Mormon Church Sued for Reporting Pedophile

In the most what the fack news I've heard in a long time, Kristine Johnson, wife of convicted child rapist Timothy Johnson is suing the Mormon church for almost 10 million dollars.

Washington Post Link

Instead of reporting her husband, who sodomized and abused a minor, she's suing the Mormon church after one of the "spiritual counsellors" who were going to help "absolve" him of the sin reported him to authorities (as he was obligated to do as a Pharmacist in Oregon).

If it weren't for that one pharmacist, this disgusting pedophile would have been covered up by the Mormon church, and this mans wife.

Hopefully this lawsuit gets dropped and pedophilia doesn't have such a public win. This woman should be in prison along with her husband.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Religion can be a catalyst for a lot of crazy thinking.

a reply to: Atsbhct
Well, for a start, if she knew, she should be arrested and prosecuted for harbouring a criminal and aiding and abetting in the crime. For another thing, how can she sue anyone when no law has been broken.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Thank goodness for the Pharmacist!!
I don't usually donate to Gofundme campaigns, but if this guy had one I would!

The pedo & his sick wife can both rot in hell.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: Atsbhct
Well, for a start, if she knew, she should be arrested and prosecuted for harbouring a criminal and aiding and abetting in the crime. For another thing, how can she sue anyone when no law has been broken.

Civil suits often have nothing to do with any "laws."

a reply to: crayzeed

I think in the U.S. you can mount a civil case for just about anything. Im in Canada, so I'm unsure exactly how it works.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I hope he reported due to a moral obligation, and not just a professional one.

Part of me wants to think he's on the inside, working to expose how the church handles reports of pedophilia.

a reply to: Atsbhct

www.dailymail.co.uk... non paywall link for ya OP

Wife of convicted child molester sues Mormon church for $9.5million claiming leaders 'violated' her husband's right to confidentiality by reporting his sex abuse confession to police Timothy Samuel Johnson, 47, told a panel at his church in Stayton that he molested a young girl familiar to him in 2016 and said he wanted to repent Johnson was arrested months later in 2017 and charged with first-degree sodomy, sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration of a child under 16 Police were informed of the confession by panel member Brian Saari Johnson's wife Kristine is suing the church for $9.54million, accusing the institution's leaders of violating 'priest-penitent privilege' She is also claiming the church has deprived her and four of her five children of Johnson's 'companionship, love and income', as a result of his conviction The lawsuit, filed in Marion County Circuit Court, says that Johnson's confession was meant to be confidential and the clergy 'totally violated church policy'

hope she looses

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

Thank you! Didn't realize there was a paywall.

I hope she loses, AND she's exposed herself as hiding a pedophile... so hopefully something comes of that as well.

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

Just by her suing it show she has no shame.

She truly doesn't believe what he did was wrong.

Any normal sane person would not want any additional publicity that both her and her husband
promoted pedophilia. For all we know, she too was abused by him when she was young, and he just-- repented through the church and all was forgiven.

That is really sickening. The Watchtower Organization aka Jehovah's Witnesses also cover up child abuse and direct the Elders not to report it, but to instead contact their headquarters.

a reply to: Inconceivable

Yes! Sickening. They alluded to that in their article, mentioning a hotline Elders could call to see if they had a duty to report. What sane person needs that?!

a reply to: Atsbhct

eh its wapost they give you x amount of free articles a month then it just locks it to the home page so you cant even quote the article from the address bar i think its 5 or 10

a reply to: RalagaNarHallas

I used to get a couple of free clicks a month, but now I don't get even one free click from WaPo.

At any rate, this is a tricky case, I think. Can a church snitch on sinners who come to them to confess and be forgiven?

a reply to: Sookiechacha

Yes, I think they can and they should. Why should a church be a safe place to confess child sodomy?

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
a reply to: Atsbhct

eh its wapost they give you x amount of free articles a month then it just locks it to the home page so you cant even quote the article from the address bar i think its 5 or 10

Easy fix for most browsers. Just erase the cookies that have "Post" in their name. This resets their "free" counter. Every browser has a way to do this. Just google "erase cookies [browser name]" to find out how to do it in yours.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Obviously, they can. It's not illegal. But this is a civil suit claiming a violation of a contract of sorts. This is about the religious idea of solemn confession, to find forgiveness in God's eye. Using Jesus' command to confess one's sins, to thwart crime is opposed to the safety/sanctuary the church promises of confessions.

a reply to: Atsbhct

While I am extremely glad that the guy reported this monster and he is behind bars where he can't hurt anyone else the validity of the lawsuit might be a completely different matter. A good enough lawyer could argue "sanctity of the confessional" and possibly win the case for his clients especially since the panel of church Elders did not notify the couple that the crime would be reported- UNLESS he conveyed to the panel an intent to offend again. Morally it is abhorrent but technically it is the law.

I guess the outcome will all come down to the skills and aggressiveness of the attorney and the make up of the jury or mindset of the judge depending on which way the attorney decides to go. I hope the sickos lose the suit but if they win it could set a sickening precedent.

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

Hopefully there will never be a legal precedent for harbouring pedophiles. There's no law stating that Mormon elders have to keep the secrets of anyone.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

Hopefully there will never be a legal precedent for harbouring pedophiles. There's no law stating that Mormon elders have to keep the secrets of anyone.

Maybe not a specific law, however while a priest cannot be jailed for turning in a criminal for something he only learned of during a confession he can be sued and lose. A good enough attorney would use this to assert that the confession to the panel of Elders fits the same bill. While there may be no laws preventing the Morman Church or its Elders from reporting the criminal and his activities to authorities that doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't be liable for violating spiritual confidentiality in a law suit.