SDA school principal arrested on sex charges

[Key Guy]

From the Baltimore, Maryland (USA) Sun

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/eastern-shore/bal-md.cw.principal16jun16,0,5138625.story

Quote:

A Queen Anne's County private school principal was arrested Monday and charged with three counts of sexual conduct involving a 14-year-old girl, state police said.

Lowell S. Litton Jr., 39, of Sudlersville was charged with a third-degree sex offense, a fourth-degree sex offense and sex abuse of a minor, police said.

If convicted, he faces up to 36 years of imprisonment.

Police said the investigation began Sunday when officers at Centreville took a complaint of possible inappropriate sexual relations involving a juvenile.

Police said they found information revealing an "ongoing and inappropriate" sexual relationship between a 39-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.

Investigators learned that the girl had become acquainted with Litton about four years ago. Police said the relationship consisted of "several sexually oriented incidents" in different locations in Maryland and Delaware.

Police said Litton is employed as the principal of the Eastern Shore Junior Academy, a small, Seventh-day Adventist school in Sudlersville.

It is the policy of the Maryland State Police to not identify accusers in sex crime cases.

Litton is being held on a $25,000 bond at Kent County Detention Center.

Police presented a search warrant at Litton's Queen Anne's County residence Monday and seized his computer and several printed documents.

(video posted online)

[phkrause]

This is really sad TW, and why is it, its always or it seems that way, an Adventist.

pk

[lazarus]

I know this guy quite well.

It's weird that mug shots make suspects look the part but he is the last person I would have thought would have been accused of something like this. In his former school he was probably the most popular teacher in the school. In my experience he was always kind, respectful and appropriate to everyone. Of course we all need to pray for the girl, his family and him.

[John317]

If you work in "corrections," you hardly ever meet a prisoner who was SDA before being sentenced. It is very rare. The system is full of non-SDAs. But when it does happen, it is always too many and it shouldn't be something we get used to.

[Tom Wetmore]

Yes, all who know him that I have spoken with are equally shocked at the allegations against him.

But a lesson to be learned is that perps of this sort of crime are seldom obvious or creepy malingering subhumans. They appear normal, pleasant and indeed quite likeable.

[Dr. Shane]

So if he is found guilty and serves his time, how long will it take before another Adventist school hires him?

[TreeOfLife]

”Judge not…”

Dear Seventh-day Adventist Brethren and Sisters,

First of all, remember Joseph and the wife of Potiphar! Joseph was sentenced as guilty, yet was he really guilty?

Second, and consider this very carefully, is it ever possible for any third party to know firsthand the reality of any private relationship between two other parties? Is it not true, that whatever superficial insights, or hearsay, that may be available, is necessarily serving only as a basis for a projection of the private experiences of the beholder, coloring his or her judgment / accusation / evaluation / determination re such as is indeed unknowable about that private relationship between two other parties?

Third, isn’t it strange that the name of the accused is widely published even before anything is determined re the truth of the accusations against him – thus forever staining his reputation in the eyes of the masses who willingly accept the leadership of the Accuser, whomever he or she is – while the name of the Accuser, even Satan, is protected as a matter of routine? Shouldn’t the nature of such procedures tell us something about whose jurisdiction this is? Remember these words?:

Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

[TreeOfLife]

SDAs in prison…

“it shouldn't be something we get used to.”

If you work in "corrections," you hardly ever meet a prisoner who was SDA before being sentenced. It is very rare. The system is full of non-SDAs. But when it does happen, it is always too many and it shouldn't be something we get used to.

[Tom Wetmore]

I would say that under the current system and practice that there is very little risk of that happening. The standard operating proceedure, as required by law in most all states, for all educational employees having contact with children requires a background check that would reveal the conviction. Any school hiring a person with a record of sexual misconduct, loses insurance coverage for employment related claims involving that person.

[bonnie]

So if he is found guilty and serves his time, how long will it take before another Adventist school hires him?

There is a rehire after a civil lawsuit at times. Generally speaking those finally caught have been suspected or known about for a long time. It is rarely their first offense. They are typically moved to another conference.

It seems to be getting somewhat better as more and more victims realize they are not the only one or the one to blame for their own abuse. The internet has brought many together that thought they were alone.

[TreeOfLife]

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Those who have never experienced the contrition of an entire surrender to Christ do not in their life make manifest the softening influence of the Saviour's love. They misrepresent the gentle, courteous spirit of the gospel and wound precious souls, for whom Christ died. According to the figure that our Saviour uses, he who indulges a censorious spirit is guilty of greater sin than is the one he accuses, for he not only commits the same sin, but adds to it conceit and censoriousness. {MB 125.2}

There may be a wonderful keenness of perception to discover the defects of others; but to everyone who indulges this spirit, Jesus says, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." He who is guilty of wrong is the first to suspect wrong. By condemning another he is trying to conceal or excuse the evil of his own heart. It was through sin that men gained the knowledge of evil; no sooner had the first pair sinned than they began to accuse each other; and this is what human nature will inevitably do when uncontrolled by the grace of Christ. {MB 126.1}

When men indulge this accusing spirit, they are not satisfied with pointing out what they suppose to be a defect in their brother. If milder means fail of making him do what they think ought to be done, they will resort to compulsion. Just as far as lies in their power they will force men to comply with their ideas of what is right. This is what the Jews did in the days of Christ and what the church has done ever since whenever she has lost the grace of Christ. Finding herself destitute of the power of love, she has reached out for the strong arm of the state to enforce her dogmas and execute her decrees. Here is the secret of all religious laws that have ever been enacted, and the secret of all persecution from the days of Abel to our own time. {MB 126.2}

[Key Guy]

Sanford aside... No one is guilty as charged. Just ask them.

[bonnie]

Sanford aside... No one is guilty as charged. Just ask them.

That is not entirely correct. Knowing that the accusations are valid many have been transferred to another conference. Totally without regard to the victim or support that she/he may need.

With the enormous amount of damages paid out it seems to be getting better,but a long way to go