Raleigh man accused of child sex abuse at church fights to clear his name
A 62-year-old Raleigh man who is accused of sexually abusing a child at his church is fighting to clear his name.
Kenneth Newcomer, now 62, was charged with sex crimes against a child a year ago. He was arrested on three counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of other sex offenses with a minor.
Investigators say Newcomer sexually abused a child between 2007-2009 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 7000 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh, where he attended and his wife worked at the time. Prosecutors said the alleged victim was between 7 and 8 years old.
However, Newcomer's attorney, William Finn, says the evidence does not support the claims in a new court filing. Finn wrote that the evidence is lacking, and the case should be dismissed.
Newcomer’s court appearance, scheduled for Monday, was continued to Wednesday due to the recent filing.
Finn wrote, “A year ago, the victim repeated her allegations and made some statements contradictory to statements made during the first call and some statements that are factually inaccurate.”
WRAL News reached out to Finn several times on Monday but did not hear back.
Finn also wrote, “The Wake County District Attorney's Office has informed the defense that the video recording of the interview with Mr. Newcomer has been deleted and is not recoverable.”
Finn believes the case has, “no physical evidence and no evidence to corroborate the accuser’s allegations.”
In the filing, Finn outlines what he believes are the next steps in the legal process for Newcomer.
“Mr. Newcomer is now forced to decide between allowing the jury to hear the detective's account and impression of the interview without the video or being forced to take the stand to testify,” Finn wrote. “The government, through its neglect, is forcing Mr. Newcomer into a corner where the only way out is to testify.”
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman responded to the claims today saying her office takes the allegations seriously.
Freeman said it’s her office’s obligation to, “Provide discovery to defense counsel and seeks to fully meet this requirement to the extent that materials exist. These matters are reviewed by the court through a motion, as will be done in this case."
Newcomer was previously in jail under a $1 million bond. However, after 6 months in jail, he bonded out in August 2023. He is no longer allowed on the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s property.
In 2023, pastors Richard Goeres and Marsha Anderson wrote a letter to the congregation about Newcomer’s alleged crimes.
“The crimes were allegedly perpetrated by a non-staff adult male member of the congregation, with incidents of abuse occurring in the church building,” the pastors wrote.
The pastors asked congregants to check in with anyone who participated in children's or youth ministry "to be sure they never experienced abuse of any kind while in our congregation’s care." They encouraged anyone with information to report it to the Wake County Sheriff's Office.
