Minister Not Guilty, Son Speaks Out

MOBERLY- A Moberly pastor's son speaks out Friday after a judge decides his father is not guilty of molestation charges.

Last October, a 16 year-old girl accused Pastor James Wilson of kidnapping and molesting her.  According to court papers, the girl reported Wilson kidnapped her from a local gas station in Moberly and drove her to a hotel in Columbia. Once in the hotel, the girl accused Wilson of molesting her.

Last Tuesday a Boone County court ruled that Wilson is not guilty of the molestation charge. Caleb Wilson, 19, is the pastor's son.  He wants the community to know that his father is not guilty. 

Caleb said, "Anyone who knows him in the first place would know he's just a big, old teddy bear.  He wouldn't harm anybody."

When the girl made the allegations, the pastor was forced to give up his role as a religious leader and principal.  Wilson was the pastor of Free Will Baptist Church and principal for the small school affiliated with the church. Wilson was banned from working with juveniles while the charges were pending.  Wilson's own daughter, a juvenile, could not live with her father while charges were pending.  After Tuesday's not guilty verdict, Wilson can see his teenage daughter again.

The girl accusing Wilson was a student when Wilson was principal of the school; she was a student when she accused him of the molestation and kidnapping, but the girl was not in the pastor's church congregation.

Wilson's mother, Shirley Griggs, said it was hard to watch her son in the courtroom this week.

Sheryll said these last months have been, "a terrible, terrible emotional time for me being the mother when you know your son didn't do this.  It's just agonizing, but God got us through."

This week's verdict cleared Wilson of the Boone County hotel room molestation charge, but one charge is still pending in Randolph county for the alleged kidnapping.

Caleb says he's eager for his dad to return to the pulpit.  He said, "It's just kind of a different feeling.  I mean it's still church, but there was still like an empty feeling."

Caleb says he expects his dad to start preaching again this summer.

Reported by Mark Kelly