Who's Making News for Sex Crimes Involving Children?
Kristen Browde is a parent, lawyer, activist, and out transgender woman living in Miami, Florida. Kristen gives us weekly updates on who is committing sex crimes against children. Most of you won’t be surprised to read that the people on her lists are not in the LGBTQ community. Despite false warnings from elected leaders that trans people prey on kids, those who are actually harming children are mostly cis men in churches and republican politicians.
In the past few weeks of her series, she has listed mostly religious figures, followed up by school officials, police officers, and politicians—not drag queens or trans people.
A sampling of recent stories about sex crimes involving children and churches in Indiana:
A former Fishers Christian Academy teacher is facing several felony charges after he was accused of child solicitation and sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old student. Detectives say they became aware of two separate, past allegations involving his inappropriate behavior – one in Fishers, one in California. According to a probable cause affidavit, he confessed to having a relationship with the 15-year-old student for at least a year. CITATION
Tyree “Elder Coleman” Coleman, a pastor in Indiana was arrested for using donations to pay for sex acts and solicit a minor, according to court documents. Coleman is facing charges of rape, promotion of child sex trafficking, promotion of human sex trafficking, and two counts of intimidation. CITATION
Catholic school teacher Matthew Brown was arrested after allegedly admitting to seducing a high school senior over the course of nearly six months, according to court documents. Brown had been grooming the student starting in December 2016, evolving into a sexual relationship with the 17 year old, and is now charged with four felony counts of child seduction, court documents show. CITATION
John Lowe, pastor of New Life Christian Church (Warsaw, IN) was accused of grooming and child sexual abuse. Bobi Gephart accused the pastor of grooming her for seven years, eventually taking her virginity and abusing her sexually. Indiana State Police detectives have handed their findings over to the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office. Now the decision on whether charges will be filed rests in the hands of Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz. CITATION
Jordan Miller, another catholic school teacher, is accused of having sex with three students. Millerhas been formally charged with a Level 5 felony count of child seduction where there was sexual intercourse and a Level 6 felony count of child seduction that involved touching. CITATION
Michiana pastor, Gregory Sebastian, is facing two counts of felony child molesting. Sebastian preached sermons and assisted with baptisms at Walkerton United Pentecostal Church. CITATION
Indiana Republican politician Billy Ray Miles was sentenced to 12 years total with 10 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections after admitting to sexual abuse with a teenager with an intellectual disability. An affidavit states that Miles admitted to inappropriately touching or engaging in sexual acts with the teen in over 20 separate incidents. The document says Miles identified his behavior as “sex abuse.” CITATION
Public school bus surveillance video confirms youth pastor displayed “a repeated and continued failure to interact appropriately with young female students.” Three reported incidents involved grooming with gifts, having them sit on his lap, smelling or kissing their head, stroking their hair, offering to take them home in his personal vehicle, and giving them his number and asking them to call him. CITATION
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend added Rev. Jan Klimczyk's name to their ever-expanding list of Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Klimczyk was last known to be staying at Holy Family Catholic Parish in South Bend. CITATION
William Jayson Adams was arrested and is facing four felony counts of child molestation. Adams, court documents show, was a trusted adult the child victims often spent time with, playing video games and going on religious youth-group hikes. CITATION
Pastor and former Republican county councilman Steve Sumner is facing a total of 13 criminal charges for alleged sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16. The most serious charge is a rape as a Level 3 felony. CITATION
The attention on the LGBTQ community is misdirected, especially in light of the well-documented cases of child abuse in churches.
Learn more on Kristen’s website. The weekly series where she shares lists of people charged with and convicted of sex crimes against children can be found on YouTube and TikTok. The data used in her weekly updates is freely available to download.
10.16.23 UPDATE
Indiana uses different terminology in criminal classifications for sex crimes involving children. Once Kristen figured that out, it uncovered a lot more cases. Pastors and priests remain far and away the biggest single grouping of offenders.
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