FL--Predator preacher passes away, Victims respond

For immediate release: Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home,[email protected])

A credibly accused Florida predator preacher has passed away. Now, we beg his former church members and colleagues to aggressively seek out anyone else who may have been hurt by him using church websites, pulpit announcements, social media and “word of mouth” so that the wounded may be consoled and learn that they aren’t alone.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-jeffery-london-dead-in-prison-20160405-story.html

We are glad that Rev. Jeffrey London can no longer hurt kids. We’re glad too that his victims can hopefully sleep better at night knowing that he can’t assault any more children. But we fear that there may be dozens of others who were assaulted by Rev. London who are still trapped in silence, shame and self-blame. Perhaps his death will free some of them and prod them to step forward and get comfort and guidance from therapists and groups like ours.

We hope that all of Rev. London’s victims – whether hurt long ago or more recently - find the strength and courage to step forward, get help, expose wrongdoing and start healing. And we hope they find consolation.

Now that he’s passed on, we hope his former church colleagues and supervisors will be more forthcoming about Rev. London’s crimes and about those who ignored, concealed and enabled them.

We urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in churches or institutions in the Miami to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling journalists, get justice by calling attorneys, and get comfort by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected]

Broward ex-pastor convicted of child sex abuse dies while serving life in prison

by Paula McMahon - Sun Sentinel

Jeffery London, the former South Florida youth pastor and charter school official who was sentenced to life for a child sex abuse conviction seven months ago, has died in federal prison.

London, 52, formerly of Broward County, died last week, March 29, in custody at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, western Missouri, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed Tuesday.

A prison spokesperson declined to provide the cause of death, writing in an emailed response that it "is not considered public information and will not be disclosed."

London had survived cancer some years ago  . . . 

Read full article here