A 27-year-old right-wing youth pastor from Arlington, Washington has been charged with two counts of third-degree child rape for allegedly sexually abusing a girl who at the time was just 15 years old.
The Everett Herald reports that prosecutors are alleging that Kendal ____ met a 15-year-old girl at a youth group in 2017, when Kendal was at the time 22 years old.
The two became friends and exchanged contact information, which the girl told prosecutors flattered her at the time. The girl also said that she felt comfortable exchanging her information with Kendal because he was a church leader, which she figured meant he would not take advantage of his position.
The pair’s relationship eventually grew to be sexual in nature, however, and prosecutors allege that Kendal repeatedly urged her to not tell anyone about their relationship until she turned 16 years old, which is the legal age of consent in Washington.
Additionally, it appears that the 15-year-old girl wasn’t the only member of the church who drew Kendal’s attentions, as an anonymous tipster called police in 2020 to report that he had been having “inappropriate relations” with multiple young congregants.
Yeah, it’s really too bad the Registry was completely USELESS in protecting this minor from her church leader. I guess the Stranger Danger B.S. didn’t help either.
Everybody loses when it comes to the Registry – the Registrants, the communities, the taxpayers, AND most of all victims – past, present, and future…
The ONLY ones that do win from this are politicians, prisons, cops, and mental wards. That is all.
Someone please explain to me why this guy’s political affiliation has any relevance in this matter. Is the author of the article trying to insinuate that all right wing conservatives think and act the same way? This is no different than race baiting, where I have read many news articles that find it necessary to write articles stating “Mr. so and so, who is white, did such and such to Mr. So and so, who is black.”
It’s unnecessary to include such things in news articles.
On another note, what the guy did was unacceptable, even if the girl consented to it, and for the guy’s father to try to settle the matter without involving the police is no different than what the Catholic church has been accused of for years.
People need to be held accountable for their actions and hopefully this girl won’t be dissuaded from continuing to go to church, even if it’s a different one.
I’m sorry about this model ordeal and the little escapade that happened over the weekend. but let me get back on topic. As far as this pastor goes its bad enough that many are groomed by internet by those in authorities that go a bit far. I live right up the street from a church. Today as I was driving back their was a whole bunch of young kids behind the church.
See that church also hands out food and their is a playground on the church property but for any pastor to groom one of the kids at the church is a bit and the girl or boy or how ever the situation is that can be bad and seems like he’s up the creek without a paddle so to speak.