Tommy Shelton Arrested

The following links show that Tommy Shelton was arrested:

Former Fairfax minister arrested for molesting children

Ex-Pastor Accused of Sexual Assault

Former Dunn Loring Pastor Charged With Sexual Abuse

Ex-Pastor Accused Of Sexual Assault In Va.

For those who may not know, Tommy Shelton, who is the brother of Danny Shelton, worked at 3ABN for a period of time.

Discussion here will be limited to this news item and won't be permitted to branch off into any other direction.

More news regarding this:

He is mentioned as a former pastor of the Community Church of God. What is (or has been in the past) his relationship with the SDA Church?

That is a good question.

All I really know about him as far as any connection or relationship with the SDA Church goes is that he is the brother of Danny Shelton and he also worked at 3ABN, which is supposed to have some type of relationship with the SDA Church.

This link is pertinent to this thread:

http://www.3abnvjoy.com/mad-07cv40098/ma...t%20Ezra%20CoG/

Daryl, I might be wrong, but I think this update is probably part of the news item you are confining this thread to.

Tommy Shelton pled guilty to child molestation last Monday, July 19, as reported by the Washington Post: "Minister pleads guilty to molesting boys in Fairfax." From the article:


Sentencing is to occur on September 24. But if the judge does not accept the plea deal because he thinks Tommy should serve some jail time, things may be up in the air awhile longer.

You can plea deal yourself out of a child molestation sentence?

Originally, Tommy tried to get a deal that would get him out of both jail time and having to register as a sex offender. That didn't fly.

Then around a few weeks before his first trial was to begin, his lawyer tried again, but with the understanding that he would have to register as a sex offender.

I guess you can try to strike whatever deal the prosecutor is willing to go with. But in this case the judge said he wasn't sure he was going to accept the deal if there was no jail time.

You're right, though. It doesn't sound right for Tommy to get out of all jail time.

His pleading guilty obviously makes him a sex offender and removes the innocent until proven guilty aspect, as I can't see an innocent person pleading guilty for any reason, especially in the case of a professing Christian, which I think he claimed, or claims to be.

Just an update on this to say that due to an illness of the judge on the day Tommy Shelton was to have been sentenced, he hasn't been sentenced yet.

It is my understanding that he will be sentenced some time in December.

It now seems that Tommy Shelton will be sentenced on Monday, November 15, 2010.

The judge today rejected Tommy's plea deal. Currently, his trials are scheduled for January.

The reason the judge rejected his plea deal is that his statement did not express remorse. So the judge gave him a second chance and had him take the stand. But whatever Tommy said on the stand did not convince the judge that he was remorseful.

Tommy may try a second plea deal, but the second time around would probably have to include jail time.

Whats the deal with church leaders and inability to own the responsibility for crimes committed against children? Not to mention recognising that it is wrong.

Tommy Shelton was a church leader in that he was a pastor, however, as far as I know, he was never a pastor or church leader of the SDA Church.

As far as your question goes, look what the church leaders of Christ's time on Earth did to Him.

The media link about this that you can look at and listen to is here:

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=120337&catid=158

Here is another link that you can watch and listen to right here: