We’ve written more about the ecclesial abstention doctrine this year than I have in my entire career in religious journalism. Increasingly, secular courts are appealing to this doctrine to dismiss — or avoid — cases that present thorny debates among…
SC church sued for allowing registered sex offender access to children
A Southern Baptist church and school in South Carolina provided a known sex offender unrestrained access to children for several years and silenced a teacher who raised concerns about the situation, according to a federal lawsuit filed Aug. 4. The…
Former Virginia youth pastor sentenced to 20 years for child exploitation
A former Southern Baptist youth pastor was sentenced to 20 years in prison July 27 after confessing to attempted sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old girl — one of at least a dozen he targeted while serving Catawba Valley Baptist Church…
AI is being used to abuse children, and we can do something about it
Last May, congress passed the Take It Down Act, requiring websites to remove “nonconsensual intimate visual depictions” of identifiable individuals. This includes both real and AI-generated content. But this law only addresses content publication, not the various ways in which…
What Willy Rice once knew
Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice has characterized the SBC’s clergy sex abuse crisis as a “hoax” and a “snipe hunt.” Talk like that helped get Rice elected. Apparently, it was the message many Southern Baptists wanted to…
US Catholic bishops to vote on updating child sexual abuse guidelines
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops plans to vote Thursday (June 11) on revisions to its cornerstone document addressing the sexual abuse of minors, including new language that emphasizes “the presumption of innocence” for accused priests.
Clock runs out on abuse reform legislation in Missouri
Statute of limitations reform legislation died last Friday after the Missouri Legislature adjourned without passing at least one of the companion bills, SJR-93 and HJR-130, despite the Against the Clock advocacy campaign urging voters to call their representatives and emphasize…
Cindy Clemishire Act does not advance in Oklahoma
Last week, the Oklahoma legislation known as the “Cindy Clemishire Act” died after the state Senate adjourned early, without calling the bill to a floor vote. This came just one day after its unanimous passage out of the Senate Judiciary…
Kanakuk leader Joe White announces retirement
Joe White, the embattled leader of Kamp Kanakuk in Missouri, will retire at the end of this summer camping season, he announced. That does not mean he will relinquish ownership of the camp, however. White and Kanakuk have been embroiled…
Abuse reformers launch ‘Against the Clock’ in Missouri
No More Victims Alliance has launched a new advocacy campaign called “Against the Clock” in response to the stalling of two statute of limitations reform bills in Missouri as part of its national effort to expand abuse survivor access to justice….
Founder of ‘Thank You Jesus’ yard signs pleads guilty
Last Wednesday, Thank You Jesus Yard Sign founder Lucas Timothy Hunt pleaded guilty to a felony charge of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor in Randolph County, N.C. Hunt agreed to enter a plea deal and is sentenced to 36…
Statute of limitations reform stalled in Missouri
Two proposed bills aiming to reform the civil statute of limitations in Missouri for child sexual abuse and trafficking claims have stalled. The bills in question are companion bills SJR-93 and HJR-130, which propose a choice to Missouri voters about…