High Councilman arrested for filming a woman getting undressed

[The Nehor]

4 hours ago, Tacenda said:

You and I haven't been over this particular point (why the teachers are told to have two deep but not bishops/counselors), not that I know of. I seriously wouldn't have had a problem as a youth to be interviewed by a bishop and my youth leader. I'd have felt more comfortable. In case you're going to purport that there is a need for one on one.

ETA: It isn't always sexual abuse either, there is mental abuse too. Especially around the masturbation question and how that has driven the youth to have problems later on with how it was handled, even suicidal problems. I hope for the day that it won't be roulette, and that there will be clear and concise interviews with guidelines that are researched through the mental health avenue with licensed practitioners. 

I guess I read too many stories out there.

ETA again: I think it should be two deep with the interviews that are regulated. But if a youth wants a one on one other than the regular interview, then I'm fine with it. Because they'll hold the ball in their court, IMO.

You have said pretty nearly this exact thing dozens of times and people have pointed out why it is good in some cases. You can definitely not agree with the reasons but pretending this is a new discussion is disingenuous.

[webbles]

2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

You definitely have a point there. But in my mind I am picturing a much older youth choosing to go for a confession of some sort, and leaving the option open for that.

I was also picturing a much older youth.  I don't see how age has anything to do with the power a predator has over someone who is confessing something.  The act of confessing generally makes the confessor very vulnerable and if the person hearing the confession was a predator, they could easily take advantage of it.  Age doesn't matter.

2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Add: I think having another person in there may stop questions from being inappropriate. 

Another adult won't stop inappropriate questions.  They happen in one-on-one interviews between adults.  They happen in baptismal interviews with adult converts.  They happen all the time.  Adding another adult will not stop them.  The big problem with stopping inappropriate questions is that what is inappropriate to you might not be inappropriate to others.  Having a set list would probably help but misunderstandings would still happen and that is probably the major cause for most of the trauma that you've read about.

[Calm]

Webbles, do you have suggestions how to maximize benefits while minimizing harm?

I see confessions as possible avenues to help victims know they are being abused, a chance for a reality check in other words.  Also through confession, a person can move past shame and into healing and by doing so, becoming less vulnerable.

Yet as you point out if a predator is the one listening, that can be dangerous.  Thankfully with the calling process, predators have a hard time imo in putting themselves in the confessor role than they would if they chose the career path of therapist, youth worker, or teacher (not saying these are full of predators, just that self chosen positions give much more control to the predator than the Church calling process.

It is probably relatively easy to become a lower level youth leader, I got called as Primary teacher everytime when I volunteered for it upon moving into a new ward plus instantly became Akela ( cub leader) when I volunteered for that when .I heard it was vacant and they were having trouble filling it (only reason they would have taken me, lol).  But bishop or YM/YWs....that requires someone else seeing you in that role.

Edited March 3, 2020 by Calm

[webbles]

3 minutes ago, Calm said:

Webbles, do you have suggestions how to maximize benefits while minimizing harm?

I see confessions as possible avenues to help victims know they are being abused, a chance for a reality check in other words.  Also through confession, a person can move past shame and into healing and by doing so, becoming less vulnerable.

Yet as you point out if a predator is the one listening, that can be dangerous.  Thankfully with the calling process, predators have a hard time imo in putting themselves in the confessor role than they would if they chose the career path of therapist, youth worker, or teacher (not saying these are full of predators, just that self chosen positions give much more control to the predator than the Church calling process.

No, I don't have any suggestions.  I can point out the problems as I seem to have a "black hat" mentality (I can generally see where exploits are possible).  Sorry.

[smac97]

On 11/6/2019 at 7:34 PM, Tacenda said:

@smac97 @Hamba Tuhan @The Nehor

This man and many others are the reasons I'm against the one on one interviews and wouldn't want any youth/children near this guy. When a person views c h i l d p o r n, they are the reason thousands of children are subjected to the horrific abuse and their innocence shattered. Unable to post the link, keep getting the forbidden 403. Google his name though, but I'm sure you know about him and just forgot. Timothy James Hallows  He was a bishop at the time of his arrest.

An update:

Quote

A former Latter-day Saint bishop admitted in federal court Thursday to having child pornography on his cellphone.

Timothy James Hallows, 62, of Kaysville, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in an agreement with federal prosecutors. He admitted to having images of prepubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults on his cellphone and sending them to a woman in the Philippines last November.

Hallows faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

Hallows was bishop of the Wellington Ward in the Kaysville Utah Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was arrested in October and later charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in 2nd District Court in Davis County.

The state charges were dismissed June 29 after the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Davis County Attorney’s Office decided to pursue the case in federal court.

Hallows “admitted to distributing child sexual abuse material” on Skype and to sexual gratification to prepubescent children, according to a police affidavit filed in state court.

“Hallows stated the children are not real, and provided several incidents of justification and rationalization for the conduct,” a Davis County sheriff’s deputy wrote in the affidavit. Investigators noted that Hallows held a special position of trust as a bishop, including “unfettered” access to children in his congregation and in private.

U.S. Attorney John Huber earlier said federal and county prosecutors regularly work together on child exploitation cases to find the best venue to prosecute the case.

...

Microsoft Online Operations filed a complaint on Oct. 6 with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user uploaded and made publicly available child sexual exploitation material to or from a Skype account. Phoenix police initially investigated the cases because the IP address tracked to a Holiday Inn in Arizona. Investigators determined it belonged to Hallows.

A search warrant was executed at Hallows’ home in Kaysville. The affidavit says investigators located “thousands of images of pornography, including many images of child sexual abuse.”

Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints, called the allegations serious and deeply troubling after Hallows’ arrest last October.

“When local leaders learned of these allegations, this individual was immediately removed from any position that would place him in close contact with youth or children. This is done to ensure the safety of others and to allow this individual to address these serious allegations,” he said in a prepared statement.

Hawkins said the church has no tolerance for abuse of any kind, including child pornography, and teaches its members and leaders that such behavior is offensive to God and to his church.

Very troubling.

Thanks,

-Smac

[katherine the great]

23 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Very troubling.

Disgusting.

[Tacenda]

33 minutes ago, smac97 said:

An update:

Very troubling.

Thanks,

-Smac

Yes, very!

Not too long ago I joined an email campaign of several people from Kaysville and the surrounding area and emailed Troy Rawlings the Davis County attorney. I've known him for a while from our children being on the same sports teams. I lost his email, but his email made me feel that this Hallows creep won't get an easy sentence and they're working on this case to make sure he is punished.

It's people like Hallows that will keep these horrific things going at the dispense of those children. Like I've mentioned already I watch my grand daughter one or two days a week, and I constantly think that even a baby her age is getting abused, no matter the age it's horrific but I get sick thinking of it. And if creeps like this guy keep going it'll never end, but get worse. The other day I heard a statistic that scares me to no end, that a child is trafficked every 30 seconds and I think it's because it's on the internet. And if it didn't exist, I bet the number wouldn't be so high. 

I appreciate that you feel the same, the more people aware we'll hopefully figure out how to technically catch these guys like they did Hallows and eradicate this inhumane thing that is ongoing. 

Below is the email campaign, maybe a few people on here wouldn't mind sending an email, I'm not aware of the current status, maybe you could find out, you have the clout!:

Last October, my neighbor's (Timothy Hallows) house was raided and he was arrested for multiple counts of distributing pictures of violent child s e x abuse (pre-pubescent). He was a Bishop for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the time of his arrest...which is a very respected and trusted position in this area. The state has an air-tight case on 7 images of distribution. This week, he has been charged federally for ONE count of POSSESSION. This is unacceptable. Since state charges are often dropped after federal charges, I am speaking out now. The Davis County District Attorney, Troy Rawlings, is responsible for deciding if the state charges are dropped. These pedophiles should be prosecuted for their crimes, especially when there is more than adequate evidence. If you don't think these very serious child abuse charges should be dropped, I invite you to email him as well and let him know your thoughts. His email is: troy@daviscountyutah.gov. PS...I am happy to send the arrest affidavit to anyone. It contains the specific details of the images of what he was arrested for. So yes...it is disgusting and will make your stomach churn.

***UPDATE: I think emailing the US Attorney is a great idea too. Keep this momentum going! So please send your email to John Huber also at john.huber@usdoj.gov and the Assistant US Attorney over this case, Carol Dain at Carol.dain@usdoj.gov. We need the change the precedent of sentencing that Utah is setting for these pedophiles!

Edited July 9, 2020 by Tacenda