More of My Story After Steve Rohs
Being sexually molested (especially by a person in power/authority figure) is a terrible tragedy. Being a survivor of a system that historically protects the predators is just as bad if NOT WORSE!
I am not sharing to tear anything of God or that which is good down. I’m a Christian and have seen God’s hands at work in miraculous ways throughout my life. There is zero doubt in my mind that God has brought this all to light in his own timing.
I’m sharing simply because I’ve been asked to. What was the cause and effect of the second time I was victimized…
Being a victim of molestation has a well known life-long impact as do many other tragedies. Some of you may have previously read my story that I’m now expanding upon. My tragedy did not stop when the molestation stopped. In 1986, the second dose of victimization commenced. It was the year I told my parents what had happened, the year I talked to the Tulare County DA’s office, the year Steve Rohs came with Workers to our home to apologize for molesting me, and the year I asked the Workers to go to EVERY home Steve Rohs had ever stayed at as a Worker and ask if their children had been harmed by him.
That was NEVER done nor did I EVER get answers to my questioning as to why it was not being done. I felt and WAS unheard. The pleadings of a young girl trying to help and protect others fell upon the deaf ears of Workers. It definitely left me feeling that even though I was the victim, I didn’t matter. Steve’s life was unharmed and unchanged. Yet I, who was innocent of wrong doing, was cast aside. No one took a stand for me. It is VERY harmful when survivors voices are silenced. I was made to feel like what happened to me didn’t matter.
As a result, I went on to endure a very abusive 10 year marriage. It was a marriage riddled with physical, mental and emotional abuse. That is not an uncommon path for a survivor of child sexual abuse. By the Grace of God, when I got a divorce I also left the cycle of abuse. However it was thousands of dollars spent on years of counseling, broken relationships, many tears, and a LOT of hard work to get to where I was in 2010.
Not ONCE did I receive any support or financial compensation for the cost of professional help. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on counseling and countless hours in therapy over the years. Not one time was financial support offered to me from the Workers, let alone an acknowledgment that had it created a hardship on my life. I have, however, been accused of being bitter and angry. At times I have been! Why WOULDN’T someone be bitter and angry after how I’ve being treated? I am NOT the person who has committed the crimes! I’m the innocent one!! I’M the one that should have the support and protection. NOT the pedophile!
In 2010, I realized there were still unresolved issues surrounding how I had been victimized the second time. In being silenced and Workers NOT following through on a simple request that would not only help me, it would have prevented other children from being offered as living sacrifices. The message was loud and clear that it was more important to keep the reputation and the image of The Truth intact than to do what was right by the victim and other innocent children that WOULD be, and WERE harmed. .
So, I did what I had control of and wrote my email to Steve and BCC’d it to 800-900 others in the Truth. I do not recall being acknowledged by one single Worker that had received my email. I had to reach out to the few that would speak to me. I got the run around from the Workers after many calls and emails requesting any additional information including details about why Steve left the work, what had they done to protect their community from him and other pedophiles. I got nothing but the run around. Once again I was silenced, shamed and unheard. The message given and received…. What happened to me and was continuing to happen did not matter!
It was a brutal season that followed. To have SO many people aware of what had happened, not just the molestation, but the treatment I received the years following has been very harmful. As a survivor to have spoken up and have nothing done to address handling Child Sex Abuse/Sex Abuse differently was incredibly frustrating. NOTHING was said or done to protect Steve’s children. NOTHING changed even when people were made aware that there was a pedophile in their midst. This is exactly why I will not be silenced!
Between January 2023 and today, May 4, 2023, I have had multiple conversations with Workers and Overseers. I have had two phone conversations with Rob Newman, (California Overseer) three phone conversations with Jeff Thayer,(Minnesota Overseer) 5 phone conversations and one in person meeting with Ed Alexander (Former Overseer of AZ, Worker in CA & OR). Like the conversations I had with the Workers in 2010, I pleaded for any information they had regarding my sexual abuse. This year the pleas were urgent so that I might obtain anything that would assist Law Enforcement.
On March 24th, Lauren Rohs, daughter and victim of Steve Rohs, had a call with Ed Alexander that he “remembered” he had letters regarding my situation with Steve from Eldon Tenniswood and would get them to her. The next day, she received a text from Ed that he could not speak to her anymore. On April 7th, Lauren and Ed had a call about the letters again. It was arranged to meet with Ed in Shasta City, Ca on April 10 to retrieve them. Ed called Lauren the morning of the 11th and said he realized he didn’t have them, as he had given them to Rob Newman four to five years prior. Lauren and I met with Ed as previously planned and he agreed to text Rob to request them.
Rob Newman responded that he was out of state and it would be some time before he could look for the letters. On April 19th, Rob texted Lauren and indicated the letters had been delivered to the Tulare County Sheriff Office with a NEW case number. I had been asking for information and documents such as this for thirteen years. I was not given the courtesy of a phone call, email, or copies of the letters. I learned that Brett Majors was the Worker who delivered the letters to Tulare County after meeting with Rob on April 18th. I contacted Brett on May 1st to request copies of the letters. I called and texted Rob Newman on May 3rd to request copies of the letters. On May 3rd, Brett texted me and informed me the letters were delivered to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office with no explanation of why they would not provide me with a copy. As a victim of sexual abuse by a Worker, I felt that the VERY LEAST they could do is show me how Eldon Tenniswood had handled it back in 1986. It was my hope the letters would bring a small amount of peace in reading Eldon’s words. However, once again, I, the victim, was not acknowledged, heard, respected or supported. Acions such as these compound the trauma.
Never once since 1986 has there ever even been a whisper or an acknowledgment that these letters even existed. Not in 2010 when I made inquiries, nor in the last several months. Funny how all of a sudden they appeared when the "covering up” is FINALLY getting exposed! Nope, not until last week did they appear. NOT to me so that I could see them. What a huge sense of betrayal that has been sweeping over me. I will shout from the rooftops until those involved and complicit in covering up Child Sex Abuse and Sex Abuse are exposed and held accountable.
After 37 years I still have not given up! I will not be silenced. I will be heard and I will be a voice for those who have lost theirs for now. I will not stop in my efforts for pedophiles to be exposed therefore stopping the offering of children as living sacrifices to these predators. I wish mine was the only story like this…. Sadly there are countless others that have the exact same story!
Hopefully my sharing will help others find their voice.
https://www.advocatesforthetruth.com/about-us
