Rape Charges filed against cult leader in MN - Merge

[prairiemuffin]

These poor, poor girls:

http://www.startribune.com/local/255322011.html

[Palimpsest]

The perp is still on the run. I hope they arrest him soon. Those poor girls indeed.

The Way International is very bad news so this was a really abusive cultish off-shoot of a bigger abusive cult. :(

[oneperson]

I'm glad someone posted this story.

I was in The Way for 28 years...1977 through 2005. I do not know Barnard though. I read about his splinter group after I had already left The Way. (Quite a few splinter groups have sprung from The Way.)

I posted a blog entry back in March...when the news was first released that these young women had come forward. The entry has links within it to the developing story. Here's a link to that blog entry: http://tossandripple.blogspot.com/2014/ ... wship.html

There is of course lots of media now picking up the story.

I am beyond glad (understatement) for these young women that they were finally heard and that Barnard is being pursued. I hope the authorities find him.

[doggie]

Of course his useless followers do nothing to stop it. People can be so foolish and gullible.

[Chowder Head]

have they found this this slug? Is there a want poster?

[oneperson]

have they found this this slug? Is there a want poster?

They've not found him yet.

You can google Victor Barnard cult and come up with lots of media links

Here are a few links...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/1 ... 61313.html

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25 ... z2z3tAcbpP

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/clip/100 ... rd-im-even

[oneperson]

Barnard's warrant was just issued on April 11, 2014.

[16strong]

Looks like it's the fall season for fundies. Toolbox, Gothard, this dude. I know I'm missing another leader or two here, but yeah. It's always nice to see tyrants brought low.

[oneperson]

Here's a link to Barnard's wanted poster listed by Washington State:

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/information/relea ... 41614b.htm

[prairiemuffin]

According to a local news segment from several months back, the parents of these girls knew about this, and were asked by Barnard to "give their blessing" to the sexual relations he would have with them.

I am just sick to my stomach over this.

[fiery redhead]

How terrible :( it reminds me of the Portlandia pilot episode, The Farm.

[oneperson]

Fox9 news out of Minneapolis aired a news clip tonight that gives some history regarding Barnard. Tom Lyden from Fox 9 is the anchor that broke this story first back in February and then followed up with more in March. He has done a great job giving these young women a voice and (from what I understand) helping nudge the authorities to take action.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/clip/100 ... or-barnard

[oneperson]

A discussion thread has been started at Greasespot Cafe (GSC).

http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/topic ... r-barnard/

GSC is a gathering place for ex-Way followers. It used to be very active but not so much in recent years since The Way has become 'old' news, so to speak.

[oneperson]

A new article was just posted in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Friends recall the rise and fall Victor Barnard: From charismatic kid to wanted fugitive, friends recall how a kid from Minneapolis fell in with The Way and lost his way."

http://www.startribune.com/local/255833 ... y#continue

I'm posting links to articles that I think may interest folks who might be following the story. Hope that's okay.

As far as The Way, if anyone has questions, I'll be glad to try to answer those.

Like others, I hope Barnard is found soon. And I'm so glad that charges were pressed. I know that, unfortunately, too many victims of sexual abuse aren't able to get charges filed against their perpetrators.

[lipstickgoalie]

So did anyone else notice the name of the camp? Northwoods. Never let your daughters go to any camp called Northwoods.

[oneperson]

The clip linked below must have aired yesterday.

It's entitled "Where is Victor Barnard?" and gives information on the current search.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/video?cl ... Start=true

[Toothfairy]

[link=]http://www.cbsnews.com/news/leader-of-virgin-camp-hit-with-59-counts-of-sex-with-minors[/link]

Victor Barnard, 52, is accused of repeatedly raping two girls over a period of several years, beginning when one was 12 years old and the other 13. Chief Deputy Steve Blackwell of Minnesota's Pine County Sheriff's Office told CBS News' Crimesider that although the indictment only includes allegations brought by two young women, police suspect Barnard may have committed similar crimes against many more.

According to court documents, in Jan. 2012 a then-24-year-old woman contacted the Pine County Sheriff's Office to report that she had been sexually abused by Barnard between the ages of 12-24.

The woman, referred to in court documents as "B", said that her family joined Barnard's "River Road Fellowship" in 2000 and she was among a group of 10 girls invited to live with Barnard as part of a so-called "Maiden's Group" at his lodge in a secluded area of the communal property. The arrangement was apparently supposed to be for the summer, but ended up being her permanent home.

"'B' said that when she was thirteen years old, Barnard first engaged in penile-vaginal penetration with her," according to the probable cause statement in the case. "Barnard repeatedly preached to her that he represented Christ in the flesh...and that it was normal for Barnard to have sex with her because it was God's Word."

"B" told police that she did not want to have sex with Barnard and that she protested and cried, but that over the next nine years, she estimated he had intercourse with her one to three times per month:

"Barnard would call her to the lodge when he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her....She said the other girls...were also called to the lodge to see Barnard in the same manner that she was but they never discussed what happened there. Barnard had told her many times not to tell anyone about having sex with him..."

In 2001, according to the documents, Barnard told "B's" parents that he might begin having sex with her. In an interview with police many years later, "B's" father told police that he "felt pressured to not say anything against Barnard...Looking back...he knew Barnard had sex with his daughter when she was still a child..."

The documents also tell of a second young woman, referred to as "C," who told investigators a story similar to B's. "C" alleges that she too was sent to the "Maidens Group" as a child and that Barnard began having sex with her when she was 12. She said that in 2001, she participated in a ceremony Barnard called the "Salt Covenant" where she and other girls pledged "to remain unmarried and virgins and loyal to Barnard for their entire lives."

Chief Deputy Blackwell says that as the girls got older and "break free, another girl turns 11 or 12" and was brought into the "Maidens Group."

According Blackwell, Barnard and some of his followers fled Minnesota for Washington State around the time the first woman came forward with her allegations.In Nov. 2012, an investigator from the Pine County Sheriff's Office traveled to the Spokane area where Barnard and members of the group had reportedly moved, but were unable to interview him and have now issued a warrant for his arrest. If convicted, Barnard faces multiple 30-year prison terms.

Blackwell says that Barnard has been flagged by Homeland Security.

:angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

There are still people defending this mans behavior. :pull-hair:

[Bethella]

There's already a thread on this.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=21560

[Toothfairy]

There's already a thread on this.

http://www.freejinger.org/forums/viewto ... =8&t=21560

Oops my bad. Thanks for the link.

[Toothfairy]

Sorry didn't know there was a thread about this I just watched this on the news. This is absolutely disgusting. There are still people defending this mans behavior :angry-banghead:

[doggie]

the parents are just as bad for allowing it. can't give up the religion to protect your children.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Disgusting. Why are so many religious leaders perverts?

[karen77]

well, he made people

http://www.people.com/people/article/0, ... 67,00.html

[doggie]

Disgusting. Why are so many religious leaders perverts?

because they have full control. what better position but where you can control the victim and sometimes the parents too?

[Toothfairy]

because they have full control. what better position but where you can control the victim and sometimes the parents too?

Parents should be charged too.