A former director of a church youth group in Pennsylvania invoked God as he molested a young boy decades ago, authorities said Friday. Richard Garnett, who previously worked as the "games director" at Roaring Brook Baptist Church in Hunlock Creek, on Thursday was convicted of sexual assault and child endangerment, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced. "This defendant used his position as an educator and leader within the church to exploit vulnerable children," Sunday told Newsweek in a statement.
"I commend the bravery of the survivor who came forward about these crimes, and am grateful for the dedication of the investigators and prosecutors who fought for justice. I hope this verdict provides some comfort for those harmed." Garnett, 73, sexually abused the boy in the church basement from 2004 to 2006. The victim recalled during trial being in first or second grade when Garnett would pull him from a classroom and sexually assault him in a darkened basement, Sunday said.
The victim recalled being assaulted at least three times throughout the time period. The boy also told police Garnett forced him to wash his hands after one assault, told him not to tell anyone and added, "God would want you to do this," Sunday noted. A jury convicted Garnett of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
He was previously sentenced to at least six years in prison in 2021 after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two girls in the early 1980s. Garnett, who remains in custody ahead of his sentencing scheduled for December, had been arrested by Pennsylvania State Police in March 2021. He was arrested after investigators executed a search warrant at the Hunlock Township church in late 2017, seizing computers and attendance records, the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader reported.
He also admitted during trial that he was sexually attracted to children decades ago, but insisted he did not exploit a third victim, adding he "wouldn't even dream of it," the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice reported. Garnett testified that other church leaders were "always there" as he organized games in the church basement and denied ever taking a child into a secluded furnace room, according to the outlet. But Garnett acknowledged his prior conviction of molesting two young girls four decades earlier during cross-examination and admitted taking the job despite his sexual interest in children.
He also insisted he was no longer sexually attracted to minors. "I started going to church," Garnett said as to what sparked the transformation. "I didn't do hardly any reading ...
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