COMMENTARY: The police say they have no evidence that Gorski abused anyone “in the church.” And that is to be expected, given the fact that the Watchtower has a long-standing policy of suppressing the reporting of crimes committed against the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even if a JW child had been abused the authorities may not have been notified. Since the elder was removed obviously the congregation had reason to remove him. The harmfulness of that policy is underscored in this instance, in that, the accused was not only an elder, but he was a school teacher as well. Reporting an alleged crime committed by a man who works with children would probably trigger increased scrutiny of him and may have prevented others from being abused. After all, communities make the identities of registered sexual predators known for the welfare of people in the community. Of course, the Watchtower is not at all concerned about protecting children from sexual predators. They are only concerned about protecting the image of the organization as a spirit paradise and primarily protecting their coffers from lawsuits by pedophiles.
A former Long Beach school teacher was arrested last week after authorities received a report about sexual abuse alleged to have occurred from 2007 to 2009, police announced Thursday.
Jason Gorski, 43, surrendered to Buena Park police on June 21 and was booked on suspicion of sex crimes with a child under 14 and continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to Sgt. Mike Lovchik. Gorski worked as the boy’s school teacher and as an elder within their Jehovah’s Witness church congregation in Cypress, police said.
“We have no evidence at this point that any crimes occurred in the church or at the school,” Lovchik said.
Police were contacted by a man who said he was abused from 2007 to 2009, from the ages of 12 to 15, authorities said. It came to an end when it was reported to the church, but it was only recently reported to authorities, police said.
The crimes reportedly occurred in Buena Park, Lovchik said. Gorski remains free on $100,000 bail, he said.
A man who answered the phone at the Cypress congregation and who refused to identify himself said Gorski was no longer part of the congregation and declined to comment further.
“I’m not allowed to give out any information regarding him,” he said.
Gorski worked as a school teacher at Southwestern Longview Private School for approximately three to four years and his employment ended in April 2007. The school permanently closed at the end of the school year in June 2007, police said.
Gorski attended the Cypress congregation for several years and was appointed as an elder of the congregation in May 2007. After the disclosure to the church in 2009, police said, Gorski was removed as an elder but continued to attend services.
Sometime around 2010, Gorski relocated to South Carolina and became a part of a nearby Jehovah’s Witness congregation, police said. It is unclear whether police arrested Gorski in South Carolina.
“Over the years, many children have been exposed to Gorski, specifically during his time as a school teacher and church leader,” police said. “It is believed that additional victims may exist who have not yet reported their abuse to authorities.”
People with knowledge of any abuse by Gorski are asked to contact Buena Park police at 714-562-3963.
Source LA TIMES
