俄亥俄州大型教会创办人之子性侵儿童27项罪名成立：面临终身监禁，创办夫妇周日在教会回应称深感痛心
俄亥俄州 New Albany — 大型教会 Faith Life Church 创办人 Gary Keesee 与 Drenda Keesee 11月8日在周日礼拜中向会众简短谈及儿子的案件。他们的儿子、教会前青年牧师 Gary “Tom” Keesee Jr. 两天前被法院认定性侵儿童等27项罪名成立。
“作为父母，这件事深深刺痛了我们。”Gary Keesee 在 New Albany 主校区礼拜中说，Powell 分堂与线上会众同步收看，“法官判定我们的儿子 Tom 有罪。Drenda 和我正在为这件事里的每一个人祈求医治与平安。我们深爱我们的每一个孩子。”他说案件后续仍有法律程序，他无法评论案件细节；夫妇二人打算继续三十多年前创办这间教会时开始的工作。Drenda Keesee 当天没有就案件发言，在丈夫讲话时多次点头说“阿们”。
现年38岁的 Gary “Tom” Keesee Jr. 曾任该教会青年事工负责人与首席媒体官，2024年8月辞职。11月6日，俄亥俄州 Knox County 普通诉讼法院法官 Richard Wetzel 在无陪审团审理后裁定他罪名成立：对13岁以下儿童强奸11项、严重猥亵11项、与未成年人非法性行为5项，合计27项。强奸罪名最高可判终身监禁，量刑定于2027年1月初。
案件源于四名女性去年站出来指控：她们在2002年至2016年间、年仅6岁至15岁时遭到 Keesee Jr. 性侵。本次定罪涉及其中三名出庭作证的女性；第四名女性作证时情绪崩溃未能完成，涉及她的指控被撤销。夫妇的另一个儿子 Tim Keesee 曾任该教会牧师，本案中为检方作证。
Drenda Keesee 是 Knox County 县政委员。儿子被定罪后，Knox County 共和党方面已有人要求她辞去县政委员职务。Gary Keesee 讲话结束后，New Albany 会众鼓掌回应。
（来源：哥伦布电讯报）
Ohio Megachurch Founders Address Congregation After Son Is Convicted on 27 Child Sex-Abuse Counts
NEW ALBANY, Ohio — The founders of Faith Life Church, Gary Keesee and Drenda Keesee, briefly addressed their congregation during the Sunday service on November 8 about the case of their son, the church's former youth pastor Gary “Tom” Keesee Jr., who was found guilty two days earlier on 27 counts including the rape of children.
“This is a deeply painful situation for a parent,” Gary Keesee said at the church's New Albany campus, watched from its Powell satellite location and online. “The judge said our son Tom is guilty and Drenda and I are praying for healing and peace in this situation for every person. Drenda and I deeply love all of our children.” He said a legal process still lies ahead so he could not comment on the specifics of the case, and that the couple intends to finish the work they began more than 30 years ago when they launched Faith Life Church. Drenda Keesee did not speak about the case, nodding and saying “amen” several times as her husband spoke.
Gary “Tom” Keesee Jr., 38, was a youth leader and chief media officer at the church before resigning in August 2024. On November 6, Knox County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Wetzel found him guilty in a bench trial of 11 counts of rape of a child under 13, 11 counts of gross sexual imposition and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He could face life in prison on the rape charges, and sentencing is set for early January 2027.
Four women came forward last year accusing Keesee Jr. of sexually assaulting them when they were between the ages of 6 and 15, between 2002 and 2016. The convictions relate to three women who testified at trial; charges relating to a fourth woman were dismissed after she became too overwhelmed to finish testifying. Tim Keesee, another of the couple's sons and a former pastor at the church, testified for the prosecution.
Drenda Keesee serves on the Knox County Board of Commissioners and is facing calls from the Knox County Republican Party to resign that seat after her son's conviction. When Gary Keesee finished speaking, the New Albany congregation broke into applause.
(Source: The Columbus Dispatch)
来源：哥伦布电讯报
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：俄亥俄州 Knox County 法院（Knox County Court of Common Pleas 所在地），本案即在此审理。Mark Spearman 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。
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