NBC NEWS: Man who raped Jehovah's Witness girls sentenced to 5 years in prison

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-who-raped-jehovah-s-witness-girls-sentenced-5-years-n1082136.

man who raped jehovah's witness girls sentenced to 5 years in prison .

"it’s finally over.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-who-raped-jehovah-s-witness-girls-sentenced-5-years-n1082136

Man who raped Jehovah's Witness girls sentenced to 5 years in prison

"It’s finally over. This chapter is finally closed," Moriah Hughes, who was 14 when then-25-year-old Elihu Rodriguez sexually abused her, said.

Moriah Hughes left the Jehovah's Witnesses faith after elders in the church turned away when she approached them with accusations of rape against another fellow congregation member when she was 14 and he was 25.Rajah Bose / for NBC News

Nov. 20, 2019, 11:49 AM CST

By Elizabeth Chuck

A man who pleaded guilty to raping two underage girls he met through the Jehovah's Witness congregation they all belonged to has been sentenced to five years in prison — a "relief" to his victims.

Elihu Rodriguez, 32, of Yakima, Washington, was given five years, the maximum sentence prosecutors had asked for, after Rodriguez pleaded guilty to three felony counts of child rape in the third degree in September. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender. Both of his victims attended the sentencing, which took place Friday at the King County Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington.

NBC News does not typically identify survivors of sexual abuse, but one of Rodriguez's victims, Moriah Hughes, chose to share her story last year. She said she had been five days away from turning 15 when Rodriguez, then 25, first raped her in October 2012 at her home in Federal Way, Washington.

Hughes told NBC News after Rodriguez was sentenced that she "felt fantastic" knowing he was going to be behind bars.

7

Montana Women's Prison settles discrimination complaint by JW | billingsgazette.com

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jw
friends

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/montana-women-s-prison-settles-discrimination-complaint-by-jehovah-s/article_d1c8c9cf-1b33-5b77-99b3-a6be5bcab357.html.

montana women's prison settles discrimination complaint by jehovah's witness.

the state has agreed to pay a portion of an inmate’s attorney fees and have a warden undergo training on religion rights to settle a discrimination claim.. .

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https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/montana-women-s-prison-settles-discrimination-complaint-by-jehovah-s/article_d1c8c9cf-1b33-5b77-99b3-a6be5bcab357.html

Montana Women's Prison settles discrimination complaint by Jehovah's Witness

The state has agreed to pay a portion of an inmate’s attorney fees and have a warden undergo training on religion rights to settle a discrimination claim.

May Simmons, an inmate at the Montana Women’s Prison, settled with the Department of Corrections in October, and a copy of the agreement was released this week.

Simmons had alleged the prison discriminated against her by failing to grant her full access to worship services as a Jehovah’s Witness.

After reviewing the claim, the Montana Human Rights Bureau found the department likely violated the law by denying Simmons use of the prison chapel while permitting its use for other religions.

Officials with the Department of Corrections admit no violation of the law and signed the agreement in order to “buy their peace and resolve this case without further proceedings,” the settlement states.

The agreement requires the department to pay $4,400 in attorney fees for Simmons’ attorney, Eric Holm, and to pay $1,000 to Simmons. READ MORE:

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/montana-women-s-prison-settles-discrimination-complaint-by-jehovah-s/article_d1c8c9cf-1b33-5b77-99b3-a6be5bcab357.html

13

Los Angeles Times: California braces for deluge of child-sex-assault lawsuits under new law

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-20/california-child-sex-assault-lawsuits-new-law.

san diego — matt smyth’s secret was revealed in his senior year of high school with a knock on the front door of his family’s fallbrook, calif., home.. two plainclothes sheriff’s detectives were investigating reports that smyth’s former assistant scoutmaster — the one who’d driven kids to boy scout meetings, chaperoned camp-outs and hosted fishing outings on his bucolic property — had molested several boys.. to the shock of his parents, smyth shared that he’d been a victim, too.

but the bombshell stayed close to home for decades.

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-20/california-child-sex-assault-lawsuits-new-law

Oct. 20, 2019

SAN DIEGO —

Matt Smyth’s secret was revealed in his senior year of high school with a knock on the front door of his family’s Fallbrook, Calif., home.

Two plainclothes sheriff’s detectives were investigating reports that Smyth’s former assistant scoutmaster — the one who’d driven kids to Boy Scout meetings, chaperoned camp-outs and hosted fishing outings on his bucolic property — had molested several boys.

To the shock of his parents, Smyth shared that he’d been a victim, too. But the bombshell stayed close to home for decades. Smyth never heard from the investigators again, and he moved on — or tried to.

More than 40 years later, Smyth is finally ready for his day in court, and a public reckoning.

The 55-year-old, who still lives in Fallbrook, is among potentially thousands of Californians who are preparing to file sexual abuse lawsuits under a new state law that allows victims more time to report allegations of abuse and to take legal action.

Under existing law, victims of child sex abuse have until age 26 to file a lawsuit, or three years from the time of discovery that psychological injury was caused by sexual abuse suffered as a child.

The new law, which was sponsored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) and takes effect Jan. 1, raises the statute of limitations to 40 years of age, or up to five years after discovery. The law also opens a three-year window that allows victims of any age to sue on previously expired claims.

The new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week, is expected to result in an avalanche of litigation aimed at indelible institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America, as well as local school districts, foster care agencies, hospitals and youth sports organizations.

“We’re trying to make our clients whole,” said Andrew Van Arsdale, a San Diego-based attorney representing hundreds of former Boy Scouts, including Smyth. “There’s no amount of money you could pay these guys to make them go through what they went through again. This is at least a good faith effort to do everything in our power to heal that wound, close that circle and get them the help they need.”

California joins New York and New Jersey, which passed similar laws this year, and other states such as Maine, Delaware and Utah, which have completely abolished civil statutes of limitations in these kinds of cases.

The cumulative effect is increasing the pressure on national organizations that are potentially facing a sustained onslaught of high-figure payouts, as well as prompting questions about how court systems can manage such a large volume of cases fairly and efficiently.

13

Article: Church elder sentenced to 80 years in prison for sex assaults in Cleburne county

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https://www.fox16.com/news/church-elder-sentenced-to-80-years-in-prison-for-sex-assaults-in-cleburne-county/.

church elder sentenced to 80 years in prison for sex assaults in cleburne county.

by: tyler thomason.

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https://www.fox16.com/news/church-elder-sentenced-to-80-years-in-prison-for-sex-assaults-in-cleburne-county/

Church elder sentenced to 80 years in prison for sex assaults in Cleburne county

by: Tyler Thomason

Posted: Oct 8, 2019 / 05:47 PM CDT / Updated: Oct 8, 2019 / 05:55 PM CDT

CLEBURNE COUNTY, Ark. — A church leader convicted of sexually assaulting children has been sentenced to 80 years in prison.

Roderick Watkins, 57, received the jury’s verdict last week in Cleburne county.

Watkins was an elder in the Jehovah’s Witness church, according to court documents.

Court documents reveal that at least four people came forward over the past year, accusing Watkins of sexually assaulting them while they were children.

The four victims included three boys and one girl.

Cleburne county sheriff, Chris Brown, says six other people came forward as the trial neared, bringing the total number of accusers to 10.

The state prosecuted Watkins on four charges. He received the maximum penalty, 20 years, for each one.

“I think that’s a testament to just how strongly our community feels about things like this,” Brown says.

The crimes happened in various places, including Cleburne county, Batesville and Little Rock, according to victim statements in court documents.

One victim’s mother told detectives she reported the assault to church leaders, and nothing was done at first with the exception of suspension of some of Watkins’ duties, according to court documents.

We reached out to Watkins’ wife and we reached out to his attorney, but both declined to comment.

I think for someone involved in behavior like this, the message should be: when you get caught, not if you get caught, but when you get caught it’s going to be taken seriously,” Brown says.

“Because it’s wrong.”

8

Article: Fresno, California JW elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl

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subject: fresno, ca jw elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl sept. 20, 2019 https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article235306577.html.

fresno, ca church elder makes plea deal in sex abuse case | the fresno bee.

a 45-year-old fresno man, who worked as a police dispatcher in madera, pleaded no contest on friday to charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl from his church.

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Subject: Fresno, CA JW elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl Sept. 20, 2019

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article235306577.html

Fresno, CA church elder makes plea deal in sex abuse case | The Fresno Bee

A 45-year-old Fresno man, who worked as a police dispatcher in Madera, pleaded no contest on Friday to charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl from his church. Martin Phillip Ramos was ...

www.fresnobee.com

16

News report - Montana Supreme Court Hearing: Silent No More: The Justices (Silent Part 4)

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https://www.wlwt.com/article/silent-no-more-part-4-the-justices/29040023?fbclid=iwar1beverlfko8g4lz5hbsize6dl1b87ukfabevyv07iizgziawzq1gfvevu .

silent no more: the justices.

jehovah’s witnesses argue montana supreme court justices should overturn $35 million verdict—largest in u.s.. mark albert .

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https://www.wlwt.com/article/silent-no-more-part-4-the-justices/29040023?fbclid=IwAR1BeVERLFKO8g4LZ5hbSIZe6DL1B87UKFABeVYV07IIzGziAWzq1gfvEVU

Silent No More: The Justices

Jehovah’s Witnesses argue Montana Supreme Court justices should overturn $35 million verdict—largest in U.S.

Mark Albert

Chief National Investigative Correspondent
BILLINGS, Mont. —

Attorneys for the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization tried on Friday to overturn the largest civil verdict against it in U.S. history, arguing to the Montana Supreme Court that it did not violate the state’s mandatory reporter law that requires notifying authorities of suspected child abuse allegations in some instances.

The justices of the Montana Supreme Court hear oral arguments in Nunez v. Watchtower, in Billings, Montana, on Sept. 13, 2019.
READ MORE: https://www.wlwt.com/article/silent-no-more-part-4-the-justices/29040023?fbclid=IwAR1BeVERLFKO8g4LZ5hbSIZe6DL1B87UKFABeVYV07IIzGziAWzq1gfvEVU

16

AP Article: Jehovah's Witnesses ask court to reverse $35M abuse verdict

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jehovah's witnesses ask court to reverse $35m abuse verdict.

by the associated press.

posted sep 13, 2019 12:34 pm pdt.

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Jehovah's Witnesses ask court to reverse $35M abuse verdict

by The Associated Press

Posted Sep 13, 2019 12:34 pm PDT

BILLINGS, Mont. — An attorney for the Jehovah’s Witnesses asked the Montana Supreme Court on Friday to reverse a $35 million verdict against the church for not reporting a girl’s sexual abuse to authorities.

Last year, a jury awarded $4 million in compensatory damages and $31 million in punitive damages to a woman who said she was abused as a child in the mid-2000s by a member of the Thompson Falls Jehovah’s Witness congregation.

The abuse came after the congregation’s elders disciplined the man over allegations of abusing two other family members in the 1990s and early 2000s, the woman’s lawsuit said.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ appealed the jury’s verdict, and attorney Joel Taylor said during arguments Friday that church elders handled the allegations internally in accordance with church practices. State law exempts clergy from reporting if church doctrine or practice requires confidentiality, he said.

The church has been painted as lawbreakers who are callous toward child abuse, Taylor said.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. “All Christians, all people, abhor child abuse and our sympathies lie with the victim in this case.”

But the large jury award trampled on the constitutionally protected beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, he said.

The woman’s attorney, Jim Molloy, says the church doesn’t qualify for the clergy exemption to the state reporting law because Jehovah’s Witness officials testified that an elder can choose to report a child abuser to authorities under church practice.

“Local authorities are instructed to contact the national organization when they learn about a child abuser,” Molloy said. “That’s what they did. They were instructed not to report, and (the girl) continued to be abused.”

The jury’s $35 million verdict goes against a Montana law that caps punitive damage awards at $10 million or 3% of a company’s net worth, whichever is less. Molloy is asking the state Supreme Court to strike down that cap as unconstitutional.

The court did not make an immediate ruling.

The lawsuit claims the man sexually abused three family members in Thompson Falls in the 1990s and 2000s. Two of the victims say they reported the abuse to church elders, who handled the matter internally after consulting with the national organization.

The elders expelled the abuser from the congregation in 2004 then reinstated him the next year, the lawsuit states, and the abuse of the younger victim continued.

The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/09/13/jehovahs-witnesses-ask-court-to-reverse-35m-abuse-verdict/

7

Abuse reporting law passes Victoria, Australia Parliament

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https://7news.com.au/politics/abuse-reporting-law-passes-vic-parliament-c-445627?utm_campaign=share-icons&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&tid=1568152669571&fbclid=iwar2mvjbkt-nlu3tx-rmifxynagtcec1ad8lm4zcn2-f3zloqpd8xb1jamsi.

victorian parliament has passed laws making it mandatory for priests to report child abuse, including when it is revealed to them during confession.. a bill introduced by the state labor government passed the upper house on tuesday after last week getting a green light from the legislative assembly, with opposition support.. "today we've made victoria a safer place for children.

the special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported," child protection minister luke donnellan said in a statement....

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https://7news.com.au/politics/abuse-reporting-law-passes-vic-parliament-c-445627?utm_campaign=share-icons&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&tid=1568152669571&fbclid=IwAR2Mvjbkt-nlU3TX-rmifxYnAgTCEc1Ad8lM4Zcn2-f3zLOqpd8xB1jaMSI

Victorian parliament has passed laws making it mandatory for priests to report child abuse, including when it is revealed to them during confession.

A bill introduced by the state Labor government passed the upper house on Tuesday after last week getting a green light from the Legislative Assembly, with opposition support.

"Today we've made Victoria a safer place for children. The special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported," Child Protection Minister Luke Donnellan said in a statement...

10

Article: Telegraph-JW agrees not to show son religious cartoons because of risk of 'Emotional Damage'

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/11/jehovahs-witness-agrees-not-show-son-religious-cartoons-risk/?wt.mc_id=tmg_share_fb.

a jehovah's witness has agreed not to show his son religious cartoons and has been banned from taking the six-year-old to some church events because it could cause him "emotional damage".

the man is embroiled in a family court dispute with his estranged wife and has been barred by a court from taking the little boy to jehovah's witness assemblies, annual conventions and memorials.. district judge malcolm dodds also said that the father had agreed not to show his son "jehovah's witness cartoons", a decision he described as "wise".

AndersonsInfo

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/11/jehovahs-witness-agrees-not-show-son-religious-cartoons-risk/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_fb

A Jehovah's Witness has agreed not to show his son religious cartoons and has been banned from taking the six-year-old to some church events because it could cause him "emotional damage".

The man is embroiled in a family court dispute with his estranged wife and has been barred by a court from taking the little boy to Jehovah's Witness assemblies, annual conventions and memorials.

District Judge Malcolm Dodds also said that the father had agreed not to show his son "Jehovah's Witness cartoons", a decision he described as "wise".

34

WTC has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash.

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wtc has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash.

for example, when puerto rico was devastated by a hurricane, wtc directed a large number of congregations to donate $1500 each in supplies that would be used for relief purposes.

it is not known how many congregations took part in this effort but the feedback suggests it was in the hundreds.

AndersonsInfo

The following is an answer to a few questions:
Congregation Coordinators said that $1500 was the amount the Branch requested from each congregation. It was a BIG DEAL to get volunteers out picking up the items on the list provided by the Branch. Lots of dried and canned foods, water and tarps, etc. all had to be palletized and shipped to holding facilities until they could could be loaded on cargo ships headed to PR.

Some trucks were also donated for shipping by boat to PR but the trucks were not used after being shipped because the entire effort was canceled by the Branch. The new plan was to sell all collected items to liquidators. The warehouse was closed and all the donated items are gone. No money was reimbursed to congs that donated.

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Jehovah's Witnesses ask court to reverse $35M abuse verdict