Sunday school teacher accused of molesting child
Sarah Muench,
The Arizona Republic, 12/31/07
Police have arrested a Chandler Sunday school teacher on suspicion of molesting a 5-year-old girl while at the church, reports show. Police say Terry Greenwood, 62, a Chandler United Methodist Church Sunday school teacher, told them that he molested the girl and made her perform oral sex, police reports show.
Greenwood is being held without bond in Maricopa County Jail. The girl's mother heard her daughter talking about the sexual acts, she said in a police report. During a police interview, the girl detailed the contact she said she had with Greenwood and said the incidents happened more than once at the church, reports show. In a police-recorded phone interview with the victim's mother,
Greenwood admitted exposing himself to her daughter twice, and said he made a mistake and he was ashamed of it, reports show. Greenwood told her he blamed his actions on medication he was taking for high blood pressure, that he has erectile dysfunction and mental problems, the police report shows.
On Dec. 21, police arrested Greenwood, also an employee at a Chandler Paradise Bakery, on suspicion of child molestation, sexual conduct with a minor and indecent exposure. Greenwood admitted to touching the girl inappropriately on Dec. 9, then oral sex and exposing himself on Dec. 12 in an empty classroom and then in an art room. Greenwood told police "he knew he could take advantage of her because of her age, she trusted him and she would not tell because she was always so quiet,"
Chandler Detective John Beekman wrote in the report. "Terry admitted that since he felt he got away with it that first Sunday, it emboldened him to do it again the following Sunday." Before the alleged molestation, he told police he also tried to touch other girls in December in the class. Greenwood tried to put his hand under their dresses and they pushed his hand away, he told police. According to a police interview,
Greenwood said that months earlier he also tried to inappropriately touch friends of his 11-year-old daughter. Greenwood, a married father of two, said he was ashamed of what he has done, the report said, but became curious after viewing child pornography and then felt "titillated and sexually aroused" when touching or trying to touch the young girls. "Terry eventually admitted that he knew it would be easier to get this feeling with a young child he could take advantage of and that trusted him, than trying to find an adult woman or woman near his age," Beekman wrote.
At least one other victim has come forward, according to the report. Church officials sent out information to their parishioners about Greenwood, prompting another victim to call police with another possible case against Greenwood, the police report shows. Detectives are investigating the case, said Detective David Ramer, a Chandler police spokesman.
Retrieved January 1, 2008 from http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/1231cr-molest0101.html
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