The criminal
trial of confessed child molesting minister John Langworthy, originally set for April 2, has been scheduled for July 30 in Hinds County in Jackson, Mississippi. He is charged with 8 felony counts of gratification of lust for 5 victims, boys between the ages of 8-12. This
abuse took place in Clinton and Jackson, MS between 1980-84 while he served at 2 area Baptist churches, First Baptist Jackson and Daniel Memorial Baptist Church, while he was attending Mississippi College.
Langworthy
confessed these crimes of child sexual abuse from the pulpit of
Morrison Heights Baptist Church on August 7, 2011. He was arrested and indicted in September. In addition to the child sex crimes for which he is indicted, Langworthy also confessed to molesting minor boys at his previous employer,
Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, where he was the youth music minister from 1984-89.
Though the Prestonwood church staff, including then and current head pastor,
Dr. Jack Graham, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as Neal Jeffrey, then youth pastor, and some adult volunteers, heard directly from victims and heard Langworthy confess to this molestation in the summer of 1989, they did not report these crimes to the police as required by state law.
Under Texas law, ministers and clergy are required to report any suspected child abuse ― sexual or otherwise ― to authorities within 48 hours of being told, otherwise they too are committing a criminal offense. A child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.
They had a few of the victims sit down with church attorneys to give statements about the abuse. These statements were not reported to law enforcement so that an investigation could take place and more victims identified and helped, and other kids protected. The church congregation has never been informed by the church staff of this confessed child molester that was in their midst, preying upon their children. Parents and their kids that were in the youth ministry while Langworthy was at Prestonwood have never been told the truth by Dr. Graham. (See the Associated Baptist Press story
"Abuse confession raises question of cover-up by Baptist mega-church")
Langworthy was fired by Prestonwood and allowed to move back to an unsuspecting community in his home state of Mississippi where he promptly began working with kids teaching music in
Clinton public schools, first an elementary school, then junior high and high school. He also became the music minister at Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton where he worked until his resignation at the end of May 2011 a few months prior to his public confession there.
It is critical that anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered sex crimes by John Langworthy come forward, contact law enforcement, get help, start healing, seek justice immediately, and protect others, no matter how long ago or how recent the abuse occurred. Keep in mind that your silence only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others. You can call 911 to report and you will be directed to the appropriate authorities.
If you were abused by Langworthy in Dallas, or have information about these crimes, please call 911, the local police where the abuse occurred, or you can contact Sgt. Byron Fassett in the Dallas Police Department Child Exploitation Unit at 214-671-4200. I have talked to Byron and he is aware of the situation. Other numbers there: Child Exploitation 214-671-4211. Child Abuse Squad 214-670-4915.
Texas Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-5400
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453), then push 1 to talk to a hotline counselor.
If you were abused by Langworthy in Mississippi and/or have information about his child sex crimes there, please call 911, the local police where the abuse occurred, or contact Jamie McBride, the assistant Hinds County District Attorney at 601-968-6568. He is handling the criminal case of Langworthy there. To report abuse in Clinton, you can call Josh Frazier in the Clinton Police Department at 601-924-5252.
If I can be of any assistance, please contact me at spacecitysnap@gmail.com. I am the Houston leader for the
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
Two educators in Cobb County, Georgia arrested and fired for failure to report suspected child sex abuse.
And today, we have a message for anyone who sees, suspects or suffers child abuse – sexual or physical. Healing, justice and prevention are possible. But you must step forward. You need not reveal your identity or sacrifice your privacy. But you must act. Staying silent helps only the predators.
