Church Leader, Already in Jail for Child Porn, Now Charged With Child Sex Abuse

A music ministry leader who was previously arrested on child porn charges has now been charged with sexually abusing a child he used to babysit.

We first posted about Edward Samuel Thompson, who led the music program at Christ Fellowship Church in Oregon, when he was charged with accessing and distributing child pornography last August. Now he’s being charged with abusing a child who was previously in his care.

A warrant was issued last month for the arrest of Edward Samuel Thompson on charges filed July 30. He is in a federal correctional institution in Sheridan awaiting trial in the child pornography case. He will be brought to Lane County later this week and arraigned on two new charges — first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse — Thursday in Lane County Circuit Court.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the alleged abuse occurred between 2012 and 2018. During the 2018 investigation of the case, authorities learned Thompson, who worked at Christ Fellowship Church on River Road, had regularly babysat an elementary school-age child since the child was a toddler.

The child initially did not disclose any abuse, according to the affidavit. But in July of this year, the child confided in a counselor that they had been abused by Thompson for “as long as (they) could remember,” the affidavit states.

Thompson has withdrawn his request for early release in light of the new charges.

If this allegation is true, it means this guy got away with serial abuse over many, many years. How many others, I wonder, allowed him to be around their children because his affiliation with a church gave them a false sense of security?

When he was first arrested last year, We gave Thompson the benefit of the doubt by saying that it was possible he didn’t act on his perversions by abusing young kids. Now more of the story has been told and it only makes him look worse. It’s a reminder that being religious doesn’t make you moral, and having a religious affiliation doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy.

Let’s hope for a fair trial and, if warranted, a fair punishment.

(Thanks to Ember for the link)