3 women sue Houston megachurch, claiming they were not protected when they were sexually abused

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Three women have filed lawsuits against Champions Forest Baptist Church, claiming the local megachurch did not protect them when they were sexually abused by a youth pastor as minors. They are asking for more than a million dollars in damages.

The women were 14, 15, and 16 when the abuse started. They claim the pastor took advantage of his position of power.

Timothy Jeltema, who was a youth pastor at the North Klein campus of Champion Forest Baptist Church, is currently in prison after pleading guilty to child sex crimes.

Jeltema was fired in 2018 after church leaders say he admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old church member.

The lawsuit claims leaders with the church and the Southern Baptist Convention, which it is a part of, didn't train employees or work with law enforcement to prevent child sex abuse from happening.

A 15-year-old victim testified during Jeltema's criminal sentencing. "I'm so anxious all the time. I feel like I can't talk to anyone. I feel like everyone's looking at me thinking, 'How stupid are you.' I feel like my religion was ripped from me. I feel like my trust in people was ripped from me. I feel like a black sheep in my own family because I do not go to church," the victim said.

A 16-year-old testified, "This man has known me since I was 9 years old. He watched me grow up into a beautiful young woman as well as these other women and he took advantage of his church position and he preyed on us and he made us feel like we were alone, scared, pathetic, useless, and that we had no purpose in life because of what he did to us."

Statement from Cordt Akers, the Akers Firm: "Our children are supposed to feel safe in our homes, in our schools, and our churches. When that doesn't happen, it isn't just one bad actor - it's institutional failure."

Statement from Champion Forest Baptist Church: "Timothy Jeltema, a former minister to students at the North Klein campus of Champion Forest Baptist Church was terminated on May 15, 2018, the same day he was accused of and admitted to improper contact via social media with an 18-year-old member of our church. Though no laws were known to have been broken, he was immediately dismissed for a clear violation of the church's written code of conduct and his admission that he did not follow long-established Champion Forest regulations that pastors of students and adult volunteers must never communicate electronically one-on-one with students. Champion Forest has zero tolerance for a lack of adherence to this policy.

On June 12, 2018, Jeltema was arrested by the Tomball Police Department and charged with online solicitation of a minor. Our church fully cooperated with this investigation. His arrest stemmed from allegations that surfaced after his termination-and that we immediately reported to law enforcement-in which a female teenage minor made claims against Jeltema of online sexual misconduct.

Champion Forest Baptist Church takes any allegation of sexual misconduct very seriously. We are heartbroken and grieve with those who are victims of any kind of sexual impropriety. We are praying for healing and restoration for the victims. We always encourage anyone with information regarding potential criminal activity, especially any victims, to contact law enforcement immediately.

We are extremely saddened by this heartbreaking situation. For over 16 years, our church has had multiple layers of policies and procedures in place-including a national background check that is performed on all staff as well as volunteers who work with children and youth up to age 18. Additionally, Champion Forest has written expectations of employees and volunteers that include standards of conduct as safeguards for both them and those under their care.

We pray that the victims continue to heal from the tragic actions of this individual."

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