Victims come forward in Circle C sexual-misconduct case
Victims come forward in Circle C sexual-misconduct case. Hannah Buehler reports.
DENIED ALL PASTALLEGATIONS.SOT: HANNAH: AREYOU SAYING THATTHESE WOMEN ARELYING?AARUM: I CAN'T SAYWHETHER THEY'RELYING OR TELLINGTHE TRUTHBECAUSE I DON'TKNOW WHATTHEY'RE SAYITHAT'S LOCALCHRISTIAN MINISTER- WAYNE AARUM- SPEAKING WITHTHE I-TEAM -DENYINGALLEGATIONS OFSEXUALMISCONDUCT WITHTEENAGE GIRLS.WE FIRST REVEALEDTHE ACCUSATIONSAGAINST AARUMFRIDAY..
AND NOW -WE ARE HEARINGFROM SOME OF THEALLEGED VICTIMS.TONIGHT - 7EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER HANNAHBUEHLER IS BACKON THE STORY --AND WE WANT TOWARN YOU - SOMEOF THEALLEGATIONS AREDISTURBING.THE 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS I-TEAMRECEIVED DOZENSOF E-MAILSPHONECALLS AND SOCIALMEDIA MESSAGESFROM WOMEN WHOCLAIM THEY WERETEENAGE VICTIMSOF ABUSE BY WAYNEAARUM, ORPERSONALLYWITNESSED ARUMHAVINGINAPPROPRIATESEXUAL CONTACTWITH OTHERS OVERTHE COURSE OF THELAST 30 YEARSMANY OF THEWOMEN SAY THEFORMER MINISTERAT THE CHAPEL ATCROSSPOINT ANDPRESIDENT OFCIRCLE C RANCHABUSED HISSPIRITUALAUTHORITY OVERTHREE DECADESAND CALL THEALLEGEDINAPPROPRIATECONTACT WITHTEEN GIRLS THEWORST KEPTSECRET IN CAMPHISTORY.SOT:WE ALL KNEW WHENCAMP STARTED ONMONDAY WE ALLCOULD PICK OUTWHICH OF OURGIRLS WERE GOINGTO BE THE FAVORITEIN OUR INTERVIEWWITH AARUM, HISWIFE, AND CIRCLE CBOARD MEMBDARYL DEKALBQUESTIONS WERERAISEDABOUT THE MORETHAN 21ANONYMOUSFEMALE ACCUSERSWHO PARTICIPATEDIN A MINISTRY SAFEINVESTIGATIONCOMMISSIONED BY THECHAPEL ATCROSSPOINT.THAT'S WHAT LEDHEATHER STICHT,WHO ONCE WORKEDAT CIRCLE C, TOCALL US.SOT: I'D SEE WAYNETOUCHING THESEGIRLSEXACTLYTHE ONES WE KNEWHE WOULD WAY TOOLONG AT THE ROCKCLIMBING WALLSTICHT SAYS SHEWORKED AS A CAMPCOUNSELOR ATCIRCLE C IN THESUMMERS BETWEEN2000 AND 2003AND SAYS SHE WASSO DISTURBED BYTHE INAPPROPRIATECONTACT SHEWITNESSED BY THECAMP PRESIDENTSHE BROUGHT IT UPTO HISBROTHERWES IN AONE-ON-ONEMEETING.SOT: I REMEMBERTELLING HIM WHAT IWAS SEEINGHE ASKED A LOT OFTHOUGHTFULQUESTIONSSOT: HANNAH: WERYOU EVER AWARETHAT ANY OF THESEINDIVIDUALS WEREMADEUNCOMFORTABLE?WAYNE: NOHANNAH: YOUNEVER HAD ANYSORT OFCONVERSATIONSABOUT THAT?WAYNE: NOSTICT SAYS SHENEVER SAW ANYIMPROVEMENT INAARUM'SBEHAVIOR..ANDSAYS SHEWITNESSED THEMOSTINAPPRPORIATEBEHAVIRO WHEN HEWORKED AT THEROCK CLIMBINGWALL.IN A SEPARATE E-MAIL TO THE I-TEAMANOTHER VICTIMWRITES THEINAPPROPRIATECONTACT SUCH ASTHE UNSOLICITEDLONG HUGS, HANDSNEAR OR ONBREASTS AND HIPS,AND IN THE DARK-INCHES FROM HERFACE WERE SODISTURBING THEYOUTH GROUP SHEWAS A PART OFCONFRONTEDAARUM AND HISFATHER.SHE SAYS:"HE ASSURED THEMTHEY WOULDN'T SEETHIS BEHAVIORAGAIN.
THIS WASMAYBE 12 OR SOYEARS AGO.
MYYOUTH GROUPNEVER WENT BACKTO CIRCLE C."SOT: HANNAH TOYOU IT WAS CLEARTHAT OTHERPEOPLE SAW THISCONDUCT AS WELL?HEATHER:ABSOLUTELY.
THCAMP HAS A NO PCRULE NO PHYSICCONTACTI REMEMBER A MANWOULDN'T SHAKEMY HAND WHEN HEINTRODUCEDHIMSELF TO MEYET VICTIMS SAYAARUM WASIMMUNE TO THATRULE.WHILE THE MINISTRYSAFE INVESTIGATIONFOCUSED ONALLEGATIONSBETWEEN 1990 AND2000 CONNECTED TOAARUM'S TIME ATTHE CHAPEL ATCROSSPOINTTHE 7 EYEWITNESSNEWS I-TEAM HEARDFROM MULTIPLEWOMEN WHO SAYTHEY WERE NOTINCLUDED IN THEMINISTRY SAFEINVESTIGATION.THEIR ALLEGATIONSSTEM FROM TIME ATCIRCLE C RANCHBETWEEN 2000-2011.A NOW 25-YEAR-OLDVICTIM WHO WASHEAVILY INVOLVEDAT CIRCLE C SAYS"HEWOULD SIT NEXT TOME AND PUT HISHAND ON MY LEGAND RUB MY INNERTHIGH AND OUTERTHIGH.
IT WASTHOSE SUTTLETOUCHES THATMADE ME SCAREDANDUNCOMFORTABLE."ANOTHERWOMANNOW 29--SAYS WHEN SHEAND HER FRIENDWERE WAITING FORA RIDE HOME FROMTHE CAMP IN 2007OR 2008,AARUM CAME UPBEHIND AND:"HUGGED ME FROMBEHIND.
TIGHTHUGGING.
IREMEMBERLOOKING AT MYFRIEND IN PURETERROR."THIS WOMAN SAYSAT TIMES, AARUMWOULD CORNERHER IN THE CAMP.AND ONE TIMEWHEN SHE WAS 15,SHE SAYS HE TOLDHER"YOU'RE JUST SOBEAUTIFUL ANDGUYS ARE GOING TOWANT TO BE WITHYOU AND HAVE SEXWITH YOU BECAUSEYOU'RE SOBEAUTIFUL."SHE SAYS "THESTAFF ALL KNEWABOUT IT.
PEOPLEBROUGHT THIS TOHIS ATTENTION.
ITMADE ME MADWATCHING THEINTERVIEW."MULTIPLE WOMENTELL THE 7EYEWITNESS NEWSI-TEAM AARUM'SUNCOMFORTABLEHUGSAND TALKS ALONE INTHE DARK WOULDSOMETIMES RESULTIN HIM TOUCHINGINTIMATE AREAS"HE WOULD PLAYWITH MY BRA STRAPA FEW TIMES," ONEWOMAN SAYS""GIVING ME A HUGRUBBING MY BACKAND PLAYING WITHTHE BACKS OF MYBRA STRAPS."ANOTHER WOMANWRITES THE HUGSWERE SO BAD"HE PROCEEDED TORUB MY BACK ANDHUG ME FOR ANUNCOMFORTABLYLONG TIME, AND DIDNOT LET GO WHEN ITRIED TO PULLAWAY."SOT: I CAN TELL YOURIGHT NOW I NEVERDID THATAND IWOULD LOVE ANOPPORTUNITY TOTALK TO THEMSOT: AS FAR AS WHYTHEY'RE SAYINGTHIS AND COMINGOUTMYRECOMMENDATIONWOULD BE TO TALKTO A BOARDCERTIFIEDPSYCHIATRIST ANDSEE IF THERE'SSOMETHING THEREAARUMDENIES ALLTHESEALLEGATIONS.SOT:HANNAH: SOYOU NEVERTOUCHED ANYONEINAPROPRIATELYDURING YOUR TIMETHERE?NOI CAN HONESTLY SAYI HAVE 0RECOLLECTION OFTHAT NOSOT: DID SOMEONECONTACT THEMBEFORE MINISTRYSAFE DID?
TO MOREOR LESS PRIME THEPUMP?SOT: OVER THELAST YEARIWORRIED THAT ITCOULD BE WORSETHAN I EVER KNEWMANY OF THEWOMEN WE TALKEDWITH SAY THEY FEELTHEY'RE BEINGGASLIGHTED BY THECIRCLE CBOARDAARUM ANDHIS FAMILY.FOR STICTWHAT'SMOST FRUSTRATINGIS THE PROBLEMSHE SPOKE UPABOUT A DECADEAGO.....WAS NEVERPROPERLYADDRESSED.SOT: WHEN I SAWTHAT LIST I WASJUST SO SAD FORTHE GIRLS WHOEXPERIENCED THAT.WE KNOW AT LEASTONE LOCAL LAWENFORCEMENTAGENCYTHECATTARAUGUSCOUNTY SHERIFF'SOFFICE ISINVESTIGATINGTHESE CLAIMS.YOU CAN READ THEFULL STORY ANDSEE OUR FIRSTREPORT ONWKBW.COMHB 7EWN
