A LEADING Baptist minister has been charged with molesting young boys during trips to America.
According to this report, Robert Dando, 46, was arrested this week during a visit to Fairfax County, Virginia.
A US police photo of Dando
He is said to have sexually abused two boys, starting when they were aged seven and eight, over a period of up to five years during visits to a family friend in the US.
Dando has resigned from Worcester Park Baptist Church near Kingston in southwest London.
But further enquiries may be conducted in Britain. Dando had personal contact with boys here, working with the Boys’ Brigade. He has also worked for a children’s charity in India.
He has been charged in the US with four counts of aggravated sexual battery.
A spokesman for Fairfax County Police Department said yesterday:
In December 2009, a 21-year-old victim of sexual abuse came forward to Fairfax Police. The victim, who was between eight and 13 at the time of the abuse, alleges he was assaulted by a visiting family friend in a private residence in Fairfax County.
He added:
Police initiated an investigation and discovered a second victim, who is 17, who said he was abused under similar circumstances when he was seven or eight.
Dando was executive assistant to the president of the Baptist World Alliance. He is due in court in a month.
His wife Janice, 50, is a vice president of the Boys’ Brigade.
A spokesman for the youth movement said it was ‘deeply concerned’ and had removed Dando’s membership.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
August 21st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Wow, didn’t see this one coming. :sarcasm:
August 21st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
And so it goes on
August 21st, 2010 at 4:30 pm
There is one person is this sad litany of allegations,in his case, and proofs in others. His 50 year old wife. From the respect, the requests to be and do, within that religious framework the entire structure falls about her ears.
August 21st, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Really messed that up, didn’t I. I meant to say I felt some atheist sympathy his wife.
August 21st, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Is being a sexual predator a prerequisite of being a fundie minister these days? It would certainly seem to be.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:08 pm
The more religious someone is, the more likely it is that the person is incredibly evil.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:01 pm
While it is not in my nature to be fair to religious numb-skulls, this guy has not been tried yet. It seems fair to give him the benefit of the doubt, until a court reaches some sort of conclusion.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:49 pm
See, I like women in leather. If I was involved in, say an organisation called the women in leather brigade – untoward things would occur. It’s inevitable.
Seems men of the cloth who like boys – shouldn’t be trusted with a whole brigade of them.
There’s an inevitability about the clergy’s repression and all-consuming obsession with the sex lives of everyone else.
No priest is ever getting near my boy if I can help it!
August 22nd, 2010 at 7:29 am
Broga
You’re right about Dando’s wife. I often wonder if these xians marry to give themselves credibity and I pity their spouses. Rekers has a wife too so I suppose there’s no chance he’s gay.
These seedy creeps always get involved with, or found, clubs for young boys. Do you remember Thomas Hamilton the Dunblane mass murderer? The Scout Association rejected him so he simply set up his own group.
August 22nd, 2010 at 8:15 am
“credibity”
I could probably say that if I was pissed.
Try “credibility”. Or cediblty.
August 22nd, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Someone should check out the Indian link. He is sure to have left victims in his wake.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Online site has an endless list of Baptist predators behind the pews given cover by the Baptist Convention:
stopbaptistpredators.org