Men [of God] at work in Florida
06 Apr 2001
FLORIDA
MIAMI - The Archdiocese of Miami began the fingerprinting of priests, lay
workers and church volunteers as a response to allegations of misconduct by
priests.
Abp. John Favalora and his bishops, setting an example, were among the 3,800
church workers being fingerprinted. Bishops in Florida have voted to
fingerprint all personnel who deal with children, the elderly or disabled
people. Bishops around the state have said the plan is necessary because the
church has a responsibility to not only serve people, but protect them,
particularly children.
The most recent case of alleged sexual impropriety involved Fr. Joseph
Cinesi. He has denied the allegations of stalking and exposing himself, but
resigned as pastor of a Broward County, Fla., parish in Sept.
The policy also is being carried out in schools and charities and is in
practice in other dioceses in the state.
UPI, 11/12/99
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TAMPA - A church deacon already accused of Internet sex crime against a
teen-age girl faced more sexual extortion charges for allegedly terrorizing
5 other high school and college students. Robert Harvey Alexander, 41, a
deacon at the First Baptist Church in Tampa, was being held in lieu of
$150,000 bond after an appearance in federal court to advise him of the 5
additional charges.
Three 21-year-old students at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and two students at
Plantation High School in Florida were the latest alleged victims of
attempts to engage them in telephone and cybersex, federal agents said.
Frank Gallagher, head of Tampa's FBI office, said the new charges grew out
of interviews with people named on a "Victim's List." Agents seized the list
with 99 names and e-mail addresses on it when they arrested Alexander for
using the Internet in an attempt to extort a 16-year-old girl.
All of those on the list received virtually identical messages threatening
to destroy their reputations unless they engaged in phone or computer sex
with the sender. Gallagher called it "cyberterrorism" because of the fear
created in the recipients. One women told her father, an assistant federal
public defender, about the message. Another contacted university officials.
Investigators are trying to reach other women included on the list. So far,
have traced 17 of them, and are continuing their search. Prosecutors said
they hope the new charges will bolster their claim that Alexander is a
methodical and dangerous sexual predator.
AP, 11/11/99
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TAMPA - A former Forest Hills pastor has been arrested and charged with
receiving child pornography after federal agents searched his church-owned
home and found at least one homemade videotape showing a child being
molested.
Lawrence Kilbourn, 43, was arrested 4 days after his congregation at Forest
Hills United Methodist Church was told that he had resigned from his post
because of a "sexual addiction."
Kilbourn's 17-year-old daughter turned her father in to authorities about a
month ago after she discovered footage of a man molesting a young girl on a
videotape of church activities, said FBI task force agent Robert Sheehan.
She couldn't see the man's face in the video, but she recognized a ring that
looked just like the one her father once wore and had given to her.
More than 200 videotapes and 15,000 computer files were seized from
Kilbourn's church-owned home in north Hillsborough County, and were being
reviewed, said Sheehan. At least one home videotape shows a young child
being molested. The computer files also contain child and adult pornography,
Sheehan said.
Investigators are also checking allegations that Kilbourn had improper
contact with members of his church youth group as well as children from the
church day care. A dozen families, all with children in the church's youth
group, have stepped forward with the allegations, police said.
Kilbourn was being held in jail in lieu of $80,000 bail, the amount of
equity in his elderly parents' home. The judge also set strict guidelines
for his release, including no contact with minors, no computer access and
electronic monitoring of his whereabouts.
At a court hearing, Sheehan testified that Kilbourn admitted making the
videotape and possessing computer files, some of which depicted toddler and
preadolescent children posed or engaged in sexual conduct. Kilbourn admitted
he had made another videotape with child pornography about a year ago and
that he was unable to stop himself from molesting children, the agent said.
The tape his daughter saw was made 5 years ago in Bradenton, where Kilbourn
once worked at another church, he added.
Kilbourn's attorney said the charges are "traumatic" for Kilbourn's family.
Kilbourn's daughter moved out of her father's home Oct. 12 and moved to
Tallahassee to live with her mother, Sheehan said.
Kilbourn is divorced and has 3 daughters. He was pastor at the 500-member
church for 16 months. An interim pastor has been named to the church.
Dave Brazelton, a United Methodist official, stripped Kilbourn of his church
credentials and accepted his resignation. "I had felt really hurt for
Larry," he said, "and now it's switched to any potential victims."
AP 10/23
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