Crimes against children cannot be tolerated
Anyone who has picked up a newspaper or watched TV news over the past two years has probably heard about the sex scandal which has hammered the Catholic Church.
Members of the church, most notably several priests, are charged with using their position of power and trust to sexually exploit small children, especially boys. Not only do high-ranking church officials face these charges, but other members of the church have been accused of tolerating such behavior. Some have argued these sex offenders should not face criminal charges and should not be removed from their positions in the church.
Such arguments are nothing short of ludicrous. It is certainly reassuring to know such behavior will not be tolerated in Warren County.
That’s exactly what Jeffery Simmons, a former youth minister at Gath Baptist Church, discovered Friday. Simmons was convicted for molesting a girl when she was only 8 years old. The victim says she frequently spent the night at Simmons’ house because she was friends with his daughter.
Perhaps the aspect of this case that’s the most intensely disturbing is the fact Simmons was a church official at the time the child molestation took place. In that capacity, he is held in very high regard by members of the community. He is largely respected for his commitment to spirituality and helping point children in the right direction.
However, Simmons displayed behavior that is completely unacceptable, whether you are a church official or not. Instead of being a positive role model for a precious 8-year-old, his actions could scar a young girl for life. Instead of proper conduct, Simmons showed exactly how demented some adults can be.
At this point what’s important is damage control. Simmons has had his day in court and he’s been convicted. Now what’s left is determining an appropriate punishment.
While that will be left in the capable hands of a judge, the Standard fully endorses giving Simmons the maximum penalty. Since the molestations happened not once, but on four separate occasions, it shows a clear pattern of behavior. There was no momentary lapse that might somehow provide mitigating circumstances. The acts were deliberate and most likely pre-planned.
Since the children of this world will always face the threat of people like Jeffery Simmons, there is no way to protect them completely. But we can do our part to severely punish those individuals when they are caught and convicted.
We must protect our children at all costs. And if that means throwing a man like Simmons in prison for four decades, that’s what needs to be done.