Pastor admits molesting 2 girls

Monterey Herald ^ | 1/20/06 | GEORGE B. SANCHEZ

[MineralMan]

A Salinas pastor accused of sexually molesting his adopted daughter and a handicapped girl pleaded guilty less than two months after authorities began investigating him.

Donald Domelle, 65, pastor of the Baptist Temple of Salinas, admitted to two felony counts of lewd conduct with a child and agreed to a minimum of 15 years in prison Thursday in a remarkably swift case that kept one young woman and a teenager from recounting in court their stories of repeated sexual abuse at the pastor's hands.

[MineralMan]

It's so hard today to trust anyone around minor children. Perhaps it has always been so, but there is certainly more news about it these days

[dubie]

He should look forward to being raped in jail...

[al baby]

Well at least he molested the opposite sex not as sick as molesting boys

[joesbucks]

or from a church that moves such individuals around to sweep such matters under the carpet.

There's too much of this stuff going on in all faiths. I've got to wonder why.

[Panerai]

Priesthood - attracting more perverts than a Public Library man's restroom.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Dare I say that I held my breath fearing it was another Catholic Priest? Whew. (sigh)

[Pyro7480]

This was a Baptist, so he was a "pastor."

[MineralMan]

"Well at least he molested the opposite sex not as sick as molesting boys"

I'm not sure I can agree, especially considering that he molested his own adopted daughter. Either form of molestation is equally horrible, in my opinion.

[bigbob]

takes a real big man to molest a handicapped kid - of either sex.

[r9etb]

It's so hard today to trust anyone around minor children. Perhaps it has always been so, but there is certainly more news about it these days

I think it probably is more prevalent now than previously, because there's a lot less societal pressure for sexual restraint. Plus we hear about it more, because there's more media -- with a much wider reach -- to report on it.

Still, the ratio of pervs to good folk is probably still only one in tens-of-thousands.

[sushiman]

" He should look forward to being raped in jail..."

Who the hell wants to rape a 65 year old man ?

[MineralMan]

"There's too much of this stuff going on in all faiths. I've got to wonder why."

I wonder, sometimes, if this hasn't always been going on, but wasn't really reported. I know that a youth minister in the church I went to in my youth was caught with a 14 year old girl. He was never arrested, and the whole thing was hushed up, even though many people knew about it. I was 16 at the time, and my 14 year old girlfriend knew the girl. That was back in the early 60s.

[al baby]

forgot the sarcasim tag

[Panerai]

Speaking in general terms, a giveaway that he was not Catholic should have been that he was molesting girls.

[Sensei Ern]

I long for the days when this kind of thing was dealt much more swiftly and permanently.

Preacher, I would like you to meet my friend, Mr. WInchester.

[MineralMan]

"I long for the days when this kind of thing was dealt much more swiftly and permanently.

Preacher, I would like you to meet my friend, Mr. WInchester."

---

When were those days? Seems to me that these things used to just be swept under the rug, with the victim left to her own devices.

I do not remember any cases during my lifetime when a pastor who molested kids was killed. Perhaps you do, but I do not.

[F16Fighter]

"Who the hell wants to rape a 65 year old man ?"

Lol...Please -- let's not think about this too much.

[Space Wrangler]

I see absolutely no difference at all.

[sine_nomine]

I think hushing things up was the norm because the victim could not get anywhere legally except to be shamed as "asking for it."

I know of a disabled girl who was raped at the special school she attended. The rape was done by another student. Her friends learned about it and thoroughly beat him up. The parents never knew it happened to the gir.

[dubie]

Ask some lifer who has not had it in a while... fresh meat...

[Blzbba]

"Priesthood - attracting more perverts than a Public Library man's restroom."



Except that this pervert was a Baptist preacher.

[sine_nomine]

gir should be girl.

[VOA]

"There's too much of this stuff going on in all faiths. I've got
to wonder why."

I had a friend that was a university campus youth minister for a couple
of years.
The stories he told me about some of the female students making advances
to him were well-nigh unbelievable.
And being single at the time made it a real stuggle for him.
Eventually he moved on to working in the financial sector, but he said
he didn't know how he managed to not become another statistic in
the "preacher frolicks with the flock" syndrome.

[HamiltonJay]

It has always been so.. only now, it is more likely to be spoken of.. and less likely that the parents and community will help said predators simply "disappear".

[Pyro7480]

So, you think that all Catholic priests molest boys?

[Blzbba]

"I long for the days when this kind of thing was dealt much more swiftly and permanently. "


So do the churches - they'd love to go back to the days of hush-money and simply sweeping it under the carpet.

[MineralMan]

"I had a friend that was a university campus youth minister for a couple
of years.
The stories he told me about some of the female students making advances
to him were well-nigh unbelievable.
"

I don't doubt that is true. There is a distinct difference, however, between university students and kids in high school.

In any case, a youth minister or anyone else in contact with young people must deal with such advances by firmly rejecting them. We are all tempted by lots of things. Those with ethics do not succumb to such temptations.

[DarkSavant]

Deviants go for positions of trust that give them better chances of getting close to young ones and hurting them without getting caught. It's smart.... in a sick way.

[Protagoras]

If he was in a different place it would be OK. There is no absolute right or wrong. All morality is decided upon by society.

[MineralMan]

"If he was in a different place it would be OK. There is no absolute right or wrong. All morality is decided upon by society."

I disagree. For a person in a leadership or authority position to sexually use a youngster under his leadership or authority is simply wrong, wherever you might be.

While you are correct that society sets the rules of such things, I know of no society that thinks it is OK for ministers of religion to sexually use young people. If you know of such a society, and have some evidence of it, please let us know.

[wallcrawlr]

Luke 17:2, Mark 9:42, and Matthew 18:6:
“Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”

[Protagoras]

Except that this pervert was a Baptist preacher.

No need to quibble. The thread was posted as a "not so subtle" attempt to smear Christianity, not a particular denomination.

[tcostell]

The NEA would have made sure of it. (and he would have gotten his pension for life as well)

[HamiltonJay]

Teen girls are very succeptable to an older mans influence... a lest than honorable man, interacting with them day in and day out certainly can succomb to it. A predator, will actively seek it out.

I don't say that to suggest that young girls are asking for it, just that it is reality. The guy has to be able to say NO, I am flattered, but that is inappropriate... and it definately can be tough.

[metmom]

oh, public school is a religion?

[cas7boys]

Well at least he molested the opposite sex not as sick as molesting boys

i am sure that will be a comfort to those girls as they try to get through life with this hanging over their heads, affecting every aspect of their lives.

i am sorry, but it is just as sick - to do that to your own daughter and to someone who is handicapped??

actually, it is hideous no matter which sex was molested. there is no "less evil" crime here.

[HamiltonJay]

There is a distinct difference, however, between university students and kids in high school.

Yes, there is a difference, but I can tell you, if you are a man who interracts with high school girls, you will experience the same situations.. perhaps not as agressively, but they will occur. The man has to be able to be the adult... because they will be tempted.

[MineralMan]

"Luke 17:2, Mark 9:42, and Matthew 18:6:
“Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”"

---

I guess this pastor missed that in his studies.

It occurs to me that the rule about adults never being alone with individual youngsters is a very good one. These incidents could never occur if adults were never alone with youngsters. It would also protect the adults from false accusations...something that does occur sometimes.

[cas7boys]

If he was in a different place it would be OK. There is no absolute right or wrong. All morality is decided upon by society.

what society considers it ok for a man to molest his own daughter?? and i am sorry, but i firmly believe morality is dictated by the Bible and God's law - society choses whether to live by those standards.

[Sloth]

Well at least he molested the opposite sex not as sick as molesting boys

What a bizarre thing to say. If he had molested boys, would you have replied "Well at least he just molested the boys, not as sick as dismembering & eating them"?

[wallcrawlr]

Its a real shame that people we know must be treated like strangers.

[MineralMan]

"Yes, there is a difference, but I can tell you, if you are a man who interracts with high school girls, you will experience the same situations.. perhaps not as agressively, but they will occur. The man has to be able to be the adult... because they will be tempted."

---

I'm sure you're right about that. I think that all adults who have regular contact with adolescents need to be very sure of their ability to resist any such temptation. Pastors, teachers, youth leaders of all types.

I'm really thinking that the "never alone" rule should always be in place.

[Protagoras]

I disagree.

No you don't. The statement (which was made sarcastically) comes directly from your posts. You did not mean it sarcastically.

For a person in a leadership or authority position to sexually use a youngster under his leadership or authority is simply wrong, wherever you might be.

Directly opposite of what you just said.

While you are correct that society sets the rules of such things,

Nice try, I didn't say that.

RULES are not morality.

Hypothetically, if a man owns an island, and there are only a limited number of people there, and they all agree that it's not only legal, but moral, to molest children, it would be true, since all morality is decided by the people there.

That is the case you have made in the past.

[MineralMan]

"Hypothetically, if a man owns an island, and there are only a limited number of people there, and they all agree that it's not only legal, but moral, to molest children, it would be true, since all morality is decided by the people there.

That is the case you have made in the past."

---

I have never made such a case. I am inalterably opposed to all sexual abuse of young people, and have always been. I don't know what you're attempting to do here, but you will not find a case where I have said that it would be OK to molest youngsters, under any circumstances.

[Protagoras]

but i firmly believe morality is dictated by the Bible and God's law - society choses whether to live by those standards.

The person who posted this attack on Christians disagrees with you, take it up with him. My comment was made in sarcastic disgust.

[g33k355]

>>There's too much of this stuff going on in all faiths. I've got to wonder why.<<

I can tell you why. It's because men are so easily led astray by their eyes. Our world is filled with porn on so many levels. Some men get addicted to this at such a level that can end up being destructive not only to themselves, but to all around them. It doesn't matter if you're an atheist or Christian, we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God....

I know of what I speak, my husband is on constant vigil to avoid all of this. Here's a website where they know intimately about this problem, http://www.everymansbattle.com

[Sensei Ern]

"So do the churches - they'd love to go back to the days of hush-money and simply sweeping it under the carpet."

I was thinking instead of gold changing hands, we use a little less valuable metal...lead...at a much faster velocity.

[Protagoras]

Nice try again.

I'll change the words a tad so you will be unable to mislead anyone here about your true intent and beliefs.

"Hypothetically, if a man owns an island, and there are only a limited number of people there, and they all agree that it's not only legal, but moral, to molest children steal, kill, lie, (add your own immoral behavior here), it would be true, since all morality is decided by the people there.