Michael D’Attoma was named in a lawsuit alleging he sexually abused Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2. The lawsuit also names Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and the Northside Baptist Church because, incredibly, D’Attoma continued as pastor at the Northside Baptist Church for six more years after the abuse was reported in 2014.
Moreover, she did report suspicious behavior between D’Attoma and another youth group member. She was advised not to talk about anything that could hurt D’Attoma or his marriage.
According to the lawsuit, D’Attoma began grooming Jane Doe 1 when she was fifteen. When she was seventeen he became more demanding of nude photos, etc. and then began touching her. She told her boyfriend who confronted D’Attoma, who admitted the inappropriate behavior. But he continued as pastor.
In a painful stroke of irony, his father and stepmother founded an organization to help sexually abused children called Sexually Abused Children’s Relief Endeavor, or SACRED. The said they support and believe the victims.
- McGowan Hood: McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips Files Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against SBC
- Baptist Press: Former SC youth pastor named in sexual abuse lawsuit
- The Roys Report: ‘A Slap in the Face’: Survivor Advocates Shocked by Allegations Their Family Member, a Pastor, Abused Teens
- The Roys Report: So. Baptist Youth Pastor Kept Ministering for 6 Years After Reports of Alleged Abuse