Rod Dreher was upset that we differed with the recommendation of the probation officer. But we agreed with the judge, who made the determination to let the marriage proceed. Judge Stegner approved the wedding, and he said that “an age-appropriate relationship with a member of the opposite sex from Mr. Sitler is one of the best things that can happen to him and to society” (emphasis added). In addition to this, we also were in agreement with the treatment professionals that Steven was seeing. His pastoral counselor agreed, his professional counselors agreed, the judge agreed. Now where is the scandal in this? Douglas Wilson
Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, frames a rhetorical question, and if you plan to send your daughter to New Saint Andrews College, then it behooves you to contemplate both the question and answer.
Background
In August 2010, Ed Iverson, Head Librarian of New Saint Andrews College, introduced an NSA graduate to a convicted serial pedophile, specifically hoping that the two would get married. At that time Ed Iverson was an elder at Christ Church, Moscow, and he still is. The young lady’s name was Katie Travis (now Sitler) and the child molester’s name is Steven Sitler. Various influences in his life describe him and his crimes accordingly,
“a criminal and serial pedophile and a dangerous man. . .” — Douglas Wilson
“Steven’s behavior was with young children and was simply predatory.” — Douglas Wilson
“I believe there was at least one scenario where Steven could have been killed on the spot, and no injustice done.” — Douglas Wilson
“Sitler scored as a High Risk to re-offend based on official documents, reports and evaluations provided by the Washington State Department of Corrections and the Idaho Department of Corrections.” — Stevens County Sheriff’s Office
“He should be considered a high risk to reoffend based on his past history.” — Static 99 analysis
“the volume of Steven’s offenses over the years” — Sitler’s criminal defense attorney
“. . . there was application made to the Department that this particular probationer [Sitler] reestablish contact with a particular sister and her family — some of the family members had been victims — and that he reestablish contact with a particular uncle and with his family — one or more of whom whose children had been victims. . .” — Sitler’s criminal defense attorney (@4:30–4:58)
“The prosecuting attorney has been made aware by counsel for the defendant that the volume and extent of acts by the defendant are greater than the investigator’s documentation. The prosecuting attorney has also been made aware by counsel for the defendant that similar acts occurred in connection with minors now residing in other states.” — Rule 11 Plea Agreement
“The combination of the number of disclosed victims, the youth of Mr. Sitler as all this was developing, the span of time over which the offending occurred and frankly the evaluation of him as far as the risk that he poses, is that untreated and unsupervised he shows a huge risk to the community.” — Latah County Prosecutor
Steven Sitler is a serial pedophile who raped boys and girls, ages -1- to 11-years old, committing unspeakable abominations on them. The Moscow-Pullman Daily News recently reported that even his newborn infant sexually aroused him.
In 2005, Judge John Stegner sentenced Sitler to 99 years in prison but released him on probation after 18 months. Sitler’s probation stipulates that if he reoffends, then he will finish his term and die in prison. Five years after Sitler received his life sentence, Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, and his elders thought Sitler qualified as a good husband for a young graduate of New Saint Andrews College, Miss Katie Travis.
Why This Sexual Predator Got Married & Fathered a Child
Christ Church elder Ed Iverson introduced the pedophile to Miss Travis after she asked him to help her find “Mr. Right.” She asked for a husband; he introduced her to a convicted sexual predator. No one knows why this elder of Christ Church, Moscow, thought a registered sex offender would make a good husband for this young lady, though the judgment of charity says he really believed it. Last week Mr. Wilson echoed this sentiment, offering the closest thing to an explanation for this Kirk-arranged marriage:
But we agreed with the judge, who made the determination to let the marriage proceed. Judge Stegner approved the wedding, and he said that “an age-appropriate relationship with a member of the opposite sex from Mr. Sitler is one of the best things that can happen to him and to society” (emphasis added). In addition to this, we also were in agreement with the treatment professionals that Steven was seeing. His pastoral counselor agreed, his professional counselors agreed, the judge agreed. Now where is the scandal in this? (“From Where You Are”)
Mr. Wilson adopts a casual, almost dismissive tone about this union as well as Sitler’s crimes. The reader would not know from this quote or anything else Mr. Wilson has written on his blog that he positively encouraged the young woman to marry the child molester. Moreover, Mr. Wilson deceives his readers when he quotes Judge Stegner. He pretends as though the judge still affirms that this age-appropriate relationship is one of the best things, etc. but Mr. Wilson neglects to point out that Judge Stegner delivered his opinion in 2011 before Sitler sired a child and before Sitler admitted he had “contact resulting in actual sexual stimulation.” More importantly, Mr. Wilson selectively quotes Judge Stegner out of context, omitting this part of his decision:
So if nothing were to change and his bride — assuming he gets married — conceives and has a baby, if they end up in the same house and she falls asleep, he would be obliged to leave. . . If and when Mr. Sitler and Miss Travis have children we will cross that bridge when we get to it — or, if we need to address it sooner than that, I am happy to address it sooner than that. But I think it’s a reasonable restriction that he not reside with his wife and child, in the future, if in fact they have children.
Judge Stegner ruled that if this couple ever had children, then the father would have to leave the home. He called this a “reasonable restriction,” which brings us back to Mr. Wilson’s rhetorical question — “Now where is the scandal in this?”
The scandal in this is that Mr. Wilson and Christ Church elder Ed Iverson deliberately put a young graduate of New Saint Andrews College in harms’ way by arranging a marriage between her and a convicted serial pedophile. The scandal is that they specifically prayed for this young lady to conceive children for her pedophiliac husband (@8:25). The scandal is that her husband cannot live at home with his wife and child — he lives with four other sexual predators at the Hillcrest Motel. The scandal is that the court has prohibited Sitler from being with his son except in the presence of a direct “line of sight” chaperone. And the scandal is that Mr. Wilson wipes his mouth and feigns innocence, asking, “Now where is the scandal in this?”
Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, wrecked the lives of this poor young woman and her child by joining them to a psychopathic sexual predator. Looking back on his responsibility in this calamity, he thinks of it no differently than if he had eaten a baloney sandwich for lunch. “Now where is the scandal in this?” he wonders, insisting that his role in this marriage, as well as the marriage itself, is perfectly normal.
And if you send your daughter to New Saint Andrews College, he may well do the same thing to her because, as he freely admits, he sees no scandal in this. To be sure, he might just argue that it’s one of the “best things that can happen.”
For more background, please read