MD- Minister found guilty in child sex abuse case, SNAP responds
For immediate release: Thursday, May 15, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
A Maryland spiritual figure has been found guilty of all five charges of sexual abuse against children. We are grateful for this verdict and hope he is kept in prison for a long time.
We are grateful for the courage of the victims and witnesses who testified in this case.
Nathaniel Morales, a former member of the Covenant Life Church (part of Soveriegn Grace Ministries, a controversial group), was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse involving boys. The longer he is kept in prison and away from kids, the safer they will be.
We hope this verdict will inspire others who were hurt in Sovereign Grace Ministries churches to step forward protect kids expose wrongdoing and start healing. We hope it will also embolden law enforcement officials to pursue investigations and prosecutions of those who concealed abuse in these churches, not just those who committed abuse in them.
Finally, we make an impassioned plea to former SGM and CLC members and staff to help kids, police and prosecutors by becoming whistleblowers. It's never too late to share what you know or believe about child sexual abuse with police, prosecutors and the public.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 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])
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 1 comment