More testify against ex-pastor in sex abuse
- February 26, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two more alleged victims testified Wednesday in Kanawha Circuit Court that a Shrewsbury minister sexually molested them when they were teenagers in the 1990s.
Sandy Martin Cook, 49, of Belle, faces multiple charges of third-degree sexual assault and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian for alleged sexual misconduct with several boys while he was senior pastor of the Shrewsbury Church of God.
One of the alleged victims, Michael “Andy” Lewis, said he was abused by Cook after he moved in with the minister during high school. Lewis is now a minister at the New Life Center in Cedar Grove.
Another alleged victim, Michael Bradley, said he used to live in a trailer park in Shrewsbury before his family moved to Ohio in 1995.
Bradley, now 28, said his stepfather had problems with drugs and alcohol and his parents fought a lot. He began attending services at the Church of God hoping that his family might find stability there, he said.
Bradley began spending time with Cook, whom he described as “nice” and “helpful.” This included occasional trips to McDonald’s, which was a big deal to Bradley because his family couldn’t afford to eat out, he said.
Soon, Bradley accepted an invitation to sleep over at Cook’s house, he said. One night as Bradley slept in the guest bedroom, Cook climbed into bed with him, he said.
“He pulled down my pajama pants and started rubbing my genitals,” Bradley said. “He went under the blankets and started performing oral sex.”
Cook also tried to push his head under the covers, but Bradley rolled over and pretended to be asleep, he said.
Bradley said the encounter left him confused and scared.
“I was 15 years old. I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “I didn’t know if that was the right thing or the wrong thing.”
After the same scenario played out during another sleepover, Bradley told his then-girlfriend Paula Farley, whose father Paul is also a minister.
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