The police has made arrests when they discovered how normal use of corporal punishment in religious boarding schools affect the children. The extent of the brushing doesn't seem to out of line with what normally takes place but it is judged illegal by the police so now they will try this case in court. Parents should be more aware of what they sign children up for.
Clarksville, Ind. pastor facing felony charges
by Tabnie Dozier, September 2015
SELLERSBURG, Ind. (WHAS11) – Tucked away off Highway 31 near I-65 in Clarksville sits Crossroads Baptist Church, a place of worship but what investigators said they discovered this week on its property is far from holy.
Clark County Prosecuting Attorney explains, "When they interviewed these children they did discover that multiple did have severe bruising on them where they had been paddles with a wood paddle."
Mull said the church's pastor Gerald Harris and Christopher Williams will be facing felony battery and neglect charges for beating young children.
Court documents show the children were living in a building behind the church, they were tied with rope and whipped with paddles.
"What the law doesn't permit is to take a wooden paddle and beat eight and eleven and fourteen year old children to the point where they have extensive and severe bruising on their backs and their backsides and their legs," Mull said.
We're told the building, called The Well of Grace Boarding Academy housed the dozens of children, many from out of state.
While trying to learn more about the organization, WHAS11 found a description on Facebook, "A boy’s home under the authority of Crossroads Baptist reaching school age boys heading down the paths of destruction."
Mull explained that all the children are now safe, "They have been removed from the facility by the Indiana department of child services they have been temporarily placed in a safe environment and many will be returning to their parents."
Tuesday's welfare check by the Clarksville police resulted in the arrests of Harris and Williams, the Boarding academy has since been closed.
Investigators said the children were selling candy in Owensboro, Ky. and told a potential customer that they feared they would be beat if they didn't sell enough, that's when police were called.
Charges are officially expected to be filed Thursday morning, a hearing will then be set.
