Mennonite church leader in Scurry, Texas, sentenced to life in prison for child sexual abuse

Stanley Gerald Champ, 51, of Scurry, Texas, was sentenced to life in prison on Sept. 1 for sexually abusing a child, according to Anabaptist World. InForney reported that the conviction was for continuous sexual assault of a child under 14 in Kaufman County.

Champ was a leader at Grays Prairie Mennonite Church, which is located in the 12000 block of Farm-to-Market (FM) 148 and is a member of Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. Prosecutors said Champ found his victims at the congregation. InForney reported that he met his most recent victim, a four-year-old girl, after her family moved to the community to join the church.

According to InForney, the case was tried over three days before 86th District Court Judge Casey Blair. The jury returned a guilty verdict after about an hour of deliberation. WFAA News reported that multiple victims testified during the jury trial that the abuse lasted for years. One victim said older people in the church did not believe her when she came forward in 2019. That victim also said she tried to take her own life at age 7. Protecting children from harm is a concern in this case (Psalm 82:3).

The two reports differ on the period of abuse. InForney reported that witnesses testified the victim was abused from age 5 to age 9. Anabaptist World reported that the same victim said she was abused for nearly five years after she turned 5. InForney also reported that jurors heard testimony about Champ’s abuse of other prior victims who were minor children at the time.

District Attorney Erleigh Wiley thanked the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office and the New Holland Pennsylvania Police Department for their investigative work. InForney listed Assistant District Attorneys Ashley Holman and Leslie Odom, District Attorney Chief Investigator Mike Holley, and Paralegal Amanda Morris as members of the prosecution team.

Prosecutors suggested there could be victims elsewhere because the congregation sent Champ to work in other states, according to Anabaptist World.