I detest child abusers...My passionate hope is they roast...
-
lisavegas420
I do not know whether their old Congregation or Brooklyn knew of their "problem". Neither do I know whether their move to where "the need was great" was sanctioned by the organization. I do know that this family moved nearly 2000 miles, and I have no recollection of the family having any connections whatsoever to Kentucky.
my family moved from CA to KY in 1968....to go where the "need was greater"....we had no ties to KY, they had no home to go to...it was wierd my parents up and sold everything and we moved across country. My parents, my sister, and myself. towing a small camping trailer. and six small puppies. I wonder what was really going on?lisa
-
West70
Lisa:
There are two points in that paragraph.
First, "who knows" whether the JWs or the Police in their homestate had info about this family's abuse of their children, or whether it was paranoia or what that prompted the father/mother to make such a drastic move. Maybe this JW family of incest practicers really were motivated to spread the WatchTower Kingdom message.
Second, I can't recall what the organization's attitude was back in the late 1970s about JWs making their own decision to suddenly pick up and move to "where the need was great", but at some point around that time there were so many unsavory JW sorts trying to escape problems by moving into isolated territories and "great need" areas that the Society started discouraging JWs from doing so without first getting their approval. I believe this evolved gradually from an unofficial to official thing; more in the form of encouraging JWs to get the ok to move, then get the ok to move to a specific area, etc. I'm really not sure as my association was spotty around this time period.
As far as I know, I do not know you or your family, so I am sure you all are the exception to the following.
I do know for a fact that quite a few worthless JWs arrived in Kentucky from California and other places. Fortunately, it was observing the lives of some of these "jewels" that kept several Kyians from ever being caught up into the JWs.
I do have stories that I can repeat. JWs showing up in KY after filing bankruptcy elsewhere. JW Contractors showing up after ripping off every one they could in their home area thus running out of customers. JWs running from other legal problems. One "pioneer father" scammed three of my relatives in an illegal investment scheme. Numerous such ones would come into the area and leech off already poor KY JWs until they could get no more, and then move to an area where they had fresh pickings. On and on.
If you moved to KY in 1968, surely you saw some of these characters that arrived from then through 75? -
sf
What part (s) of California to which part (s) of Kentucky?
sKally
-
lisavegas420
My parents became JW's around 1963 or 64. My dad was baptized shortly after that. We lived in several places in CA. The last place before we moved to KY was Hayward CA. not to far from the San Francisco Bay area. When we moved to KY, we lived out side of Lexington in little town called Georgetown. In 1968 I was only 7 years old, I don't remember any big scandles, during those years. But then again, we weren't allowed around too many people inside or outside of the JW religion with the exception of school and meeting. My dad was an elder during the 70's in the Georgetown Cong . edited to add...I just remembered,....the society was definitely was in on our move to KY...I know this because we knew no one in that state or any states around KY. But...when we got to KY, a host family was waiting for us. We stayed with them for several weeks while my dad looked for work and my mom looked for a place to live.lisa
-
sf
I see lisa. Thx for the reply.
West70, care to respond to my question as well?
sKally
-
West70
I have debated back and forth with myself whether or not to post the following account of an "accused" JW child molester because I did not have access to as much info regarding such at the time as I did to the first two accounts that are posted above. Compounding the problem is my fading recollection.
However, despite my less than desirable recollection of already sketchy info, I have decided to go ahead and relate this account mainly due to those people who are/were associated with the JWs for 40-60 years who state that they never ever even heard of any allegations of child sex abuse among JWs.
Well, for those folks, this is the third scenario that occurred in the very same Circuit as the two accounts related above.
As with the first two accounts, I hope the reader will learn something about the culture of the "Watchower pedophile paradise" from the reaction of the JW congregation(s) and Circuit to the allegations of child molestation in this instance.
While it is likely that some of the related details are not entirely accurate, as with the two accounts posted above, there are many JWs who could relate a more detailed and more accurate account. Until one of those JWs comes forward, this account will at least tell the world what the WBTS does not want told. Possibly, there are even persons reading this post who can correct and/or fill in details if they so desire.
Let me again state that the following account of an "accused" JW child molester is related as best as my recollection will allow based on mostly second and third hand JW sources from back in the mid 1990s. I did make some first hand observations which I thought were consistent with the allegations (which most other JWs did not believe).
Around 1994-6, a JW couple with unknown connections to southeastern Kentucky and Florida went through a separation and divorce. They possibly lived in Kentucky at the start, with the wife and children then moving to Florida. This family may have originated in Florida, or possibly only the wife was from Florida? At some point, the husband followed them to Florida (I assume to attempt a reconcilation).
At some point, the wife alleged that the husband had been molesting one or more of his children. The authorities were involved, and while I don't know much else that occurred in Florida, I was told by a Kentucky Elder that the husband spent some time in psychiatric confinement in Florida. The Elder indicated that such was due to a suicide attempt caused by the husband's depression over losing his wife and children. I later learned that this JW Elder was a master at "theocratic warfare", so it is very possible that the husband was actually incarcerated for a short term on some reduced charge relating to child abuse.
The by then ex-husband returned to Kentucky around 1996-7. The story told by Elders was that his "apostate" wife had made up the terrible accusations of child abuse simply to get custody of the children, so that she could prevent them from being reared JW. The poor victimized husband was so depressed that he had tried to commit suicide, so it was now everyone's job in the Circuit to be his new family and keep him from being depressed.
Before long this guy was showing up at meetings at other KHs scattered throughout the Circuit, and he would almost always be seen talking, socializing, and even sitting with divorcee JW mothers with children. He even began visiting the homes and eating meals with some of these single parent JW families.
Eventually, this created quite a stir among some of the non-elder JW families because they were under the impression that some of these JW divorcees were not eligible to re-marry. The gossip also included concern over this middle-aged male's habit of frequently initiating interaction with children at the KHs.
It was learned that some of the Elders were not only excusing his conduct, but they were even encouraging such as a means of helping with his depression and alleged suicidal tendencies due to his losing his own wife and children. The excuses that I heard always included derogatory comments regarding his APOSTATE ex-wife. My impression was that the Elders were so upset over losing a fight to an "apostate" that they were willing to not only overlook, but actually encourage conduct that at any other time would have caused them to go after his guy.
I have no idea whether the JW ex-husband was guilty of any abuse of any kind, or what ever became of him. I just know that I was even more shocked at the conduct of the Elders in the Circuit. -
West70
SF:
With regard to your Q about the Incestuous JW Family that moved from California to southeastern Kentucky, it has been too long, but I want to say that they were from someplace in southern California.
I believe S Ca is your area, so sorry, but I have to say that some of the other losers that migrated to KY were also from S. Ca. -- Oxnard, LA, etc.
Bye. -
West70
.