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Accused sex predator Victor Barnard — a victim's story


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On 10/29/2016 at 5:03 AM, Rocky said:

Links to local and national news coverage, including video from Fox9 and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Photo essay...

Star Tribune article with video

Two Childhood Rape Survivors Just Ended a Cult Leader’s Terrifying Reign (nymag.com)
Minnesota Cult Leader Victor Barnard Sentenced to 30 Years
(nymag.com)

Excerpts from survivors' (Jess and Lindsay) statements included in a couple of the linked articles.

It might be important to remember and reflect on the fact that Barnard didn't come up with his scheme completely out of the blue. His "father in the word" sowed the seeds, and so did LCM. And current prez Rosalie R, as noted in documents from legal proceedings related to Martindale's misadventures was fully aware of the sexual abuse at TWI's top levels of leadership at least as far back as the early 1990s.

Rocky, thanks for all the links.

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On 5/18/2014 at 10:58 PM, Broken Arrow said:

Un-bel-ievable!!! That any parent, but especially a parent who espouses to know God, would literally sacrifice not just one daughter but two and thinking they're doing God's will somehow! How wazzed out do you have to be? My God! That, and in the face of the oldest daughter's revelations. That's just over the top. But, I suppose people have been practicing child sacrifice to some sort of God for millenia. This is just another form. Man I'm glad I'm out.

BA, great post!!  I too am glad that I left.  I do wonder though, what will happen to the parents?

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  • 5 months later...

Apparently Victor Bernard had his 30-year sentence reduced to 24 years. http://www.fox9.com/news/victor-barnard-wins-appeal-details

 

- Minnesota cult leader Victor Barnard has won an appeal of his criminal conviction, throwing out the upward departure of his 30-year prison. Barnard's sentence will be reduced to 24 years. 

The court ruled "the case law on this issue is clear: when a district court fails to provide reasons for a sentencing departure on the record at the time of sentencing, no departure will be allowed. Although we have no doubt that permissible departure grounds exist in this case, because the district court did not provide any departure grounds on the record at the time of sentencing, case law compels us to remand for imposition of the presumptive sentence. We are obligated to follow the law."

Sources tell Fox 9 Barnard has been moved to a prison outside of Minnesota, for his safety. In January an inmate of the Rush City, Minnesota, prison said he “was doing God’s work” when he allegedly assaulted Barnard in a cell.

 

On Oct. 11, 2016, Barnard unexpectedly pleaded guilty to sexually molesting two of his teenage followers. As part of a plea bargain, Barnard had agreed to the 30 year prison sentence. 

It was a Fox 9 Investigation three years ago that revealed Barnard sexually abused two of his followers who were members of the “Maidens,” a group of 10 first born daughters in the group who were to serve Victor Barnard. The story led to a re-opening of the investigation against Barnard, a 59-count indictment against him, an international manhunt, and his eventual extradition back to Minnesota.

In January, Barnard and 15 followers were also served with a lawsuit from one of his victims, Lindsay Tornambe. The lawsuit claims the leadership of the River Road Fellowship failed to protect her from “the perversions of Victor Barnard.”

 

Edited by Rocky
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That's disappointing, when he agreed to 30 years.  It's obviously not in the nature of a "contract" that he agreed to, when he agreed to be extradited.  And then to lodge an appeal?!

He'll still be an old man when he get out - if he gets out.  Methinks the "accidents" that have befallen him, and attacks from other inmates, may not improve his lifespan.  He may be unhealthy from years of prison life.  Perhaps getting geriatric illnesses and diseases. 

In the UK sometimes such prisoners are given early release, because a prison isn't a hospital and they don't have facilities to deal with the problems - like dementia, or serious degeneration of their bodies - of very elderly prisoners.  But some - like Ian Brady, a notorious torturer and killer of young children - die there, despite their condition (he had brain cancer).  Perhaps they're kept in because even after decades, it's safer for them in prison.

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He is approximately 55-56.

He was captured in Brazil the end of February or early March 2015 and was held in a Federal Prison there until he was extradited to the US  in June 2016.

He was sentenced in October of 2016 here in the US. So he has served one year of that sentence unless they give him credit for time served in Brazil? I wonder what if any parole options he might get in the future. I do not recall if there were any stipulations on that in his sentencing.

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/21/2016 at 5:31 PM, MnMom said:

"They all " meaning all the adult married or unmarried women.  Don't worry be happy said she meaning Peggy (LIndsay mom) slept with victor.  I was wondering if he had first hand knowledge of that or just a general opinion that Victor slept with all the women and teenage girls.

 

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1 hour ago, MnMom said:

"They all " meaning all the adult married or unmarried women.  Don't worry be happy said she meaning Peggy (LIndsay mom) slept with victor.  I was wondering if he had first hand knowledge of that or just a general opinion that Victor slept with all the women and teenage girls.

That quote was from 10/21/2016 at 3:31pm.

The only thing I can infer from your post an hour ago is that you're still wondering about the answer to your questions about whether all the adult married or unmarried woman had sex with VB.

We don't specifically have the answers to those questions.

You might be able to contact Karl Kahler on Facebook. He had done some investigative work (as a journalist) on the subject and MIGHT have come across the answers you're looking for.

Also Mark Frontczak is on Facebook. He was (and still may be) a part of the group. You might ask him.

 

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  • 2 years later...

Reporter's notebook: Death of a maiden

By Tom Lyden

Published 

(FOX 9) - If you do this job long enough you may be lucky enough to encounter people who are extraordinarily kind, fiercely courageous and incredibly wise. Sometimes, although rarely, they are the same person.  

Jess S*******-********* was that person for me. Six years ago, she and her childhood friend, Lindsay T*******, bravely came forward to tell me the story of cult leader Victor Barnard and his River Road Fellowship.  

Their willingness to share their painful story of life in a religious cult and of their rape by its leader, led to 52 criminal charges against Barnard for sexual assault, an international manhunt leading to his capture in Brazil, and eventually, his conviction and sentence to 24 years in prison.  

That was the part of the story the world got to see. But the scars of living in a religious cult, one in which the people you love may also be enablers of your rapist, can run tragically deep. Those scars never really heal.  

Jess would be the first to say that if she was still here. Last week, Jess took her life. She was 31.  

 

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  • 4 months later...

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