A Kentucky pastor was arrested earlier this week by the Gallatin police for one of the most revolting deeds a person can do: sexual abuse.
Roy Neal Yoakem was charged with ?aggravated statutory rape, sexual battery by an authority figure, statutory rape by an authority figure and fugitive from justice.? There could be more charges added though. His victim was a 14-year-old boy.
The Tennessean reported:
?According to police, Yoakem sexually assaulted the teenager on two occasions last month, once at New Gospel Outreach Church in Scottsville where he was the pastor and once at his Gallatin residence on Edgewood Drive.?
Scottsville is in Kentucky and Gallatin is in Tennessee. Because of this, Yoakem may be headed for federal court.
The sexual abuse was discovered when the mother of the victim noticed a change in his behavior and found affectionate and emotional text messages and photos on her son’s cellphone from Yoakem.
However, this was not Yoakem’s first time sexually abusing a child. WZTV Nashville found that Yoakem was ?registered in Tennessee as a violent sex offender for a conviction in Kentucky in 2005 for second-degree sexual abuse of an 8-year-old boy.?
However, the most surprising of all is the church knew about his status as a registered sex offender. According to WBKO,?he had been allowed to preach at the New Gospel Outreach Church for six years.
Stephen Bratcher, who is now acting as pastor, made these statements:
?He has been a faithful, dedicated pastor to the church. He’s worked hard. He’s worked at the church with no salary.?
?We’re firm believers in the Bible so if God’s forgiven you, then we’re in no position to treat you otherwise.?
Uh-huh? okay?
Detective Chad Keen, with the Allen Co. Sheriff’s Dept., is expecting more victims due to Yoakem’s position of authority in the church.
?This is through the victim that I talked to, that there’s another victim in Bowling Green that I’m going to have to speak with that Mr. Yoakem’s been doing this to as well.?
I believe in forgiveness to a certain degree. However, let’s just not forgive blindly and allow someone registered as a violent sex offender around children. If Yoakem and the congregation wants to believe he’s forgiven, fine. Just don’t let him around the children. That’s what slays me about this situation. This could have and should have been prevented. It’s one thing to not know. It’s another to know.
I’m on the fence about Christianity. In no way am I trying to shove religion down anyone’s throat here either. However, I will leave you with one of the few verses I do know from the Bible regarding children. Though the Bible does say to forgive, it also says this:
Matt 18:6 ?But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.?
Perhaps, this is a telling sign of the confusion and hypocrisy that lies within following the Bible literally.
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Check out the WBKO broadcast below which includes comments from the acting pastor, Stephen Bratcher.
h/t to The Raw Story
Liz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.
