A crying shame, for the child
Benjamin Douglas Caldwell is teary-eyed in his police mug shot.
I hope that's a look of remorse.
But it could be from staring at a lifetime in prison.
High Point police added more charges to the list previously lodged against Caldwell, who was a youth pastor at Hayworth Wesleyan Church and athletics director at Hayworth Christian Academy.
The ledger is up to seven counts of statutory rape, four counts of statutory sex offense and 25 counts of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
The alleged victim is a 14-year-old girl.
Caldwell, 29 -- and innocent until proven guilty, we must add -- was caught by a parent at the girl's home last week, police said.
I shared some of my feelings about this in a previous post.
The additional charges add up to much more bad news for Caldwell, if he's convicted.
Each count carries a separate sentence, which some judges around here give one after the other. In a case like this, it can add up to decades in prison.
What's the difference between statutory rape and statutory sex offense? There's no difference in terms of how they're classified under state law. Both are a Class B1 felony.
As you can see from this chart, a B1 felony is very serious, falling between first-degree murder and second-degree murder.
The law makes the assumption that a juvenile younger than 16 cannot give consent to any sexual act. Therefore, sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl by an adult man is in the same category as first-degree rape.
I agree with that definition. A 14-year-old girl in such a situation is not a sex partner, she is a victim. She is due the same legal protection as any other victim of a forcible sex crime.
This man is in very serious trouble. If he is guilty of these charges, he will deserve -- and receive -- a severe punishment.
Potentially a life sentence? That sounds extreme. But no one should discount the destructive nature of these alleged crimes.
Comments (21)
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Although the thread choices always are a bit of an enigma, not so much on your blog as maybe on some of the others, but I'm curious why you would post on this when you didn't get any hits the first time around (Crying Shame I ).
Could it be you have a lurid fascination with this subject...Douglas? Could it be ...Satan? Anyway, probably best left between you and your therapist anyway.
Some things are just too sad, and there's not much you can add or say.
Since I'm here, this is probably more of a psych case of arrested development on the perps part.
He should serve time. Life??? Maybe five years. It was consenual and non-violent and there's guys out there who did forcible violent assaults and got only five yrs.
Posted on March 10, 2009 4:17 PM
So you're saying there is a public policy issue here to discuss.
Yeah, first time around ... posting on a Friday night usually guarantees fewer comments.
Posted on March 10, 2009 5:04 PM
Frankly, I'm amazed the age of consent is 16. I always thought it was 18.
The guy just was stuck in the wrong century. Back in the 1800's, nobody would say a thing. Heck, the family would have probably been pleased as punch with a match with the local parson.
Posted on March 10, 2009 5:12 PM
You're right, but those were the days when 14-year-old girls were considered property.
Posted on March 10, 2009 5:20 PM
Ah yes, born too late.
There's probably quite a few guys in Utah right now married to fourteen yr. olds. There might even still be states where age of consent is only 14
Posted on March 10, 2009 7:51 PM
This guy has what I like to call the "Crazy eyes" you can just look at him and tell that he's absolutely nuts. Look at his facebook picture, this guy is a creep. I'm sure everybody that knows him knew he was a creep, they probably aren't very surprised. I hope he finds a boyfriend in prison. He's a sorry excuse for a "christian"
Posted on March 11, 2009 5:32 AM
You can't go by pictures in the paper, especially if they are related to the arrest. Not many people are going to look too good down at the station, rest assured.
Not trying to defend the guy. Was he exploiting this girl? Absolutely. Did he know what he was doing? Come on, he had to know it was wrong.
Should he be in jail for 20 yrs? What he did is not a crime anywhere else in the world except maybe Europe. Anywhere in the third world, including China and India this would not even raise an eyebrow, so your talking about over 90% of the worlds population, it's not even a crime. Plus those third world countries would laugh at us as hypocrits-the culture's inundated with the sexualization of children-Disney kids as sex objects etc. and then you clasp this guy in irons for twenty yrs. because he crossed the line.
Should he do time? No question. The greater punishment may be that the guy's life is ruined either way.
Posted on March 11, 2009 9:04 AM
I'm not going by pictures in the paper, i'm going by hundreds of pictures on his facebook account. And hearing tons of people that I know talk about him, he was a creep
Posted on March 11, 2009 9:16 AM
I'm not going by pictures in the paper, i'm going by hundreds of pictures on his facebook account. And hearing tons of people that I know talk about him, he was a creep
Posted on March 11, 2009 9:17 AM
his idiot of a wife is actually sticking by him, what a desperate fool
Posted on March 11, 2009 9:20 AM
People might have thought he was just intense and crazy about saving souls.
Posted on March 11, 2009 9:37 AM
Doug Maybe no one commented because the wounds have not healed from the 2005 12 year old child raped, kidnapped and her life stolen by a married man with three kids and a loving wife. He was a Methodist Youth Fellowship leader at a High Point church. He only got 37 years. I hope he dies in prison.
Posted on March 11, 2009 12:20 PM
Oh give me a break the only thing this guy was "intense" about was getting in the pants of little teenagers. He's a piece of shit.
Posted on March 11, 2009 5:12 PM
Ya'll don't knock this 14 yr-old thing until you've tried it.
Posted on March 12, 2009 1:49 PM
Previous comment was posted by Skeet Club Savage, whose real name is ...
Never mind. I wouldn't want to embarrass his teenage daughter.
Posted on March 12, 2009 2:15 PM
The point is, Doug, for some reason, I don't think Billy did any prison time. May have been because his 24 yr. old son was dating the 14 yr. old's 44 yr. old mom.
Go figure.
Posted on March 12, 2009 2:42 PM
His Dad is a pastor in HP as well and probably explains why the church did not complete a
background check. If they had, they would know that he was forced to resign for inappropriate relationships with girls in the church. It is sick his wife is supporting him and is discounting everything as rumors. He had been warned at both churches and it still resulted in him being caught with his pants down. His wife feels he will get away with it by going to counseling and that the girl submitted to sex(he told her he was going to run away with her). For what it is worth, she does not look 14, but looks more like a 10 year old. I hope soceity will protect his 2 young sons from him even though his wife is not. If she allows him in the home, they should be removed from her custody as well. She obviously is as sick as he is!
Posted on March 12, 2009 5:40 PM
His Dad is a pastor in HP as well and probably explains why the church did not complete a
background check. If they had, they would know that he was forced to resign for inappropriate relationships with girls in the church. It is sick his wife is supporting him and is discounting everything as rumors. He had been warned at both churches and it still resulted in him being caught with his pants down. His wife feels he will get away with it by going to counseling and that the girl submitted to sex(he told her he was going to run away with her). For what it is worth, she does not look 14, but looks more like a 10 year old. I hope soceity will protect his 2 young sons from him even though his wife is not. If she allows him in the home, they should be removed from her custody as well. She obviously is as sick as he is!
Posted on March 12, 2009 5:40 PM
A youth minister in Statesville this week only received 12 years for the rape of a girl child. Paster Long, a husband, a father figure and a minster says he is deeply remorseful for what happen. The article is in todays N&R B2. I hope he rots in prison with his dirty hands and mind. unfortunately he will be standing giving remorseful Bible lessons of how he has sinned rather than a big wad of cotten in his mouth.
Posted on March 15, 2009 1:09 PM
Doug, I am so glad you posted this. It is about time somebody said it like it is. I've known this guy since he was in high school. He was a nerd growing up and now that he's considered "cool" by youth it has gone to his head.. oh wait.. his Benjamin Jr., and he thinks he can get all the sex he wants. How interesting that he was accused of verbal sexual innapropriate comments to a teenager just a mere 3 years ago... I'm wondering how many more will come out now?? And did you know that his family is still living in the parsonage and that since he's been out on bond he is back living with them? Next to the church and the SCHOOL! Next to more victims!
Posted on March 17, 2009 4:17 PM
Are you sure about him living back in the parsonage? I would kind of doubt it because there is usually a court order stating that the person may not go on or about the property located at___________. If he does go on or about the property then he'll be in violation of a court order and can be arrested for that. If you see him over there call the police and tell them he's on the property, they'll come out and check
and hopefully take him away... again.
I don't think his wife is sick, I think she's overwhelmed, realized that life as she knew it is over and is trying to hang onto her sanity and be a mom at the same time. There's no doubt she'll need professional help to deal with this stuff... who wouldn't?
Posted on March 20, 2009 5:43 AM