this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2024
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A youth leader at a Texas megachurch has been arrested for allegedly inducing young girls to send him explicit inappropriate images.

Prosecution documents in Abilene, Texas, state that 24-year-old Charles Goff admitted to police that he went on social media and solicited nude photos from girls aged 14 and 15. They also allege that Goff met with a fellow church member and admitted his wrongdoing.

Goff was a youth volunteer at Beltway Park Church, a large baptist megachurch in Abilene in north central Texas with two campuses in the city and a congregation of nearly 5,000 people every week.

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[–] GrymEdm@lemmy.world 103 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If Christian parents were really concerned about their child's safety they'd let them go to library book readings and keep them away from church groups and camps.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

"Ban books having anything to do with sex from public libraries so that children are less likely to realize and communicate they've been sexually abused by the church. It's foolproof." –the GOP probably

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

It's amazing that so many parents who should know better don't think that age-appropriate sex education in schools is a good idea because "it's up to the parents" (who then never teach it).

In my opinion- "Bad touch" is something every small child should understand and it should be reaffirmed in kindergarten, maybe even first grade. By age 8, a child should understand the basics of human reproduction. By age 12 they should understand the basics of contraception and STDs.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Not probably, this is 100% the intention. Not just church though, but schools and homes as well.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 52 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Christian Youth Leader is just code for pedophile at this point.

[–] arin@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

Christian is enough to get me queezy and i make sure i avoid them

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

Always has been.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 50 points 1 week ago

oh look, yet another not-a-drag-queen abusing children

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's almost as if churches are the most dangerous place for children. And since they want Bible's and the ten commandments in schools, I want the whole Encyclopedia Britannica and a poster for child abuse hotline in every church.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 35 points 1 week ago

"Christians": 'Think of the children!!! '

Also "Christians": 'I do...all the time. It's all I think about really.' ( ͡ʘ ͜ʖ ͡ʘ)

[–] MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works 30 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Not to defend churches in general, but the article headline here is pretty misleading in calling this guy a youth leader. He was a volunteer. And, to the church's credit, when this came out they immediately began cooperating with law enforcement and even referred anyone with more info to talk to the police.

I don't like churches in general, but this one did as well as any other organization that has volunteers working with kids. They had background checks in place and did not try to cover anything up.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

They also have a volunteer position with many potential victims in the first place...

I also remember when I was a kid playing tag hide and seek with my cousins I chased them into one room but they suddenly stopped to look up at the figurines and said "it's mary...." and didn't respond to anything for 3-5 minutes. That was probably the first time I ever felt scared of the church.

[–] MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago

I'm not sure what difference it makes here that it was a volunteer position. There was a background check (two, actually) just like there would have been if it was a paid position. Schools often use volunteers too to read to kids or tutor after school, etc.

I'm not saying churches are always this responsible. I'm saying we should applaud the ones that take steps to prevent this and work with law enforcement when those steps fail

[–] oakey66@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago

"Every allegation is a confession" example 1 billion.

you.

Don't.

Fucking.

SAY

[–] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's always the ones you most suspect.

[–] notsure@fedia.io 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] notsure@fedia.io 0 points 1 week ago

I swear I have someone tailing me and downvoting all my progressive/truthful posts...no response needed. Just want a record...

[–] darth_tiktaalik@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 week ago

One sentence horror: Don't worry ma'am your child is just meeting with our youth pastor.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

it's always the ones you most expect

[–] garretble@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

flips chair around and sits down

“You know who ELSE was a…”

Wait; I don’t think this joke works this time…

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nah, he hung around a bunch of young men.

Didn't seem all that interested in women though. Plus he said this:

https://biblehub.com/matthew/15-11.htm

So you know he was a swallower, not a spitter.

[–] CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Wow, it's interesting to see the dozens and dozens of different translations of what is supposed to be a single statement given by god.

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

To be fair, there's regularly dozens of translations and interpretations of anything from one language to another. It's not like these texts were originally written in English.

I mean look at the variation of interpretations of the US constitution in American history. And that is in English and much more recent.

[–] ohellidk@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

sigh ANOTHER ONE...

[–] Cargon@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago

I am Cargon's complete lack of surprise.

[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 week ago

If you want a group to preemptively round up and detain, let’s talk about youth pastors and church youth group leaders. At least there’s evidence of a trend there.

[–] AlbinoPython@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Man, that is one haggard looking drag queen.