Ex-minister found guilty of sex crimes with teens

Outside a Spokane courtroom Thursday afternoon, the families of two sex crime victims – now 17 and 18 years old – hugged and thanked one another. Their daughters’ assailant had just been convicted on all eight of the counts against him.

James D. Ritter, a former Lutheran youth minister, sat quietly while Superior Court Judge Neal Rielly read his judgment – guilty of six counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The six misconduct counts stem from at least six times Ritter, 33, had sex with a 16-year-old girl in fall 2004. The two met every Tuesday after youth group to have sex at different locations, according to court documents.

In 2005, Ritter also chatted over the Internet with a 14-year-old girl from his youth group and asked her to strip and perform acts in front of a webcam. She complied but told her mother later.

Ritter’s defense attorney, Chris Bugbee, had argued that a live webcam doesn’t count as photography – a key element to Ritter’s exploitation charge. But Rielly disagreed Thursday, solidifying the exploitation conviction that carries a 10-year sentence.

A sentencing date is set for Aug. 24, but another hearing will decide whether Ritter’s supervisory role over the girls should count as an aggravating circumstance. That could result in more prison time because Rielly could require Ritter to serve his sentences consecutively instead of all at once.

On Thursday, Rielly said Ritter abused his supervisory position and went well beyond that role.

“This was clearly the pattern of a predator grooming his victim,” Rielly said of Ritter’s relationship with the 14-year-old girl.

Instant messaging logs on the family computer and the girl’s testimony made the case clear to Rielly.

“All of that was the result of Mr. Ritter’s exploitation of the girl for his own sexual gratification,” he said.

That girl’s mother, Laurine Watson, filed a report with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office after confronting church officials in November 2005. After working with Detective John Grandinetti for a year and a half, Watson was grateful Thursday for his and other detectives’ help throughout the ordeal, she said.

“It’s just a feeling of complete elation that his life changed today,” Watson said, referring to Ritter.

She had worked with Ritter after he was put through counseling. Pastor Mark Benning had sent Ritter to the Genesis Institute in Spokane after hearing about Ritter’s sexual relationship with the 16-year-old girl.

That relationship was not taken to authorities because church leaders discussed it with the family, Benning told The Spokesman-Review in 2005.

But Ritter communicated with Watson’s daughter after his counseling, and people had their eye on him.

Ritter “was always diligent in what he did,” and thus communicated with the 14-year-old via the Internet instead of in person, Watson said.

She said she used to count heads as children left youth group to make sure everyone left Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 7307 N. Nevada St.

“It’s a sad day when you can’t drop your kids off at church and know that they aren’t going to be harmed,” Watson said. “Jim Ritter changed the lives of many children, not just the two who were here today.”