A pastor was convicted of molesting his own grandchildren.
The Rev. Roy Harriger was charged with molesting three of his grandchildren, but only convicted of molesting two. Since his arrest, more than 15 people have signed affidavits saying he sexually abused them as children.
“(The family was) obviously happy with the verdict,” District Attorney Joseph Cardone tells the Daily News Online. “I’m pleased for the victims and proud of them for coming here and testifying under such difficult circumstances. Hopefully they will be able to get some closure with this.”
“I thought of him as my father,” one family member told New York’s WKBW. “The only dad I knew. And for him to do this to my kids killed me because I couldn’t believe that a man who was supposed to be a man of God would do this to anybody. So I just thank whoever is up there, putting him away for good, where he needs to go. I want my kids to enjoy the rest of their lives knowing that he’s in jail.”
A bondsman rescinded Harriger’s bond, meaning Harriger must remain in prison until his sentencing in eight weeks, according to WGRZ.
“He’s a flight risk,” Harriger’s son George tells WIBV. “He could hurt my mom, he could hurt other people and stuff, he’s on the streets for eight more weeks until sentencing. This is just wrong. He should not be on the streets.”
Harriger pastored Ashwood Wesleyan Church in Yates in Lyndonville, New York.
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