WYFF4 Greenville, SC - April 14, 2007

Deputies: Men Molested, Beat Children At Church Home

TheCarolinaChannel.com

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Greenville Sheriff's Office said Friday that they are looking for adults who may have been victimized as children while living at a church home. Deputies arrested two men in 2006 who they say sexually abused children at the Tabernacle Baptist Church's children's home, and then threatened and beat them when they threatened to expose the abuse.

The Greenville Sheriff's Office said that the information regarding the arrests was delayed while they notified others who lived at the home during the late 1980s and early 1990s when the abuse is alleged to have occured.

"We have been talking with previous residents of the children's home to determine if there were any other cases of abuse going on at that time frame. So the investigators have spent a great deal of time locating these people and completing our investigation to this point," Greenville County Sheriff Lt. Shea Smith said.

A man and woman, who lived at Tabernacle's children's home when they were children, said they were abuse by employees of the home during that time period.

The man, who is now 27, said that he was sexually assaulted by Gregory Jones. He said that the molestation began when he was 7 and continued for several years.

Jones, who is now 50 and lives in Hiram, Ga., is charged with committing lewd acts.

The woman, who also lived at the children's home, said that she told Perry Sims, the director of the home, that she was being sexually abuse by an employee. She said that Sims beat her with a board, forcing her to keep the abuse secret. She said the abuse continued because she was forbidden to get help.

The man who said that Jones molested him said he was also beaten by Sims.

Sims, who is now 58 and lives in Sylacauga, Ala., is charged with child neglect and failure to report child abuse.

Jones and Sims were both released on bond.

Deputies said that there is no indication of any abuse occurring at the home currently.

Bryan Ramey, the attorney representing the Tabernacle Baptist Church, said that the church has also looked into the allegations.

He said, "We have not found any evidence that these are credible allegations. It is our hope and prayer that the truth comes out and justice will be done."

The man who came forward with the allegations has also filed a civil suit against Tabernacle Baptist.

Investigators believe there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18091960/

See also Baptist "Children's Home director accused of raping child", MSNBC.com, 7/2/2007