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The Christian Post has reported that a junior high minister has been charged with sexual abuse while employed at the First Baptist Church of Wylie located at 100 N First St, Wylie, TX 75098.
On January 7, 2022, Timothy Wells, the youth leader at the Baptist church, was arrested and charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, which is a second-degree felony. An investigation began after another staff member at the church reported the alleged sexual assault to authorities in December. The investigation led the authorities to identify a 15-year-old girl as the victim. During an interview, she admitted to being inappropriately touched by the youth minister. The abuse was said to have occurred off the church property.
Wells took the role of the youth minister in January 2019 and was put on administrative leave amid the allegations. He has since been fired from the church.
Attorney contributor Anjali Nigam is an experienced lawyer for sexual abuse at church. He represents church sex abuse victims and their families in private civil lawsuits. Anjali recently shared some information regarding filing a lawsuit for victims sexually abused by youth pastors.
"Too often lately, we see reports of sexual predators inside of religious organizations. They take up positions of trust, including working as youth pastors and other religious clergy roles. These positions often give them access to children. These reports have been noted across a variety of religions and denominations."
"We must understand that a church, or religious organization, has a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their congregation on their property. When a church fails to offer security to its members, it can be deemed negligent and held liable for abuse that occurs. Basic security measures should include conducting background checks on all clergy, having security cameras within the property, and properly reporting any misconduct."
"If a youth pastor is accused of sexual abuse, a thorough investigation must follow. In addition to the criminal investigation that will seek to charge the perpetrator, the church should also be investigated for any chance of negligence. It is unfortunate, but some church sex abuse occurs due to church negligence. This can result from ignoring past reports of inappropriate behavior involving the youth pastor or failing to conduct background checks. In such cases of safety negligence, church sex abuse victims may have grounds to file a civil lawsuit. Victims and their families should gain the guidance of an experienced lawyer for sexual abuse at church as the legal process can be complicated."
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