
I usually try to write something light-hearted or something to get a debate going. But, today, I am writing about something very serious. I have written about this before. Too bad, this topic doesn’t get more hits. People need to wake up to this disgusting problem in our society. No one’s children are safe. We need to teach them about people like this and what to look out for in the way of the person’s/pervert’s actions. These people are master manipulators at garnering trust and then taking advantage of that trust. The article below happened in my area. Actually, this pediophile worked his way into our church and we actually supported him as a missionary. No one, I repeat, NO ONE, suspected him of any kind of wrong doings. He is a tall, lean, muscular man who got a job at ABC as an outdoor guide, taking kids on rafting, camping, rockclimbing and hiking trips. My own daughter went on a couple of his trips. One girl, that I won’tt name to keep her privacy, was very close to him. She was around him since she was very small. He would put her up on his lap and it seemed very natural. We all thought that he was just fond of her. Still don’t know if he did anything to her. I know her family and am not going to ask.
I just want to plead with parents to be cautious and weary of people who take a special interest in your children. Believe me, they might appear very normal and even quite devout. This whole sickening event/events took everyone in our church and comminity by surprise. Never, ever, in a million years would we have suspected this “upstanding, devout, Christian” man of any of this. BUT….he did do it. And, he ran. Now, finally, he will have to face the music. He will have to suffer the humiliation of going on trial in front of people who loved him and supported him, only to be made fools of. But, nothing that he will experience will compare to the feelings and memories of the little girls that he molested.
This can happen to YOUR CHILD in your community. If you suspect something, please don’t dismiss it. Investigate to keep your children safe.
And monitor your children on the computer especially in chat rooms. A few days ago, I decided to test the reports about pediophiles on children’s chat rooms. I went into Yahoo Chat for 13 year olds and created a fake name and profile. I was astounded when in less than one minute, I had 4 requests from ADULT males to chat. Keep your child safe. They may get upset with you looking over their shoulder. But, wouldn’t you rather they be upset with you than have to go retrieve them from somebody who lured them into their perverted lair?
Think about all of this, please!
Former ABC camp leader who fled is arrested
Slip-up leads to capture in Mississippi; fugitive had been on the run since 2006
By Matthew Hill
Register-Herald Reporter
At least one State Police trooper was elated Thursday as he described the details of the capture in Mississippi two weeks ago of one of Raleigh County’s most wanted sexual fugitives.“He, to me, is a predator,” Sgt. T.L. Bragg said as he discussed the arrest by a Mississippi sheriff’s deputy of Thomas Duncan, 60. He was booked at Southern Regional Jail last Friday.
Duncan is a former Appalachian Bible College youth camp leader who was indicted in 2004 on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and three counts of sexual abuse by a custodian. He was arrested by State Police in November 2003 for the alleged sexual abuse of several young girls.
His trial was to have begun in May 2006 in Raleigh County Circuit Court, but his failure to appear prompted Circuit Judge John Hutchison to order Duncan’s $20,000 bond forfeited.
That move put police hot on Duncan’s trail. Duncan proved to be quite elusive for several months, Bragg said, as state and federal authorities tracked him through Tennessee, Georgia and finally Mississippi. According to Bragg, the effort to apprehend Duncan was widespread, encompassing the State Police, U.S. marshals, the U.S. Postal Service, a Secret Service officer and even immigration officials.
“He was known to go out of the country, so we had them flag his name in their system in case he would try to get a pass to go out of the country. I even checked with the Veterans Administration to see if he had been getting a check anywhere. This was a very widespread operation to try to track him down. We did a lot of technical stuff that had to be court-ordered. He left no paper trail, no money trail,” Bragg explained.
Duncan had addresses in Bridgeport and Florida and was thought to have been in the Central American country of Belize at one time.
Duncan’s capture was initiated by a simple traffic stop, the diligent eyes of a Mississippi sheriff’s deputy and a purported slip-up by Duncan.
At first, Bragg said, Duncan provided the officer with the appropriate identification. Duncan then said, “No, no, wait, let me give you this,” as Bragg recalled, and gave the deputy false information. The deputy went back to his patrol car, reviewed the audio of Duncan’s comments to retrieve the original information and arrested him.
“He (Duncan) screwed up,” Bragg noted.
Bragg’s only concern is that Duncan may have other victims.
“I’m afraid, because of his demeanor, that there are possibly other victims out there,” Bragg said, without elaborating.
“There could be. His mode of operation was basically to pry into religious organizations — like he did here at ABC — take people on camping trips and start maneuvering his way in. It’s (his capture) absolutely a feeling of relief. John Foster (of Beckley’s U.S. marshals office) and myself felt that, as long as he’s out there, there are possibly more victims.”
- – -
Although ABC President Daniel Anderson said after the 2003 arrest that the allegations against Duncan did not involve any of the program activities in which he was employed at the Bradley Bible college, police reports indicated the incidents occurred with girls between the ages of 8 and 12 while Duncan was working with ABC’s Alpine Bible Camp.
State Police alleged the incidents took place both during planned outings under approval of the college and during activities not overseen by the college that Duncan would do on the side.
Some of the alleged events occurred in Raleigh County, while others purportedly took place in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.
Police said Duncan either “touched the girls inappropriately or had them to touch him inappropriately.”
College officials terminated Duncan’s employment as soon as they received word of the allegations and before his arrest on Nov. 26, 2003.
Recent Comments