During the pandemic, a child was reportedly groomed by a former church leader and Chief Financial officer at West Ministries Academy. Even though he was charged with eight crimes, including seven felonies and one misdemeanor, he still submitted a guilty plea.
Former Church Leader Misconduct
According to Action News, a deleted post on the internet noted that a 32-year-old man named John "Jay" Brownlow began his career at Westminster Academy as a bookkeeper and was eventually promoted to Chief Financial Officer in September of 2021. As mentioned, Brownlow's hobbies included "tackling tech projects and playing board games."
Also, Brownlow is accused of utilizing technology to "expose a minor to material containing sexual activity" and to "directly induce" a different child to participate in sexual conduct that he videotaped.
At the height of the epidemic, the abuser is accused of grooming the teenager, a Westminster Academy student. He allegedly set up hidden cameras in the boy's bedroom without his knowledge.
Moreover, since Brownlow entered a not guilty plea in September to eight felony charges and one misdemeanor charge, the investigators have followed his case's progress as it is heard in a courthouse in Shelby County.
The law enforcement officials were given information that led to the arrest, and they have been in contact with the teen's family ever since. In addition, Brownlow is accused of following and spying on the victim, as stated in a nine-page indictment.
On the other hand, Brownlow was the Collierville St. Patrick Presbyterian Church youth leader. Their senior minister stated that Brownlow left the church in 2019 and that when the church learned about the claims made against him at Westminster Academy, it quickly recommended any victims call the police.
As per KSVF12, in recent years, grooming has become a highly contentious topic in Tennessee, and it was the driving force for the passage of a law that made it illegal to hold drag shows in public earlier in the year 2023.
According to the data, the majority of those who sexually abuse children are friends or acquaintances of the victim, and more than a third of abusers are members of the victim's own family.
Furthermore, Alicia Bunch Vargas, the Clinical Director at the Sexual Assault Center in Nashville, asserted that "someone who usually has access to children, that could be teachers, coaches, or it could be family friends," is the most likely perpetrator of sexual assault. Bunch Vargas defines grooming as any behavior carried out by an adult to gain a child's confidence to engage in an activity of a sexual nature with the youngster.
Sexual Abuse on Children
Children who were victims of rape or attempted rape while they were adolescents had 13.7 times increased risk of being victims of rape or attempted rape during their first year of college, Victims of Crimes.org stated.
They typically develop low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness, and an aberrant or distorted view of sex due to their experience. The youngster may grow reclusive and suspicious of adults and may even consider ending their own lives.
Accordingly, children who do not live with both of their parents and those who live in households marked by parental disagreement, divorce, or domestic violence are at a higher risk of being sexually molested. This risk also increases for children who do not live with both of their parents.
Only between five and 15% of children who have credible evidence that they have been sexually abused will have genital injuries that are indicative of sexual abuse. It is the situation in most cases when there is strong proof that a kid has been raped.
Abuse of a sexual nature toward a kid can take many forms, including those that do not involve physical contact, such as voyeurism, exposure, or child pornography. Physical contact is only one form of sexual abuse that can be committed against a child.
According to a study published online and in the print issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health in June, young males who had a past of being sexually abused were more likely to have unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, and teen pregnancies than young males who did not have a history of being sexually abused.
Related Article: Archdiocese of Detroit Priest Sentenced With 3 to 15 Years of Imprisonment Following Sexual Abuse to A Second-Grader
