* July 23rd…

Rev. Thomas J. Chantry, charged with child molestation, will begin a 13-day trial at the Yavapai County Superior Court in Camp Verde Tuesday, July 24.

Chantry, 47, was indicted in Yavapai County Superior Court on eight counts – five counts of child molestation and three of aggravated assault – for offenses committed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he worked at the Miller Valley Baptist Church.

* August 21st…

After two days of deliberations, a jury has found a former pastor accused of multiple counts of child molestation and assault guilty on two of the aggravated assault charges. Jurors determined Thomas Chantry, 47, was not guilty of one child molestation charge and one aggravated assault charge. […]

Yavapai County Deputy Attorney Susan Eazer called Chantry a “sick, twisted pedophile” last week in her closing rebuttal.

Eazer requested the court to change Chantry’s release conditions, citing the hung jury and new evidence she tried to introduce late into the trial.

The evidence concerned a 2004 Illinois police report detailing an incident where Chantry allegedly spanked a child at a school he was teaching at so hard he left bruises. The parents did not end up pursuing charges.

* September 13th…

A former Prescott pastor who stood trial less than a month ago on multiple charges of child molestation and abuse faces nine new charges as of Tuesday.

Thomas Chantry, 47, surrendered himself to the Yavapai County Superior Court this week and is being held in the County Jail on a $1 million bond. […]

Charges include four counts of aggravated assault, four counts of child molestation and one count of child abuse. All of these charges occurred between 1998 and 2000, according to the indictment issued by a Yavapai County grand jury Sept. 11.

* September 25th…

A Christian teacher and pastor convicted of aggravated assault for severely spanking children in Arizona was accused of doing the same at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights in 2004, though charges were never filed, authorities said.

* Today…

Republican state Rep. Tom Morrison vouched recently for a teacher/pastor convicted of assault and accused of “unspeakable” abuse of children in Arizona. Morrison was a teacher at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights in the early 2000s at the time Thomas Chantry also taught there.

“I found Mr. Chantry to be a man who was professional, courteous, and caring to students, parents, and fellow staff,” Morrison wrote in a letter to court authorities asking for leniency in Chantry’s sentencing. “In the time we worked together, in a variety of settings, he had his students (sic) best interests at heart.” Morrison signed the letter by name and identified himself as the state legislator representing Illinois’ 54th District.

Christian Liberty Academy plays an important role in Morrison’s life. Along with being a 5th grade teacher there for six years, his parents had helped found the school in 1969. Chantry taught there from 2002 to 2006.

Reached by phone, Morrison said, “I stand by what I wrote. I’m not going to talk about anything beyond the brief time we taught together.” He dismissed the media attention to his letter, saying voters have bigger concerns. “They want to talk about property taxes and the fact that they’re making plans to leave the state. Those are the real issues.”

Voters may be talking about something else now, though.

*** UPDATE *** Rep. Morrison…

To clarify, my statement was reflective of a person I worked with, for a brief period of time over 15 years ago. We have not seen nor spoken to each other since then. At no time did I ask for leniency.

What I learned this morning is not reflective of the person that I once knew. These are the most serious allegations and at the time I was unaware of them - and I wholeheartedly condemn them.

Therefore, I am seeking to withdraw my testimony in the letter, so there is no confusion regarding my position in this issue, after learning of these new allegations.
-

He sent a letter on behalf of someone who was facing sentencing for assaulting a child and… he didn’t know?

…Adding… So, let’s think about this for a moment. Rep. Morrison worked at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights until 2005. The paddling incident at that school, which resulted in a battery report filed with local police, happened in 2004, two years before Morrison left. And the superintendent of the school said the 2004 incident “prompted him to end the school’s long-standing practice of corporal punishment,” according to the Daily Herald.

Seems like he should’ve known something was up long before he wrote that letter to the judge.