Posted on 07/19/2007 8:08:16 PM PDT by WriteOn
Bea Wilkins thought one thing when we reported that Steven Haney was under arrest on serious sex charges.
"I thought, thank God," says Wilkins.
Wilkins was once an active member of Walnut Grove Baptist Church. But she says she lost faith in its longtime pastor, Steven Haney, when accusations involving another teenager first surfaced in the mid 90's.
"I never thought a family would let anything like that come out if it weren't true," says Wilkins.
Despite an investigation, the preacher was never charged. So, Wilkins and nearly 30 other families left the church.
But she never forgot.
"I prayed that God would do something to this man before I died," says Wilkins. "Well, he did," she adds.
She says she knows the young men now coming forward with stories of their own abuse. She believes they have gone through hell.
Shelby County Sheriff's Investigators plan to track all new allegations. They want to figure out when they happened, and where, before consulting with the District Attorney about further charges.
"We have now started the interview process with as many as 10 people who say they've had dealings with Mr. Haney in years past," says Shelby County Sheriff's Office spokesman Steve Shular.
"These are people who can be believed--believe me--I know them," says Wilkins.
Bea Wilkins says the past has finally caught up with her former pastor.
Steven Haney resigned from Walnut Grove Baptist last year. His attorney, Leslie Ballin, tells Action News 5 they will deal with any new charges if and when they are filed. Meantime, he's preparing for Haney's next court date, July 24th.
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