FL--Victims urge toughest sentence for minister
For immediate release: Tuesday, Aug. 25
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected])
We hope youth pastor Jeffery London is given the toughest sentence possible today. And the minute he’s sentenced, we hope that Miami area church officials and charter school officials start working hard to find others London has hurt.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-jeffery-london-sentenced-20150825-story.html
Everyone associated with Bible Church of God in Fort Lauderdale and Eagle Academy charter school in Lauderdale Lakes Church must launch an aggressive outreach campaign to find and help others who are in pain because of Rev. London’s crimes. They should especially track down and question former students and staff who may have quit or been forced out by this charismatic predator.
Too often, when law enforcement pursues a child molesting cleric, his supervisors, colleagues and church members stay silent. That’s wrong. They have a moral and civic duty to aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered the minister’s crimes. They must urge these victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward, get help, expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing.
At least a dozen boys report that Rev. London sexually violated them. We strongly suspect there are several dozen more who continue to suffer in isolation, shame, confusion and self-blame. It is imperative that those who hired, supervised and worked with London now step up, take responsibility, show courage and start reaching out to the wounded.
The sad bottom line is that kids are safest when predators are locked up for as long as possible. We hope this happens today to London. And regardless of the sentence imposed today, we hope that others with information or suspicions of child sex crimes and cover ups at Bible Church of God and Eagle Academy charter school will find the courage to call police, expose wrongdoers and protect kids.
(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], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Ex-pastor, school official faces life in prison for teen sex charge
By Paula McMahon Sun Sentinel [email protected]
Broward youth pastor and charter school dean may face life in prison for federal sex charge
Former church youth pastor, charter school leader and unofficial foster parent Jeffery London faces a maximum of life in federal prison when he is sentenced today for using a cellphone to lure an underage boy into sexual activity with him.
But London's defense says he should . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 2 comments
The Church members should listen to what SNAP says because SNAP know what they are talking about.
It’s also good that the judge gave London a long sentence.