The Open Letter Part 8: “we agree with Judge Stegner”

“While we do not believe that marriage is an automatic ‘fix’ for the temptations to molest children, we agree with Judge Stegner who approved the wedding and 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).” Douglas Wilson

Pastor Douglas Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, accurately quotes Judge John Stegner. The judge made his remarks during a status conference in 2011, which he called to discuss the upcoming wedding of serial pedophile Steven Sitler and New Saint Andrews graduate Katie Travis. Neither Sitler nor his fiancé nor Mr. Wilson attended the conference, which has been a pattern for them. Rather, the Sitlers pay wealthy sums to attorney Dean Wullenwaber to advance their son’s agenda in court.

And Dean Wullenwaber has enjoyed remarkable success. Indeed, a case review shows that he has incrementally worn down the court, one concession at a time. He kept his client from arrest after he was caught, albeit with the hands-on help of two Kirk officers. He plea bargained Sitler’s charge to one count of Lewd Conduct With A Minor Under Sixteen Years Of Age in exchange for Sitler’s identification of his victims.1 He kept his client out of state prison,2 where pedophiles oftentimes receive jailhouse justice. His client served only 18 months in jail, despite a 99-year sentence. He successfully defended Sitler after he violated his probation within six weeks of his release from jail. And he prevailed again during this status conference — Sitler could get married despite the state’s compelling arguments.

Through all of this, Team Wullenwaber consistently produced glowing psychological examinations of Sitler, such as this report where hired gun Dr. Gregory L. Wilson (no relation to Mr. Wilson) states, “In my opinion Mr. Sitler is a positive candidate for successfully parenting his son in the family home.” However, Dr. Wilson’s affidavit is dated July 28, 2015, which is two weeks before the Department of Correction ordered Sitler completely off of his residence property and ordered him to have no contact with his son, due to “the heinous nature of these violations.” So while Team Wullenwaber framed an alternative universe around Sitler, painting him in rosy terms, the reality was much different. Prosecutor Bill Thompson: “We have a record for this court to show that Mr. Sitler has engaged in physical contact with his child that has resulted in sexual stimulation on his part.”

This is the reason Pastor Doug Wilson of Christ Church, Moscow, published the Open Letter. He presided over the marriage of a serial pedophile to a graduate of New St. Andrews College. She gave birth to a son for the pedophile. And at the September 1, 2015, hearing attorney Dean Wullenwaber was apparently prepared to ask Judge Stegner to give Sitler complete access to his baby boy. However, the failed polygraphs not only changed his plan — they created a brand problem for Mr. Wilson. The man who wrote a series of books on the family suddenly had to account for this family. So Mr. Wilson appealed to Judge Stegner’s words:

“While we do not believe that marriage is an automatic ‘fix’ for the temptations3 to molest children, we agree with Judge Stegner who approved the wedding and 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.’” 4

Mr. Wilson wants to defend the appropriateness of the marriage while he ignores the problem that moved him to publish the Open Letter in the first place. The marriage was more than inappropriate — it was “a high form of treachery” against New St. Andrews graduate Katie Travis, and the fruit of this marriage proves the point. Katie must now walk a high wire where she pretends to lead a normal married life and protect her child from his father, which is impossible. She cannot submit to Sitler pursuant to Wilsonian theology and simultaneously deny him access to his child. Moreover, if she reports Sitler to P&P as required by law, she may lose her husband forever. And if she doesn’t report Sitler to P&P, then she may lose her child to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Child Protection Services. One wonders if Mr. Wilson fleshed out this scenario to Katie when he encouraged her to marry the pedophile — because Judge Stegner certainly did.

During the 2011 status conference Judge Stegner made these two statements, which Mr. Wilson completely ignores in his Open Letter:

“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. . . 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.”

Mr. Wilson talks about the “age-appropriate relationship”; but Judge Stegner ruled that Sitler would not be permitted in the home if they have children. Mr. Wilson lives in Team Wullenwaber’s alternative universe where Sitler poses no threat to his son; but Judge Stegner lives in reality where Sitler could not be in the same home as children.

Given Mr. Wilson’s detachment from reality, it appears highly unlikely that he solemnly warned Katie that if she wanted children — and all young women from New Saint Andrews College want children — then her marriage to Sitler would end in disaster. Unless, that is, he now believes that having a father who lives with four other sexual predators in the Hillcrest Motel while the wife and children live three blocks away is the cutting edge of covenantal marriage.

Pastor Doug Wilson and the Christ Church elders tried the “age-appropriate relationship” experiment on Katie and it failed. After 10 years of psychotherapy and 4 years of marriage, Steven Sitler still feels sexual attraction to children — including his own son. He is no closer to normal today than on the day he was caught. So Judge Stegner’s line “one of the best things that can happen to him and to society” means nothing. It may have been true 4 years ago before the Kirk elders threw Katie into the mouth of the volcano, but the record is clear that it is not true today. And Doug Wilson knows it.


1 It helped that every victim family refused to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation. Not one family prosecuted other than the ground-zero family in Moscow.
2 Sitler split his time between the North Idaho Correctional Institution, which resembles the Ramada Inn more than Alcatraz Island, and the Latah County jail.
3 Note again how Mr. Wilson uses the word “temptations”; he refuses to acknowledge Sitler’s pedophilia.
4 Judge Stegner’s entire statement: “Well, I think Mr. Wullenwaber has accurately stated the current restrictions on Mr. Sitler. 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. I’m going to let this wedding proceed. One of the reasons is that there’s a lot of water under the bridge. That wedding is ten days from today and the invitations have gone out and plans have been made based on reliance that I think was reasonable. But I think more importantly is that an age-appropriate relationship with a member of the opposite sex for Mr. Sitler is one of the best things that can happen to him and to society. I’m no expert on these testing devices; but I am familiar enough with them to know that a two-year relationship with a member of the opposite sex who is age appropriate reduces his likelihood to recidivate, at least on a statistical basis. So here we have a young man who has committed heinous crimes and wants to engage in what I think everyone in the room would consider to be a prosocial relationship. So I’m going to let the wedding proceed. 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 . . . 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. Would you like to submit an order to that effect, Mr. Wullenwaber? I have specifically authorized Mr. Sitler’s wedding to proceed.” (Judge Stegner, @49:46–52:48)

13 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for compiling this information and putting it online for others to be aware of this troubling situation in the CREC in Moscow, ID. Your hard work is paying off as many respectable pastors are becoming aware of this tragic marriage of a young naive woman and a pedophile in which Doug Wilson and his elders are complicit. My heart just breaks for Katie and her baby… May the good Lord watch over them and keep them safe from harm. Once again, thank you for caring enough to do what you can to help rectify this situation and prevent others like it from happening.

  2. I listened to the audio clip of this hearing. It is clear from the judge’s complete comments that the Dept. of Correction’s foot dragging played a large part in the judge’s decision. He scolds the department for waiting to object to the marriage until a week before the wedding date. Furthermore, he excuses his decision with the important caveat that it in no way allows Sitler to live with his children in the future, should he have any. Legally speaking, it’s an odd decision, and in no way endorses the wedding as the redemptive act Wilson wants you to believe it was. At best, the judge is saying: “I’m not going to cancel this wedding one week out. You should have objected months ago. Let them marry, it may help Sitler’s rehab. Hopefully, there will be no children. But if they do in fact have children, let everyone be on notice that Sitler will have to move out.” Wilson’s spin is dishonest, and I doubt that Stegner would concur with it.

    1. Correct. However, by law he could not prohibit the marriage. No statute outlaws the marriage of pedophiles. Just common sense and decency. By law, Stegner could only delay the marriage. On one of the tapes, Stegner said that P&P is his eyes & ears. And then he’s always the last to know. I’m pretty sure he didn’t even know about the pregnancy until a few months after she delivered.

  3. Is the Idaho legislature going to change its laws to stop the likes of Steven Sitler from walking the streets? This man should never have walked the streets!
    Idaho legislature: Do something!!!

  4. While Doug Wilson was not present at the hearing, is there confirmation that he did in fact read or hear the statement of the IDOC, P&P, Bill Thompson, and Sitler’s attorney with regard to their agreement that Sitler’s would have to leave the home in the event of He and Katie having a child? If so, has Wilson provided any response on performing a marriage when all parties agreed that having a child would result in the couple’s separation? Thanks in advance.

    1. @Anon:
      “Is there confirmation that he did in fact read or hear the statement of the IDOC, P&P, Bill Thompson, and Sitler’s attorney with regard to their agreement that Sitler’s would have to leave the home in the event of He and Katie having a child?”

      This question makes an incorrect assumption. IDOC, P&P, Bill Thompson, and Sitler’s attorney never made an agreement. IDOC, P&P, and Bill Thompson argued against allowing the marriage because of the children factor, and they argued that if the couple had children, then Sitler would have to leave the home in order to comply with the terms of his probation.

      Sitler’s attorney argued that the subject of children was a different question than the reason for that status conference, and he was correct. The point of the status conference was to determine if the Judge would postpone or permit the marriage. He successfully kicked the can down the road.

      Judge Stegner issued the decision to ban Sitler from the home if they had children, and he gave the ruling at the end of the conference. You can read his entire decision in context in footnote #4 above. Therefore, if Wilson heard the part of the tape where Stegner said “one of the best things that can happen to him and to society,” then he also heard the sentences that preceded and followed that statement. Stegner sandwiched the “the best things” quote in between two statements prohibiting Sitler in the home.

      “If so, has Wilson provided any response on performing a marriage when all parties agreed that having a child would result in the couple’s separation?”

      Yes, he wrote in the Open Letter, “Katie and her family had all the facts when she agreed to marry Steven, which was important, but the decision to marry was the couple’s decision, not ours. . . Moreover, if everything is on the table, we do not believe the church has the authority to prohibit or ‘not allow’ a lawful marriage.”

      With this statement he claims that Katie and her family knew, but as usual he’s lying.

  5. I apologize if I wasn’t clear. I’ve listened to the tape and noted that everyone who spoke stated that Sitler would not reside with the family if a child were born. That’s what I meant by “agreement”; they were all in agreement on this point, not that they made an agreement between them.

    If I remember correctly, even Sitler’s attorney stated that removing him in the event of a child would be a “reasonable restriction.”

    By “parties,” I meant those who spoke at the hearing (not Steven and Katie). I understand that Katie was aware–as aware as was possible, given her situation–but I’m asking if there is proof that Wilson listened to the entire court record.

    If Wilson heard the opinion of everyone present at the hearing (on the issue of children, not marriage), and chose to disregard it, it means that either 1) Wilson chose to perform a marriage that would inevitably be broken up, and he knew it, and this was his intent all along, 2) He performed the wedding with the plan to wilfully ignore the Judge’s order, or 3) He was too woefully ignorant to imagine that children might result from the marriage. It’s either 1 or 2. I’m looking for documentation to confirm that this was his intent: to either break up their family later, or defy the Judge’s order. (I’m aware that there’s a 4th option here, which is that Wilson simply didn’t care what happened, but I think he’s far too controlled for that.)

    1. Okay, got it. Yes, they all agreed and, yes, Sitler’s attorney used the language you quote.

      This won’t answer your question but it’s all we have at this point: Wilson quoted the tape in the Open Letter. This site was locked and hidden when he published the Open Letter, so I presume he heard the tape from a public record or it’s possible he ordered a transcript. The odds of him fast-forwarding to the exact moment where Stegner said “best thing that can happen” are nil — and if he did do such a thing, specifically trying to ignore all the testimony, then you can add another count to his malfeasance. But, no, we don’t have any evidence that he heard the whole tape. We just have evidence that he regularly misquotes one sentence from Judge Stegner, as though it was the only thing he said. Call it a justice primer.

      Regarding your options, I think there’s something else that you should factor, which probably explains everything. We believe Wilson entered into an agreement with Sitler’s father within the first three days after he was caught. We believe Wilson agreed to do everything in his power to cover it up, make it better, and minimize Sitler’s jail time. We believe that Wilson told Sitler the only way this would happen is if he paid cash settlements to the victims to remain silent and paid a cash sum to Wilson to help orchestrate it. We believe Sitler agreed to do it and Wilson said, “By the way, if he ever gets out of prison, I’ll even find him a wife — but it will cost you.” And I’m sure Wilson threw in the diaconate as a perk.

      This fits the timeline. This explains Sitler’s promotion to the office of deacon in the CREC, unless you believe a man who has exhausted his wealth to keep a sexual predator on the streets qualifies as a “man of good reputation” (Acts 6:3) and “blameless” (1 Tim. 3:10). This explains the unprecedented STONEWALL of silence from all the victims. This explains nine letters to the judge seeking mercy, including Wilson’s letter (which contradicts his entire corpus of writings on the death penalty) and a letter from one victim family. This explains the Kirk-arranged marriage. This explains the “It was lawful” and “We agree with Stegner” horse manure.

      Yes, Wilson is stupid and at times he’s incredibly stupid, but he’s not so stupid as to really believe this marriage would not be a disaster. Sitler paid him, Wilson found a wife, and the deal was complete. So he did the marriage and he doesn’t care what happens after that. He doesn’t care if the home melts down and he doesn’t care if anyone violates the judge’s order. He only cares about himself and whatever he can do to exploit this to his advantage.

      Finally, if someone is reading this who participated in the STONEWALL of silence, please use the contact form. We have no interest in exposing you or adding to your hurt. We want the world to know about how Wilson operates.

    2. Well. That was not at all what I expected. Thank you for such a detailed answer, and for providing such a comprehensive resource.

      If what you believe is true, it dramatically shifts the story from “Doug Wilson has harmful theology, made some unwise pastoral decisions, is possibly a malignant narcissist.” to something altogether sinister and conspiratorial. This narrative would tie up a number of loose ends and provide a very compelling argument for his motivation in all of this. It would also mean that Wilson is not foolish, but evil.

      I have so many questions and comments, but many of these will probably be addressed in future articles, and I don’t want to take any more of your time. Proving that Wilson’s decision to perform the wedding was a violation of his general ideology will not be too difficult; his abundant writings on the subject will substantiate this. Proving that he actually received and orchestrated payouts is another thing entirely. You have your work cut out for you. Godspeed.

    3. “Proving that he actually received and orchestrated payouts is another thing entirely.”

      It’s a theory and we believe the only theory that makes sense. It is impossible to prove without witnesses coming forward — you know, one of those many people who refused to prosecute, including this family, who interestingly enough specifically asked the judge not to give Sitler a life sentence, which is consistent with the theory.

      We suspect there are a lot of parents with bothered consciences out there. The pic of Wilson & Sitler at the altar and the knowledge that he is free to molest has to leave a bad taste in their mouths.

    4. One more thing. Even if there were a tacit settlement contributing to THE FREE SPEECH APOCALYPSE for the families of Sitler’s victims, it was probably also accompanied by a big dose of spiritual manipulation. For the families, I doubt it would be all about money; most of the parents would probably believe they were doing the right thing. If the narrative you’ve outlined is true, they might have heard things from Doug Wilson like:

      “We have an opportunity here to preach the fullness of the gospel!”
      “Why entrust something so important to a secular court? We can settle it peacefully as believers, allow the offender to make fair and just reparations, and keep it within the family of God.”
      “Do you want to expose your children to humiliation? Then spare them the shame of a public trial. You don’t want to leave your children unprotected, do you?”
      (We have heard those last words before.)

      In any case, there would be no shame in parents anonymously coming forward with information now. They were unable to protect their children then, but they have the opportunity to help protect one child (and possibly more) now.

    5. We know Wilson manipulated victim families — even those of the Kirk: “The pastor said that Steven was going to deny his confessions and take the case to court.” This is a threat to put the children on the stand, plain & simple.

      As you note, look at the way he continues to manipulate Natalie and her parents.

      Wilson put a stranglehold the Sitler situation from the moment he found out, which we are sure was 4:30 pm on March 10, 2005, and not around bedtime, contra the sheriff’s report. And he used every play in his playbook to keep everyone in line.

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