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A Republican political consultant from Georgia was sued this week for allegedly forcing boys to perform sex acts and videotaping it.
WSAV reported that attorneys for Matt Stanley filed a lawsuit against Jim Collins for abuse that occurred between from 1996 and 2002 while attending First Baptist Church Vidalia, where Collins was a youth volunteer.
Collins is accused of instructing boys to perform “individual sexual acts, both privately and in a group setting.” The lawsuit alleges that he recorded the boys performing the acts at least once while at church. The “highly inappropriate, sexualized physical contact with many of the boys” continued while Collins was chaperoning out-of-town trips, the lawsuit says.
Stanley said that he was abused “more than a hundred times” from the age of 11 until he was 18 years old.
Vidalia Man Accused in Third Hidden Predator Lawsuit
“Individuals who violate and sexually abuse children should be put on notice that we survivors are breaking our silence and rising up with courage to fight for justice.” explained Angela Williams, an abuser survivor and founder of Voice Today.One of those survivors is named Matt Stanley.
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Also named in the suit – 50 “Doe’s”. Those are unnamed organizations who the lawsuit claims “negligent” by not protecting children from Collins.
First Baptist Church Vidalia is located in Vidalia, Georgia and is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. The senior pastor is Bucky Kennedy. Kennedy is also on the Board of Trustees of Brewton Parker, a coeducational institution owned by the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
The lawsuit states that in 1997 Jim Collins was hired as the youth pastor at FBC Vidalia after serving as a volunteer.
Hidden Predator Act lawsuit
Allegedly what started out as Bible classes at Collins’ home later turned to viewing of pornographic material by Stanley and other youth from the church. Sexual molesting occurred at Collins’ home and on youth church trips, according to the suit.Stanley said, “As a boy I was sexually abused by Jim Collins. Jim used his position of authority in my local church to perpetrate his abuse for most of my adolescent years.“Mr. Collins must provide an accounting for his actions. Through this lawsuit, I hope to raise the public’s awareness that child abuse is real and can flourish without our vigilance.“Parents, you must be on guard. Ask hard questions. Demand answers. If, God forbid, you find your child has been abused in someway, please do all you can to insure your loved one seeks out and receives the vital counseling and support they will need.”The suit also accuses up to 50 unnamed John Does at the church of gross negligence in hiring Collins and failing to protect children from his sexual abuse.Attorney James Carroll says it’s still to be determined if any others will be sued. “The ‘Does’ are in the lawsuit in case we do decide to bring in additional persons. We do know the identity of those who were involved and whether or not they are sued is a decision the Stanley family will make. By leaving the ‘Does’ in gives us the opportunity to amend the complaint,” he said.