I know that sexual abuse takes place, but I also know that stuff is faked, sometimes. A family in the small town I used to live in was having problems with their teenage daughter. She talked to some of her friends, and they told her to make up some abuse stories, and she'd get to move out. She did. For some girls, this is simply a power play. I've also known of students who used this tactic to take down a teacher they didn't like. No amount of money could get me to teach a coed junior high or high school class.
What would you think if you were accused of this act? Lose your job, lose your standing in the town, have your picture on a pedophile web site. If this guy didn't do it, this is one sad story.
[Teixeira's lawyer has said there was no physical evidence of a crime and the girls' statements were vague and inconsistent.] Apparently the good pastor thought differently.
Not necessarily. Having false accusations of this kind of thing made against you could destroy your life pretty thoroughly and bring on a suicide attempt just as well as facing a conviction if you're actually guilty.