Report: 4 Louisiana men among Southern Baptist leaders accused of sexual misconduct

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Updated: Feb. 11, 2019 at 6:10 AM CST
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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) -Four Louisiana men have been accused in a report of sexual misconduct among Southern Baptist leaders, according to two Texas newspapers.

The San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle created a database for all the accused church leaders. The database allows people to search by name, state, or position.

The Louisiana men listed in the database are:

Holland Farrell McMorris:

  • Position: Pastor
  • Conviction: 2010 in Rapides Parish
  • McMorris is serving a 25-year sentence in Louisiana State Prison for sex crimes.

Angelo “Doogie” Golatt:

  • Position: Youth minister, volunteer
  • Conviction: March 2012 in Rapides Parish
  • Golatt was convicted of four counts of forcible rape and is serving a 40-year sentence in Louisiana State Prison.

James Robert Griffin:

  • Position: Associate pastor
  • Conviction: 2009 in St. Tammany Parish
  • Griffin was convicted of aggravated incest and pornography involving juveniles. He is a registered sex offender in Louisiana, but is listed as “non-complaint” after he moved without notifying authorities.

Jonathan Bailey:

  • Position: Youth minister
  • Conviction: 2016 in Orleans Parish
  • Bailey was convicted of 12 felonies, including molestation of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile and obstruction. He is serving a 10-year sentence in Louisiana State Prison.

According to the report, the six-month investigation found about 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and workers who were accused of sexual misconduct since 1998, leaving more than 700 victims. Some were as young as 3 years old while others were adults when they were abused, the newspapers reported.

About 220 offenders — among them pastors, ministers, Sunday school teachers, deacons and church volunteers — have been convicted or have taken plea deals, with dozens of cases still pending. Nearly 100 are still in prison, according to state and federal records. Dozens of others made plea deals and served no time, according to the Associated Press.

The report says more than 100 are registered sex offenders, and some have returned to the pulpit. At least 35 church pastors, employees and volunteers who exhibited predatory behavior were still able to find jobs at churches.

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