There are headlines like this across the state, in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park. When we read these sensationalistic headlines, we need to realize they are just that – lurid words trying to elicit an emotion. Journalists are trained to write headlines just like this one. Don’t believe me? Try this online search. Writers do this in order to create drama. This isn’t a problem when the headline is about the “The Food that Destroys your Health with Each Bite.” The chocolate cake they’re talking about doesn’t have anything to lose. Its life isn’t on the line. But, when people are involved, writing gratuitous, emotional headlines is wrong. The pastor charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact has everything to lose. His life is on the line. These headlines ignore all the facts involved in the case, and cause the public to label him as a sex offender before he has been proven guilty. Let’s look at the facts in this specific case to see if there are any reasons to doubt the emotional headline.
The Facts of the Case:
There are three facts in this case which cause us to doubt the lurid headlines.
- Fact number one: The alleged victim is legally an adult. This isn’t a helpless child who can’t understand what is happening.
- Fact number two: The Colorado youth pastor in question has been charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact. This crime is charged after touching someone’s intimate parts, not when someone coerces an adult to commit sex acts.
- Fact number three: The youth pastor’s ministry works with incarcerated, troubled youth.
Let’s look at each fact a bit closer:
Fact Number One: The Alleged Victim’s Age
The “victim” is an adult, and was an adult at the time the alleged abuse took place. As an experienced sex crimes defense attorney, I have worked on many Sexual Assault and Unlawful Sexual Contact cases where women have used their ability to make accusations as a manipulative tool. The current laws make it possible for any woman to make accusations of sexual abuse without evidence. You may think I’m being harsh, but this is a reality I deal with every day. The young woman was apparently “depending” on the youth pastor for “assistance.” This woman was most likely troubled. It is not a far stretch to think she could possibly be making false accusations.
Fact Number Two: Unlawful Sexual Contact Charges in Fort Collins
Unlawful Sexual Contact is charged whenever a person subjects a victim to any sexual contact when the victim is does not consent. “Sexual contact” is the touching of intimate parts (butt, breast, pubic area, etc.), or the touching of the clothing covering the intimate parts. It isn’t charged when a person induces or coerces an adult to commit sex acts. The pastor could have touched the clothed breast of this “victim” – even unwittingly, and she could have accused him of sexual contact.
Fact Number Three: The Woman’s Troubled Nature
The youth pastor works for an organization that ministers to troubled youth who are incarcerated. Let me say that again: Troubled youth who are in prison. We can’t say for sure, but it’s safe to assume this young woman was someone whom the youth pastor had helped in the past. I have defended many clients who have been accused of Sexual Assault on a Child and other sex offenses. I know the kinds of stories the alleged victims make up that simply aren’t true. The reason they do this is for attention. The young woman in this situation could be a victim of past abuse who needs attention. Often, these people can’t live without being victims, so they create experiences out of thin air in order to get pity and attention.
Conclusion: Don’t Assume Guilt Before It’s Been Proven
These three facts work together to strengthen my argument: We should never judge someone’s behavior until it has been proven they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. We need to read lurid headlines and realize someone’s life is at stake. This isn’t a decision about whether or not cake is bad for you. Someone’s reputation is on the line. Don’t write someone off because you “read it in the news.” Look at the facts, and realize that it’s simple to make accusations. We need to start operating under the belief in someone’s innocence until they are proven guilty.