Victims seek help from NC group
It funded and sent missionary abroad
He was fired after admitting child pornography
Self-help organization now wants “outreach” to “others who may be hurting
A North Carolina-based non-profit fired a missionary it sent abroad after he admitted viewing child pornography. Now, a support group for child sex abuse victims is urging the organization to “aggressively reach out to others he may have hurt and perhaps help law enforcement file charges against him or others who shielded him.”
A Charlotte group called SIM (Serving in Mission), funded and sent Jordan Root to East Asia to spread Christianity in 2014. While there, Root confessed to SIM officials that he “has been sexually attracted to prepubescent female children for many years and that during his service with SIM he has been viewing nude photographs of children via the Internet to gratify this sexual desire.” The group fired Root.
But now, leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are urging SIM “to find and help others who may have seen, suspected or suffered Root’s crimes” and to help law enforcement prosecute Root and others.
“It’s possible that Root or his supervisors or colleagues might be criminally charged with violations like endangering kids, intimidating witnesses, destroying evidence, obstructing justice or failing to report suspected child sex crimes,” said Amy Smith of SNAP, a blogger who has followed the case closely and has been in touch with Root’s wife who has recently gotten her marriage annulled. “Aggressive outreach by every church official who dealt with Root could make a real difference here.”
“We believe there are kids in the US and in East Asia who have been hurt by Root and are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame,” said David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP’s director. “The question is: will SIM officials and others who gave Root access to kids now help those wounded kids.”
Jordan Root now lives in Dallas. SNAP believes he is now supported by his attorney Randall Reed, a member of The Village Church where Root also attends as a member, specifically TVC Dallas Northway campus at 3877 Walnut Hill Ln.
So now what? Well, Jordan Root’s still a TVC member in good standing and still being coddled and loved-all-up by his church elders, though at least the church has alerted its flock to the situation and is taking measures to ensure he’s never around children without serious supervision, which I’m sure is a huge relief to the parents attending there (NOT) because of course Jesus has healed him but not really but they forgive and there’s no condemnation except even they know the outrage that’d explode if they didn’t take some measures (oh my gosh I’m so glad to be away from that mindfuckery). Ms. Hinkley is very likely free of their clutches at last, and likely a lot more wary about church leaders and “covenant” contracts. The world knows about yet another sex abuse scandal erupting out of a church claiming to be a moral authority and to have divine inspiration and guidance in their behavior and thoughts.
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) June 11, 2015
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) June 11, 2015
Earthly consequences for crimes has nothing to do with one’s position b4 God. Conflating the two minimizes the offense & empowers offenders.
— Boz Tchividjian (@BozT) May 27, 2015
— Eric Pazdziora (@ericpazdziora) May 22, 2015
Thanks Amy & Watch Keep (as well as Dee and Deb at The Wartburg Watch) for covering this story about The Village Church.
Some readers over at The Wartburg Watch, well a good-hearted atheist, had the idea of starting a GoFundMe campaign for Karen. Pastor Wade Burleson, a Baptist preacher in Enid, OK., said he would be one of the first to contribute.
Here it is: http://www.gofundme.com/w6bfub3
I love you all so very much!
Blessings,
V in California