Pastor who founded America's largest Christian rock festival gets 18 yrs for child molestation

[progressoid]

A New Jersey church pastor who founded what was billed as the “largest Christian rock festival” in the U.S., has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing four minors and having “inappropriate” interactions with another minor that last over a 16-year period.

Harry Thomas, 75, was the pastor of Come Alive Church in Medford, New Jersey. He also founded the Creation Music Festival.

This past February, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, three counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to various news reports.

Earlier this week, Thomas’s attorney tried to retract his client’s guilty plea, saying it would be a “death sentence.” The judge denied the request.

http://deadstate.org/pastor-who-founded-americas-largest-christian-rock-festival-gets-18-years-for-child-molestation/

Don't know if this one has been posted. Seems like there's an arrest every week. It's hard to keep up with these assholes.

[nycbos]

1. I'm shocked SHOCKED to find gambling going on here.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. So he organized the largest Christian rock festival so he could have sex with children

Pervs like this spend their entire lives creating situations and opportunities where they have unlimited access to the type of children they like to fu**. Christianity seems to give them a whole hell lot of opportunities.

[BigmanPigman]

3. No wonder younger people are leaving organized religion in droves.

They have been raised hearing these non fiction stories about sexual predators wearing religious clothing their entire lives. Everyone should be wary of religious organizations who are constantly on the news for their amoral, hypocritical behavior.

[MineralMan]

4. A pity he wasn't caught sooner. I guess nobody knew about his

sexual abuse, eh?

[MineralMan]

5. I'm 73 years old, and wouldn't want to spend 18 years in prison.

So, I never did things during my life that might lead to such a thing. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and still does. Committing crimes never seemed to be the right thing to do, especially sex crimes against children.

His age and infirmity should have nothing to do with his sentence. He molested children. Throw away the key.

[Permanut]

6. 72 years old here..

coming right along behind you. I figure I'm only going to go around this merry go round once, with no do-overs. So risking a prison sentence seems like one of the worst choices I could make.

This charlatan, this predator in pastor's clothing, is a different kettle of fish. He, like most religious leaders, presents himself as a moral leader, a role model of upright behavior to be emulated by us mere laymen. That makes his transgressions a thousand times worse than anything I might do.

[MineralMan]

7. Like many, he is an utter hypocrite.

Sadly, the concept of complete, unearned forgiveness of sins introduced by Christianity causes some problems, I think. Men like that minister use it to offend greatly, under the belief that their transgressions will be pardoned, due to the supposed execution and resurrection of Jesus. That allowed him to sexually abuse children and believe he would be forgiven for doing so.

Non-Christians do not have that easily abused privilege. They know that the evil things they do will remain evil and weigh on them as long as they live.

The problem this creates has no obvious resolution. If the automatic atonement for sin exists, then why not sin freely? And so, many do just that, in the belief that their behavior will not affect their eventual fate.