Ex-Benton minister paroled following 2009 sex crime
This article was published January 31, 2012 at 11:06 a.m.
PHOTO BY KAREN E. SEGRAVE
David Pierce (center) is led into a police car Thursday by bailiffs Jake Postema (left) and Kevin Wiley outside the Saline County Courthouse, where the former Baptist music minister pled guilty to charges of sexual indecency with a child.
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A former Benton music minister who plead guilty in 2009 to sexual indecency with children is to be released on parole, according to multiple news reports.
The date when David Pierce is to be released has not been disclosed. According to reports, he must first find a state willing to accept his residence under its parole program.The reports also say that if Pierce chooses to return to Arkansas, he may not live within 50 miles of Saline County or have contact with the victims or their families.
Pierce, who was 56 at the time of his conviction, was formerly a music minister at Benton's First Baptist Church for 29 years until he was fired following the investigation. Pierce plead guilty in 2009 to 54 counts of sexual indecency with children. He was convicted in August 2009 by the Saline County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Court records were disclosed in a previous Arkansas Democrat-Gazette story published on June 16, 2009:
"The accusers told authorities Pierce made them disrobe and then took measurements of their genitals and other body parts as part of what he called 'charting,' court records say. After that, Pierce and the boys often would masturbate, the records say.
The reported incidents took place at Pierce’s church office, at the bell tower, at a cabin in rural Saline County and at his home, the records say.
Two accusers said Pierce showed them pornography on a computer.
Investigators have searched Pierce’s home and office, seizing cameras, a computer, bottles of lubricant, legal pads, videos, CDs, letters addressed to three different males and photos of boys in their underwear, court records say. "
Calls to Saline County's parole and probation officials were not immediately returned. Arkansas Online will have more details on this story as it develops.
Comments on: Ex-Benton minister paroled following 2009 sex crime
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Granny48 says... January 31, 2012 at 11:56 a.m.
Mr. Pierce sure didn't serve a very long prison term. I guess those young boys are not considered very valuable by our judicial system eventhough their lives have been permanently scarred. Shame on that parole board!!!
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NONSHEEPLE says... January 31, 2012 at 12:14 p.m.
I'm agreeing with Granny here... of course if it were my children I'd be VERY happy to have him back out in the open......
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Poorboy says... January 31, 2012 at 12:15 p.m.
Surprised to say the least.
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YoungHog says... January 31, 2012 at 12:15 p.m.
thus dude rides 2 full years on tax payers and then gets out.. ~sad
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NickieD says... January 31, 2012 at 12:49 p.m.
Well why didn't the Reverand have to serve his full term for being the pervert he is?
This is typical of the "Justice" system, priests and other spiritual people get to hide behind their robes of religion and get off easy... pay a fine, serve a small sentence and done.
I'm sure those boys are not as important as the Right Reverand Pierce is... after all he is a man of god, right? Why else whould he get off (no pun intended) so easy?
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jackalope says... January 31, 2012 at 12:50 p.m.
Sentenced to 10 years in 2009... and released in very early 2012. That doesn't add up.
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NONSHEEPLE says... January 31, 2012 at 12:55 p.m.
Of course the Catholic Priests don't even get charged... They are handled "internally"... What a load of CRAP!!!!!
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HawgFan says... January 31, 2012 at 1:09 p.m.
Pierce is a piece of crap and should have been put down long before now.
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Cyndiv70303210744 says... January 31, 2012 at 9:17 p.m.
I REALLY wish you people could hear yourselves! Ridiculous I say.... Utterly ridiculous! I hope God doesn't judge any of you like you are judging David Pierce! If he does.....may God have mercy on your souls! I am NOT saying what he did was right but if it were as bad as the media makes it out to be I assure you more than one of the 54 "victims" would have been putting up more of a fight. One victim out of 54 is the ONLY one to have issues with what took place. I, myself am a victim of a sexual crime (WITH touching involved), and I have never had the "psychological" issues that his one poor soul "appears" to have when he was never even touched. Sounds like a bit of attention seeking if you ask me!
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