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| Good Christian, David Lynn Richards Jr, convicted of nine counts of rape, incest and sexual battery. Photo credit: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel |
A former Christian pastor who repeatedly raped his 14 year-old adopted daughter has been given a light sentence by a Judge in Knox County, Tennessee because he is a good Christian.
According to this report in the Knoxville News Sentinel, David Lynn Richards Jr, a former minister in the My Father's House Church of God in Lenoir City, was convicted by a jury at Knox County Criminal Court on nine felony counts of rape, icest and sexual battery. He protested his innocence throughout the trial, despite the evidence of his DNA being found in semen on his daughters bed frame.
His victim, Amber Richards, who voluntarily gave up her right to anonymity, sat with her biological parents in courts. In her victim impact testimony, described how she felt she wanted to throw her body away, and said:
Not a day goes by that I don't, in some way, think of what he did to me. ... I firmly believe if given the opportunity, he would victimize another young girl.
Despite the lenient treatment of rape and incest in Bible-belt Tennessee, which can both be punished with probation, the charge of sexual battery carries a mandatory custodial sentence. The maximum custodial sentence Knox County Criminal Court Judge, Steve Sword could have imposed was 72 years - the sentence pressed for by the prosecution. However, Judge Steven Sword decided to listen to those who came forward to give their support to 'good Christian man of God' David Lynn Richards Jr.
David Thompson, who shared ministry duties with Richards at the My Father's House Church of God said:
I find it impossible for me to believe he's guilty of this. His business needs him. His family needs him. Our church needs him.
On being convicted, Richards again protested his innocence and proclaimed that God had allowed a miscarriage of justice for a purpose.
Judge Sword took into account the testimony of his friend and fellow pastor, his 'long-term ministry' and that while in prison, Richards had started Bible reading classes for the other inmates at the Knox County Detention Facility. Curiously, Judge Sword held that these factors were mitigating factors.
He handed down a 12 year sentence; only a fraction of the 72 years he could have handed down.
It would appear that Christian 'persecution' has now reached the point in Bible-belt Tennessee where a 'good Christian' is entitled to leniency in courts when he happens to rape a child, commit incest and sexually batter a minor over whom he has authority.
In Tennessee, USA, today, a good Christian is someone who talks the talk but doesn't need to bother with walking the walk. Blessed are the pious for they shall receive favours. Tweet
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