Pastor Acquitted In Sex Case Testifies System Needs Work

The state agency that investigates allegations of child abuse has destroyed the lives of innocent people, the pastor acquitted in a Wenatchee child sex ring trial told a House panel Tuesday.

Robert “Roby” Roberson told lawmakers they should approve bills to drastically change the way child abuse investigations are conducted.

“We’re here today because too many people are saying the system works fine,” Roberson told the House Children and Family Services Committee. “It’s broken. It’s trashed. It’s absolutely trashed.”

Roberson and his wife, Connie, were found innocent in December of charges they had sex with children at their East Wenatchee church and in their home. The couple brought their 5-year-old daughter, Rebekah, to the hearing. The child, one of the alleged victims, was removed from their custody until after their acquittal.

The Robersons are the most prominent of more than two dozen people accused of taking part in a child sex ring.

Jurors in the Wenatchee trials acquitted three of the 28 people charged, and charges were either dismissed or greatly reduced against five others. Five people were convicted by juries and 14 others pleaded guilty to sexually abusing children.

The investigation drew national attention over allegations that children were coerced into making up stories, and defendants pressured into making confessions.

Roberson’s testimony came as the committee considered several bills to change the way child abuse investigations are handled by Child Protective Services, part of the state’s Department of Social and Health Services.

The most sweeping proposal, HB2335, would strip CPS of its power to investigate such cases and give it to local police. Other proposals would ban anonymous complaints of suspected abuse and require videotaping of child witnesses in abuse cases.

Committee Chairwoman Suzette Cooke, R-Kent, said the measures probably won’t be approved by the committee without major changes. Cooke said she would like to see more study on how other states approach such investigations.

“There are too many innocent people being destroyed,” Roberson told the committee. “You are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but that’s not the way it works anymore with DSHS or CPS. You are not innocent until proven guilty.”

The state’s top CPS official said there are problems with the current system, but that most cases are handled well.

“I think that’s a real disservice to the really fine majority of staff who really care about what they do,” Rosie Oreskovich said in an interview.”