The sad legacy of Armstrongism continues to rip lives apart. The latest is the conviction today of John Aubrey Pinkston who was found guilty of molesting two girls. Pinkston was a former Worldwide Church of God minister who served for a while in the Monroe, Louisiana WCG. He was also a minister in GTA's church, Church of God International. Various people on Facebook COG sites are talking about him now when he was the minister in their area.
KENNESAW, Ga. -- A pastor was sentenced to prison Thursday when a jury determined he molested at least two young girls and took "no responsibility whatsoever" for his actions.
Jurors deliberated half an hour before convicting 78-year-old John Aubrey Pinkston of two counts of child molestation. Pinkston is the founder and former leader of Congregation of God Seventh Day in Kennesaw.
"Mr. Pinkston, you've been convicted of the unforgivable sin of molesting the most vulnerable members of your flock. You've taken no responsibility whatsoever," Cobb County Superior Court Judge Robert D. Leonard II said before sentencing Pinkston to 20 years with 10 to serve in prison.
Read rest of story here.
Court House News Service had this:
MARIETTA (CN) - It took just 33 minutes for a Georgia jury to convict a 78-year-old pastor of molesting two young girls at his church in Cobb County.
During the trial, two young girls testified that they were molested by defendant John Aubrey Pinkston, at the Congregation of God Seventh Day in Kennesaw, a church Pinkston founded and led.
Pinkston, of Dallas, was arrested in 2013 on a total of three counts of child molestation.
The Cobb District Attorney's Office said later Pinkston confessed to touching one girl when questioned by police, telling them it was a "stupid mistake" that lasted "only 15 seconds."
After the jury announced its verdict, Judge Robert Leonard II sentenced Pinkston to 10 years behind bars, and another 10 years on probation to be served after his release.
"Mr. Pinkston, you've been convicted of the unforgiveable sin of molesting the most vulnerable members of your flock," Leonard said during the sentencing, "You've taken no responsibility whatsoever."
Assistant District Attorney Chuck Boring, who prosecuted the case, was even more blunt during a press conference following Pinkston's sentencing, saying not only did he refuse to take responsibility for his acts, but "he spit in everyone's face with the nonsense that he used to try to manipulate the jury."
Pinkston did apologize before he was sentenced, but when Judge Leonard question whether his apology was sincere, the disgraced pastor expressed only frustration.
"What more do you want me to do? You're going to send me to prison anyway," Pinkston said.
Georgia News Day: Kennesaw pastor John Aubrey Pinkston sentenced on child molestation charges
12 comments:
This sick turd reminds me of the SEVERAL UCG members convicted of child molestation since UCG formed
I'll try not to be too broken up about it if his prison sentence turns out to be a death sentence. There is an honor, even among criminals, and if there's one thing even criminals can't stomach, it's child molesting. And there is one place where "murder" (and many other things) go unpunished: prison. I'd give this guy 18 months inside.
"The sad legacy of Armstrongism continues to rip lives apart." Since child molesters are found among atheists, shall we say, "The sad legacy of atheism continues to rip lives apart"? I'm not sure what the "sad legacy of Armstrongism" has to do with some sicko doing what he would be doing irrespective of his religious affiliation (or lack of one).
Every time something like this rears it's ugly head from the ash pit of WCG, of course, it reminds us all of HWA.
BB
What do you expect from a religion that was formed by a man that raped his daughter?
HWA should have been arrested for the horrible sex crimes that he committed with his daughter. Why didn't his wife turn him in and divorce him for being the piece of crap that he was?
So he tells Judge Leonard:
"What more do you want me to do? You're going to send me to prison anyway,"
Oh Really, John Pinkston? I have a suggestion on what you ought to do..
You better start thinking real soon about what you will say
to the NEXT JUDGE you will be standing in Front of!!!!
This man is as qualified to be a pastor as were GTA and HWA. Forget about I Tim 3. The only real qualification was LOYALTY to HWA, that's it.
He had the "Watch America" broadcast on radio for years - including a Saturday night slot on WWL-AM, the New Orleans radio giant.
Yet he couldn't watch his own hands, and control his conduct. Sad.
"What do you expect from a religion that was formed by a man that raped his daughter?" Here we go, once again misplacing the blame! The pedophiles within the WCG would have been molesting children had they joined a different church or no church at all. In fact, it may well be that the WCG's emphasis on obedience to the commandments and on prayer and fasting for help in overcoming lustful thoughts, etc., gave many men the help they needed to avoid expressing their sexual attraction to children (a mental/emotional condition most of them did not choose and would have preferred not to have). There were prostitutes, pedophiles, and womanizers who radically reformed their lives once they became involved with the WCG. (The same is true of other churches.) Armstrong's EXAMPLE may have had a negative influence on some who had tendencies toward deviant behaviors, but there was nothing in the "religion" itself that encouraged such behaviors. On the contrary, the "religion" strongly CONDEMNED those things!
Yes, it is true that Herbie's farce of a religion caused much harm.
Let's lace the blame where it belongs- right on the pedophile lying scumbag HWA.
You are absolutely right.
This elderly man , that has obviously mental issues.
He has done a evil deed.
This guy, Herbert Armstrong, has NOTHING to do with this mans personal twisted perverted actions.
It's a matter of self accountability.
The spirit of evil hatred shows it's ugly face on how one wrong offers more wrong.
Why some people get off on the harm of other humans is beyond compassionate thought.
Yes, this man is in prison - he has been taken away from his life to pay a cost for his perverse actions.
He is paying his debt to society as dictated to by our judicial system.
But beating an elderly person is no less more wicked than beating a child.
Before this man took hold to his actions by touching a child with his wicked hands - he was at that time , once, a good natured man. He was a kind hearted feller.
But due to his twisted mentally sick perversions he violated an innocent child.
Not sure if there are "Christians" on here or not. But for sure even if a person is fixing to be put to death, and of whom has truly repented of their deeds, then that person, going by how a christian sees it, would be forgiven of their deed and kindly placed to death with the ugly hatred towards the person.
Truly , the spirit of HATE is VERY evil.
So, when does this man get out of prison?
2023 or 2025?
If it's in 2025 than I guess he will be 88 years old?
At that time he will be under 10 years of law watch.
Being hateful towards him wouldn't be a Christian manner.
Now, with all that said, had that been your child he molested you would have a personal reason for holding an extra amount of bitterness. If it was my child , we wouldn't ever had made it to court.
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