How Could You? Hall of Shame-Timothy L. Dampier and Lawsuit UPDATED

By on 5-10-2011 in Abuse in foster care, How could you? Hall of Shame, Lawsuits, Timothy Dampier, Washington

How Could You? Hall of Shame-Timothy L. Dampier and Lawsuit UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Seattle, Washington, foster father and minister, Timothy L. Dampier, 34, accused of sexually assaulting three children has been charged with 3 counts of child molestation and 1 count of child rape.

“Filing charges late Monday, King County prosecutors contend Timothy L. Dampier sexually assaulted at least three boys and likely molested many more. Dampier, a licensed foster parent, had been employed by at least eight organizations serving children.

“The defendant has admitted to inappropriate touching of three identified boys,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Lisa Johnson told the court.
“Over the years, the defendant has associated and ingratiated himself with a number of programs that specifically cater to youths and organizations that have youth programs,” Johnson continued. Through those organizations, she told the court, Dampier gained access to “the vulnerable populations that the defendant appears to target.”
““Dampier is reportedly a minister who is heavily involved as a musician in multiple Central Seattle-area churches,” Seattle Detective Donna Stangeland told the court. “He also has a history as a licensed foster parent, a counselor in various group homes, and as an employee of various charitable organizations.”
Dampier had been employed by the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club but was suspended after the investigation was launched, the detective continued.
Stangeland noted that Dampier had been investigated on suspicion of inappropriate sexual contact with children at least four times. Those investigations were abandoned after the alleged victims and witnesses refused to cooperate.
In April, a now-21-year-old man reported Dampier molested him multiple times when he was 10 to 13 years old, Stangeland said. The man also told investigators he’d seen Dampier touch other children inappropriately.
According to charging documents, a minister at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church arranged a 2010 meeting between Dampier and the man. During the meeting, Stangeland told the court, Dampier admitted to “playful” touching but denied any molestation.
Speaking with the man and several other alleged victims, Stangeland received reports that Dapier met the boys while working for churches or group homes in the Seattle area, according to court documents. Dampier brought boys to his Eastlake neighborhood home, the detective told the court, and allowed youths to stay at his home.
Contacted by detectives on May 4, Dampier allegedly admitted to molesting several children during the early 2000s.”
He had been employed at multiple licensed group homes over the years. “According to charging documents, Dampier worked at or was associated with the following organizations: Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church; New Hope Baptist Church; Samuel House; Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center; Ryther Child Center; Union Gospel Mission; Seattle Parks and Recreation; and the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club.
Dampier is scheduled to be arraigned on May 23 at the King County Courthouse. He is currently jailed on $250,000 bail.”

[Seattle Post-Intelligencer 5/9/11 by Levi Pulkkinen]

Update: “County prosecutors have added three more charges to the case of a Bellevue Boys and Girls Club employee who has been accused of child rape and molestation.

Timothy L. Dampier, 37, was arraigned in King County Superior Court on a total of eight charges, five for child molestation, one for sexual exploitation of a minor, one for communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and one count of child rape. Dampier pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday.
Dampier was suspended by the Boys and Girls Club when charges surfaced.
Dampier was accused of numerous trysts with minors in their early teens throughout the past decade, according to court documents.
In the three new charges, Dampier is alleged to have engaged in sexual conduct with one boy regularly. Dampier was a friend of the boy’s family, and knew him from the age of 10. The now 18-year-old boy told Seattle Police that Dampier showed him pornography, and touched his genitals consistently while he was in middle school. Police located a video in 2009 showing the boy in sexual contact with Dampier. At the time, he refused to discuss his relationship with the man, but at this point, he told police he remembered the incident, but was unaware of the video tape.
In further charges, authorities allege that Dampier was sending inappropriate text messages to several boys. These messages, recovered through a search of his phone records, show multiple conversations throughout this year about pornography, penis size and masturbation between Dampier and various boys, according to court documents.
Dampier will have a pre-trail hearing on August 19, and his trial is set to begin Sept. 29, King County Prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe said.”

3 more charges filed against Bellevue Boys and Girls Club employee accused of child molestation
[Seattle Post-Intelligencer 5/23/11 by Nat Levy]

“In another case in the courts, Timothy L. Dampier has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused several children in the region. He has been charged with one count of child molestation in the first degree, three counts of child molestation in the second degree, one count of child molestation in the third degree, one count of rape of a child in the second degree, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, according to court documents.

Dampier has been active in several Central District churches, and the allegations came to light after he was hired as a musician at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.

Dampier’s trial date has been scheduled for September 29. He was arrested May 4 and is being held in King County jail on $500,000 bail.”
Court updates: Alleged axe murderer trial set + alleged molester pleads not guilty
[Central District News 5/24/11 by Tom Fucoloro]

Update 2: “A minister and former foster father was accused last year in a King County Superior Court with the sexual abuse of at least 10 young boys.  Thursday, Timothy L. Dampier, 39, pleaded guilty to 22 counts which involved ten victims between the ages of nine and 17 years old,

According to Seattle Times, Dampier abused those ten boys from 1997 through 2011.  Some of the children attended his church, while others were members of youth programs with which he was involved.

Dampier pleaded guilty to:

Dampier was a foster dad that first came under investigation by Seattle police after one of his alleged victims came forward in April 2011 to report that Dampier had started sexually molesting him when he was 10-years-old.  That victim also reported that the abuse continued for three years, until 2002.

The victim, now 21-years-old, reported to the police that the abuse took place in Dampier’s van after church functions.

Throughout the investigation into Dampier, additional alleged victims and witnesses also began to come forward.

Another man alleged that Dampier raped him, masturbated in front of him and showed him child pornography when he was between 12 and 13 years old in 2001 and 2002.

Dampier confessed to police that he inappropriately touched at least three boys and performed oral sex on one of them multiple times, when the boy was around 12.

Dampier is looking at a range of 20 – 26 in prison on the guilty counts.”

Seattle minister pleads guilty to 22 counts of child sexual abuse

[Examiner 9/15/12 by Richard Webster]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update 3: He was sentenced to 22 years in prison on February 22, 2013.

“A minister and former foster parent who sexually abused at least 10 young boys was sentenced Friday to 22 years in prison.

Timothy L. Dampier, 39, pleaded guilty to a total of 22 counts involving ten victims between the ages of nine and 17 years old, according to prosecutors.

Dampier had been involved in a number of Seattle-area youth programs at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church, Ruth Dykeman Children’s Center, Ruther Child Center, Samuel House, Union Gospel Mission and Seattle Parks and Recreation. He also works as a minister at several Seattle churches, detectives said.

The allegations of abuse came to light after Dampier was hired as a musician at the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in the city’s Central District in April 2011. Prosecutors say he committed the crimes between 1997 and 2011.

Detectives said Dampier had been investigated for inappropriate sexual contact with children at least four different times in the past, but because witnesses did not wish to cooperate with investigators, he was never charged.

Dampier initially denied the charges, but last September pleaded guilty to first and second degree rape of a child. He also pleaded guilty to first, second, and third degree child molestation, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.”

Seattle minister, former foster parent gets 22 years for child rape

[KOMO news 2/22/13]

Update 4: ““It means that he wanted to, they as a whole wanted to, close a chapter and sweep it under the rug,” child sexual abuse victim Kenny M. said Tuesday.

Kenny M. is one of three plaintiffs in a recently settled civil lawsuit against Seattle’s Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church and its pastor, Robert Lee Manaway

At the center of the lawsuit — Timothy Dampier, a longtime leader, youth pastor and singer at Tabernacle.

Two years ago, Dampier was found guilty of sexually abusing 17 boys and was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

“We maintained in the lawsuit that Tabernacle knew or should have known that Dampier was a problem,” Kenny’s attorney, Bill Waechter, said.

The plaintiffs do not want the out-of-court settlement amount made public.

Should have known, according to court documents, because Kenny M. said he told him, but contends that Manaway never called police.

“Pastor Manaway’s response was to arrange a meeting between Tim Dampier and Kenny and himself … It’s sounds unbelievable to all of us but it’s what happened,” Waechter said.

Kenny then said he reported the abuse to another pastor where Dampier was working, and his arrest soon followed.

“I knew that it was still going on.  I felt like, I felt like he was still being let into a place where he knew he was comfortable and he knew he could get away with it. I had to protect, not only my child but other people’s children and I heard he was working with children still, that’s when I really drew a line,” Kenny M. said.

“I can’t imagine how many lives Kenny M. saved by going to Pastor Jeffries when his meeting with Pastor Manaway failed,” Waechter said.

Today, Kenny and the other two plaintiffs are trying to get on with their lives.

Kenny said neither Manaway nor anyone else at the church has apologized — but that’s OK.

Kenny just wants to take care of his family and forgive those who have hurt him.

“Yeah, I have to. In order for me to know I’m going to heaven and I don’t have any sins to be forgiven, yes, without a doubt in my mind, I have to forgive them,” Kenny M. said.

For the better part of two years, Q13 Fox News has tried to speak with Pastor Manaway about this story, but he has failed to return phone calls.

Kenny said he believes there are more boys who were abused by  Dampier.

He encourages them to come forward.

He said that was the beginning of closure for him and he wants the same for any other victims.”

Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church settles child sex abuse lawsuit out of court[Q13Fox 8/26/14 by James lynch]

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