A family member of the two head pastors of the Faith Life Church, a megachurch in Ohio, has publically alleged she was a victim of sexual abuse.
The woman, who The Independent has contacted, revealed that she wanted to speak out as she says her allegations were dismissed by the Ohio Attorney General’s office (BCI) despite her going on record, because of an alleged conflict of interest within the department and the church.
After failing to provide her with a full explanation, the alleged victim said she began to suspect her mother, FLC’s head pastor, and a Knox County commissioner, Drenda Keesee, was embroiled in the cover-up because she reportedly maintains a close political relationship with Attorney General Dave Yost – who recused himself from the case because of a potential conflict of interest.
“Many are aware of allegations involving a family member”, she wrote on Facebook early this month.“I was a victim, and when I learned of ongoing concerns for others' safety in combination with others stories I already knew, I felt a responsibility to step forward.”
She claimed that a close friend working in law enforcement informed her that the case was “being ‘blocked’ due to [a] ‘conflict of interest.’”
Her parents, Gary, and Drenda Keesee, who both serve as the lead pastors of Faith Life Church, addressed the allegations earlier this month, according to local outlet Columbus CW.
During a live stream video on February 2, Gary addressed the congregation stating: “I am sure some of you have heard what is happening and what’s going on around here.
“We stand absolutely against harassment and abuse. Abuse is directly against everything we believe in."
He continued by stating that the pair were unaware of anyone on their staff roster being involved and insisted that he, his wife, and the pastoral team were not involved with the allegations.
According to a public records request made by ABC6, one woman alleges that she was sexually abused as a juvenile.
The story saw new developments this week after The Licking County Sheriff’s Office in Newark, Ohio, announced they would now be handling an investigation into the allegations – after the Knox County Sheriff’s Office put in a request for a handover.
The woman initially reported the abuse to Knox County officials but was reportedly told that another third party, Sheriff Daniel Weckesser, could not investigate because he said that there was a conflict of interest, according to a report from The Columbus Dispatch.
Another alleged victim, who stumbled across the woman’s abuse claims, also revealed that she too suffered abuse from someone with connections to the church.
“My old fears tried to stop me when deciding to open this case and It’s taken a long time for me to find my voice, but I am no longer afraid to share my truth. I want to let others know that they are not alone – there is hope, and healing is possible.
“I am deeply grateful for the support I’ve received along the way, and together we will pursue justice”, she wrote. Her post was shared by her husband who said he was “extremely proud” of his wife and the other victims who had come forward.
Since the alleged scandal emerged, a petition, that has now closed, appealed for justice after Yost reportedly refused to investigate the abuse because of the conflict of interest.
In the comments, a man who claimed to be Attorney General Dave Yost wrote: “This is Dave Yost. The Knox County Sheriff’s office realized it could not do this investigation because the suspect’s mother is a county commissioner, who votes on the Sheriff’s budget.“
“They reached out to our office to request BCI perform the investigation. The suspect’s parents are friends and have been to my home for dinner. My relationship with them meant that we could not credibly perform the investigation, either, and we informed the Sheriff of that fact.
“We suggested that another Sheriff’s office could be invited to do the necessary work, and offered to help identify one who would be willing to do so if necessary. I’ve spent my life fighting for the survivors of sexual abuse, both as a prosecutor and as attorney general. But if I had accepted this investigation, one of two things would have occurred: a charge, or a decision not to charge for lack of evidence.”
Yost told The Independent that he believes that the investigation would have been tainted if it was taken on by his office.
“The credibility of the investigation would have been called into question – either by my critics who would claim my friendship prevented a thorough investigation, or by defense counsel at trial, who would try to claim that I am overreacting and targeting his client to prove my integrity for political purposes,” he said.
“The victims in the situation deserve better than that. An independent third party must perform this investigation. By declining to perform an investigation in which I have personal conflict, I am honoring the victims, the process, the public at large and the cause of justice.”
The Independent contacted the Faith Life Church and Drenda Keesee for comment.
