OK.... and this relates to organs/organists/music in
what way?

JC Moore
TUMC Murphysboro, IL


--- Scott Bennett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> S.C. diocese looked into abuse claim
>
> Interim rector filed report in '94 about molestation
> allegations
>
>   BY MICHAEL GARTLAND AND STEVE REEVES
> Of The Post and Courier Staff
>
>   A former pastor at a West Ashley Episcopal church
> says he reported
> alleged sexual abuses of children to South
> Carolina's bishop in 1994,
> indicating that some diocese officials apparently
> knew about the
> allegations a decade ago.
>
>   The retired Rev. Bert Hatch had served as an
> interim rector at Holy
> Trinity Episcopal Church on Folly Road for just a
> few months in 1994
> when he first heard allegations that part-time
> bookkeeper Mack
> Swafford had molested two boys on different
> occasions.
>
>   "I went to see Bishop (Edward) Salmon, and he
> asked me to write up a
> report of what I knew," Hatch said. "I don't know
> what action was
> taken. I know (Swafford) stayed there at the
> parish."
>
>   Swafford, 64, of West Ashley, was arrested Monday
> on charges of
> sexually abusing two boys as far back as 1986. His
> bond was set at
> $180,000 Tuesday.
>
> Salmon, who was traveling Thursday in Canada for a
> conference, could
> not be reached by The Post and Courier, but a
> spokesman who contacted
> him said the bishop would have no comment about
> Hatch's statements.
>
>   Nick Zeigler, a church legal adviser, said he and
> Salmon spoke
> briefly this week, and the bishop's office did
> investigate the
> allegations in 1994.
>
>   Zeigler said he was unfamiliar with the
> conclusions of that investigation.
>
>   "I'm totally ignorant of the investigation because
> I wasn't
> involved," he said. Zeigler said the diocese would
> cooperate with any
> police investigation currently under way.
>
>   "The diocese takes this very seriously," Zeigler
> said. "(Sal-mon) is
> very concerned that it happened and for everyone
> involved."
>
> Church spokesman Kendall Harmon said the bishop told
> him he would not
> comment on the findings of the 1994 internal church
> investigation or
> what happened as a result of it.
>
>   Swafford was arrested after one of his alleged
> victims, now 29 years
> old and serving in the U.S. Army, went to
> authorities last month and
> said Swafford molested him beginning in 1986 and
> ending in 1990.
>
>   Another alleged victim said Swafford sexually
> abused him when he was 16.
>
>   It is alleged that the sexual abuse took place at
> the church and at
> other locations.
>
>   Investigators with the Charleston County Sheriff's
> Office said more
> victims could be identified as the probe into
> Swafford's alleged
> sexual misconduct continues.
>
>   The mother and sister of one of the alleged
> victims claim that
> church officials, as well as members of the
> Episcopal Diocese of
> South Carolina, knew for years about accusations of
> sexual misconduct
> against Swafford but did nothing about them.
>
>   This isn't the first time police have investigated
> Holy Trinity. In
> January, an Awendaw man was arrested and charged
> with downloading
> child pornography on a secretary's computer.
>
>   The man, a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal
> Church, was charged with
> sexual exploitation of a minor and violating the
> computer crime act.
>
>
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> .
>
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>




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Note:  opinions  expressed on PIPORG-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity at Albany.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  GET LSVCMMDS.TXT  or see  the  web
page at http://www.albany.edu/piporg-l/lsvcmmds.html .
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