State v. Ms. C (DMC No. 17052) – (2 Counts) Felony Sexual Abuse (54-Year-Old Adult/15-Year-Old Minor) and, (2 Counts) Felony Child Abuse (with a Sexual Purpose) – Not Charged/”Case Inactivated”, and “Unsubstantiated” by the Department of Child Safety – Prescott Police Department Investigated (Case No. PR-XX-XXXXX7)
Ms. C and her husband moved the family from Texas to Prescott in order to live in a smaller community. They enrolled their daughter into BASIS High School, and she was doing exceedingly well. She also had joined the local Pentecostal Church. As she became more and more indoctrinated into the Church, the Pastor’s family had indicated she could “become apart of their family”. She was then encouraged by the Pastor’s Daughter to break away from her own family to join the Pastor’s family.
The Pastor contacted the Prescott Police Department, and alleged that the 15-year-old Victim was being Sexually and Physically Abused by her 54-year-old Mother. This included physical beatings, denial of food, forced exercise, and making her strip down and touch herself and masturbate. There was also allegations that the Mother had grabbed her breasts. Naturally, the Police became very concerned, and called both the Mother and Father down to the Police Station for interviews. Both parents vehemently denied these allegations, and told them of the concerns of the Pentecostal Church’s Pastor. In addition, the claims that the girl was being malnourished and only receiving 500 calories a day was negated by the fact that the girl was visibly overweight.
After that meeting, Ms. C secured the services of DM Cantor. We immediately had her take a Polygraph Examination, in which she “Passed”. The Department of Child Safety had also gotten involved, and they had determined that once the Daughter was placed into the Pastor’s home for care, she did not want to stay there, and was now Recanting her allegations. The alleged Victim then had contacted our Office, and signed a Sworn Affidavit attesting that she had made up all the allegations because she had been manipulated by the Pastor’s family. We also revealed to the Detectives that the Church was “cult-like”, and was demanding large donations from the parishioners. For example, the Pastor recently had been “gifted” a $75,000 truck from the donations by Church parishioners.
This was all sent to the Detective by way of a “Trebus/Bashir” Letter, and an Invocation of our Client’s Rights to Remain Silent. After the Detective reviewed all of the evidence, he had made the decision to “Deactivate” case. He also noted that DCS had “Unsubstantiated” the allegations. Had Ms. C been Charged and Convicted of these crimes, she very well could have been spent over 20 Years in Prison.
