Posts by Tahoe

The 70-year-old West Milton woman told police she knocked on a door to a home at 12:30 p.m. April 12 in the 700 block of Hunters Chase Drive. The resident opened the entry door and said he wasn't interested. His dog came charging down the hall, forcing the storm door open. The dog, an 8-year-old black Labrador retriever named Ace, got out and bit the woman on the right buttock and thigh area, according to a police report.

The dog's owner was able to show Ace was current on his vaccinations through My Favorite Pet veterinary clinic, according to the report.

The resident's fence in front of the home had a 'Beware of Dog" sign, the report noted.

20

Former Jehovah’s Witness jailed for child sex crimes

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/crime/former-jehovahs-witness-jailed-for-child-sex-crimes-ng-b88859067z.

a former jehovah’s witness who sexually assaulted three young boys says his homosexual inclinations were repressed by his religion and manifested in his crimes.. gavin andrew lamont, 46, was jailed for four years today for assaulting two vulnerable teenagers in the early to mid-90s and another boy about 20 years later.. lamont encouraged the teens to give him massages and suggested he needed help checking for testicular cancer.. district court judge linda petrusa said lamont, who knew he was homosexual from about age 13, had significant cognitive distortions around sex because of his religious beliefs.. .

she said the victims, who were aged between 14 and 16, were vulnerable because of their youth and lack of sophistication.. judge petrusa sentenced lamont to four years behind bars for indecently dealing with a child and four counts of indecent assault.. lamont was kicked out of the mundaring congregation in 1997 after one of his victims complained to other members, but was reinstated after doing counselling with elders.. he was kicked out of the congregation for a second time in 2014 after another victim made a complaint.. lamont’s crimes came to the attention of police last year through the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.. defence lawyer seamus rafferty described the case as complex, saying lamont struggled with his sexuality because his religion told him it was a sin.. he told the court the church was the essence of lamont’s being and said his client tried to repress his sexuality and ended up behaving in “naïve, unsophisticated and pathetic ways”.. lamont’s parents and sister are all living with complicated health issues and rely heavily on his help and care.. mr rafferty asked judge petrusa to give lamont a conditional suspended jail term, saying he was the glue that was holding his family together.. “this is a case for the exercise of mercy, its mercy towards them (his family) and nobody else,” he said.. judge petrusa accepted a prison term would be tough on lamont’s family but said an immediate jail term was the only appropriate punishment.. in a statement to the court, one of the victims said he felt that he was “forever stained” by lamont’s crime.. he said the abuse had made him self-conscious in his dealings with his own child.. lamont will be eligible for parole after spending two years behind bars.. .

Tahoe

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/crime/former-jehovahs-witness-jailed-for-child-sex-crimes-ng-b88859067z

A FORMER Jehovah’s Witness who sexually assaulted three young boys says his homosexual inclinations were repressed by his religion and manifested in his crimes.

Gavin Andrew Lamont, 46, was jailed for four years today for assaulting two vulnerable teenagers in the early to mid-90s and another boy about 20 years later.

Lamont encouraged the teens to give him massages and suggested he needed help checking for testicular cancer.

District Court Judge Linda Petrusa said Lamont, who knew he was homosexual from about age 13, had significant cognitive distortions around sex because of his religious beliefs.

She said the victims, who were aged between 14 and 16, were vulnerable because of their youth and lack of sophistication.

Judge Petrusa sentenced Lamont to four years behind bars for indecently dealing with a child and four counts of indecent assault.

Lamont was kicked out of the Mundaring congregation in 1997 after one of his victims complained to other members, but was reinstated after doing counselling with elders.

He was kicked out of the congregation for a second time in 2014 after another victim made a complaint.

Lamont’s crimes came to the attention of police last year through the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Defence lawyer Seamus Rafferty described the case as complex, saying Lamont struggled with his sexuality because his religion told him it was a sin.

He told the court the church was the essence of Lamont’s being and said his client tried to repress his sexuality and ended up behaving in “naïve, unsophisticated and pathetic ways”.

Lamont’s parents and sister are all living with complicated health issues and rely heavily on his help and care.

Mr Rafferty asked Judge Petrusa to give Lamont a conditional suspended jail term, saying he was the glue that was holding his family together.

“This is a case for the exercise of mercy, its mercy towards them (his family) and nobody else,” he said.

Judge Petrusa accepted a prison term would be tough on Lamont’s family but said an immediate jail term was the only appropriate punishment.

In a statement to the court, one of the victims said he felt that he was “forever stained” by Lamont’s crime.

He said the abuse had made him self-conscious in his dealings with his own child.

Lamont will be eligible for parole after spending two years behind bars.

11

JW elders told abused girl’s parents not to report sex offender (another one)

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/jehovahs-witness-elders-told-abused-1636907.

a bradford man's sex offence against a little girl was kept quiet for 23 years because elders of the jehovah's witnesses church persuaded her parents not to report him, a court was told.. robert lee's crime in the forest of dean was not revealed until the victim had grown up and went to the police, gloucester crown court heard on friday.. .

both the victim's family and lee were jehovah's witnesses at that time, said prosecutor kerry barker.. he told the court that having avoided justice, lee, formerly of coleford, but now of alexandra road, bradford, went on to commit further child sex offences in 2008 and 2016.. lee, who used the surname howarth at that time, admitted indecent assault of the girl in march 1995 in coleford when he was aged just 17.. sentencing lee to two years jail suspended for two years and ordering him to sign the sex offender register for 10 years judge ian lawrie qc said he was 'concerned' at the church's advice to the mother not to report him.. he also placed lee under a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.. “i've raised concerns about how this came to the attention of your church authorities and was not reported.

Tahoe

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/jehovahs-witness-elders-told-abused-1636907.

A Bradford man's sex offence against a little girl was kept quiet for 23 years because elders of the Jehovah's Witnesses church persuaded her parents not to report him, a court was told.

Robert Lee's crime in the Forest of Dean was not revealed until the victim had grown up and went to the police, Gloucester Crown Court heard on Friday.

Both the victim's family and Lee were Jehovah's Witnesses at that time, said prosecutor Kerry Barker.

He told the court that having avoided justice, Lee, formerly of Coleford, but now of Alexandra Road, Bradford, went on to commit further child sex offences in 2008 and 2016.

Lee, who used the surname Howarth at that time, admitted indecent assault of the girl in March 1995 in Coleford when he was aged just 17.

Sentencing Lee to two years jail suspended for two years and ordering him to sign the sex offender register for 10 years Judge Ian Lawrie QC said he was 'concerned' at the Church's advice to the mother not to report him.

He also placed Lee under a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

“I've raised concerns about how this came to the attention of your church authorities and was not reported. I hope that has now changed," said Judge Lawrie.

“That meant it did not come to light for some time."

The prosecutor had told the judge: “When the matter was referred to the Elders in 1995, her mother was invited not to report it to the police and she remained silent."

Mr Barker said the girl told her mother about the incident, who spoke with the church elders, and following that conversation decided to do nothing more.

He said the Howarth family left the area but the victim heard in adulthood that they were returning and that 'caused her fear and panic' which led to her reporting his offence to the police.

“She was not to know that in Essex in 2008 he had been cautioned for possessing indecent images, and then in 2016 he was convicted of making and possessing indecent images of children," said Mr Barker.

“It demonstrates a long standing and continued interest in sex with children,” he said.

He read from the victim's statement in which she said she was 'angry with her mother for being a Jehovah's Witness and not reporting it to the police'.

She said: “Twenty years later I am still trying to come to terms with it.

“I often feel dirty and tainted. I was rebellious as a teenager and dropped out of school.

“I feel robbed of my education. I felt I was to blame, and I self harmed to cope.

“I find it hard to trust members of the opposite sex. It has made my relationship with my husband very difficult and my pregnancy was difficult.

“He took my childhood away from me."

Giles Nelson, representing Lee, accepted that his credit for pleading guilty was minimal because he had not admitted his offence until the morning of a scheduled trial.

But he reminded the judge that the starting point in the sentencing guidelines for his offence was two years.

“He's been subject to a community order for some time,” Mr Nelson continued. “There has been a significant amount of progress.

“He has an array of problems,” the barrister said.

The judge interjected: “He's got some rather dark shadows he must deal with.”

Mr Nelson agreed: “He does. He has been alcohol dependent, but is now in work with accommodation.

“An immediate custodial sentence would make the work come to an end.

Judge Lawrie asked Mr Nelson what he knew of the Jehovah's Witnesses intervention in the case.

“What I have read concerns me - that in this day and age, that was the approach. That is a matter for the church. That was the advice given at the time?”

“So, I understand,” the barrister replied.

Judge Lawrie told Lee it was clear from this and subsequent offences that he had 'a fixation or interest in children'.

“There are some very dark shadows in your soul. Looking at your history, I think you pose a risk," said Judge Lawrie.

“I will impose a sexual harm prevention order.

“There must be a balance between punishment, and the prospect of you not committing these sort of offences ever again.

“It is not in the interest of any potential further victims to interrupt the progress you are making on the current order."

Referring to Lee's 'late guilty plea' the judge said to him: “You are a coward. You subjected the victim to the concern she might have to attend court.

“I am taking a slight gamble with you. You have got a lot of work to do. If you fail to comply, I can consider imposing custody.”

Tacoma Dome renovations displace 26,000 JW convention goers

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

http://www.thenewstribune.com/living/religion/article212294849.html.

by meredith spelbring.

jehovah’s witnesses conventions stretching over four weekends in the south sound isn't rare.. holding gatherings over 15 weeks is.. church members usually assemble for a series of three-day conventions at the tacoma dome.

Tahoe

http://www.thenewstribune.com/living/religion/article212294849.html

BY MEREDITH SPELBRING

Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions stretching over four weekends in the South Sound isn't rare.

Holding gatherings over 15 weeks is.

Church members usually assemble for a series of three-day conventions at the Tacoma Dome. This year, because of renovations at the Dome beginning June 18, the event has been moved to the Puyallup Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The Puyallup hall at 11515 62nd Ave. E. can hold up to 2,000 people. The Dome, by contrast, can handle 23,000.

Because of the smaller size of the Puyallup facility, the conventions — expected to draw 26,000 people from across the state — will be spread out weekends starting Friday (June 1) and continuing until Sept. 9. Of the 15 conventions, 12 will be in English and three in Spanish.

Despite the influx of thousands of visitors, traffic and parking at the new venue is not expected to be an issue, convention spokesman Dale Hudson said.

“People need to carpool, but we will have plenty of parking," he said. "It will be crowded but we will have enough.”

The change in location might help the event run smoother because of added audio and video capabilities, Hudson said.

The new location also comes with the benefit of permanence. Hudson said that in past years at the Dome, organizers had to take down the convention stage to make room for other incoming groups and then set up the space again a few days later.

The Pierce County gatherings are among many taking place in 180 countries across the globe by the Christian-based group, which believes the Bible is the word of God and takes it for truth. The theme of year’s convention is “Be Courageous!”

"It takes courage for people of all ages to face pressures in life that produce fear and anxiety," Hudson said. "We welcome everyone to this year's convention to benefit from the practical advice that's contained in the Bible."

This is one of the few years the annual conventions will not be held at the Dome. Last year's gatherings marked the Witnesses' 34th year in the Tacoma facility.

Regardless of location, Hudson said, he is confident this year's event will run smoothly.

“Wherever we go, huge venues to small venues, whatever we own, they all run pretty smooth,” he said. “We make great efforts to make sure that regardless of what building we are in or where we are at, the quality is still the same.”

24

EXJW Tattoo

by blownaway in

jw
friends

if anyone has any ideas or pictures of a tattoo that would sum up being an ex jw please share.

Tahoe

14

Suspect in Jehovah's Witness child sex abuse case arrested

by Tahoe in

by david gambacorta, staff writer @dgambacorta | [email protected].

martin haugh rolled out of bed one morning earlier this month, shuffled into his kitchen, and turned on his coffee maker.

while the machine gurgled to life, he glanced at his phone.

Tahoe

Thank you Barbara Anderson for all you do.

Will be setting the dvr to record 20/20 on May 29. Elizabeth Vargas’ “Cults and Extreme Belief” on Jehovah’s Witnesses as well.