He was so clever, a master of charm, deceit, and athletic ability. Wherever he went, his engaging personality and outstanding skills endeared him to all but the most suspecting.

As a premier soccer coach, his ability to revive a failing team won praises from the administration, athletic director, fellow coaches, and team members alike. Each year his team scored greater successes in reaching local, state, and national finals.

Supporters rose like sea gulls on the beach to applaud his successes. Search committees, eager for the best, vied for his services. He never lacked for opportunities to advance in his chosen field. In truth, by all accounts, his ability to rally support and put his team on a firmer footing were unquestionable. He would be on any head hunters "A" list.

While his stock rose in his professional performance, his private life left a wake of human destruction. For there was a dark side that all but the most discerning failed to see—so clever was he.

Mary knew that dark side. She was a teenager on his team when their paths first crossed. To be singled out by Mr. X for his special attention had to be flattering to a vulnerable, insecure young woman struggling for her identity. After all, she was the one chosen by this powerful and charismatic authority figure.

The wooing process was so subtle—the compliments, the empathizing, the gifts, and finally the sexual assaults behind closed doors.

She felt powerless to resist even though she knew what he did to her was wrong. His emotional hold on her was so great and she risked losing her special place if she refused his advances. His secret was safe.

Mary was not his only prey. Unbeknown to her or anyone else, Rebecca, Diana, and Sarah all were singled out, seduced, and sexually violated during their teenage years as members of his team advancing in their quest for a national title. Each kept silent but experienced intense emotional conflict and trauma at the time and in subsequent years. Adding to their distress was the fact that this abuse occurred in a Christian school at the hands of a "Christian" coach.

Meanwhile. Mr. X was promoted to greater responsibilities in other divisions and his star continued to rise. Twenty years later, Mary decided to put aside her shame and guilt and came forward to press charges against him. Although stones were being thrown at her in an attempt to discredit her testimony, she was finally vindicated and her honor restored.

Even though aware of Mary’s experience with Mr. X, his superiors chose to do nothing. After all, where could they find a coach better at winning games for their school? Mr. X maintained his innocence and remained in positions of responsibility over young women as the years went by.

Finally, inspired by Mary’s courage in coming forward and out of concern for other potential young women victims, Rebecca, Diana, and Sarah also came forward and revealed their history of sexual abuse at the hands of Mr. X and testified against him.

Only then, confronted with this mounting evidence and fear of public scandal, did his superiors regretfully remove him from his job as coach of their Class A soccer team.

How many other Mary’s were violated in the intervening years we may never know since only one out of ten cases of sexual abuse is ever reported. The risk of being victimized twice is too great—first by the perpetrator and again by the public or authorities who refuse to believe, or who blame the victim, and who do nothing.

Tragically, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is no more immune to sexual predators in our institutions than any other denomination. Nor are we any better at identifying and removing these individuals from positions of trust, whether pastors, teachers, or other leaders. And, in many cases, we do not obey the law, which states that we have a responsibility to report cases of sexual abuse to civil authorities to be sure justice is fairly served.

We are like the ostrich with its head in the sand. Maybe if we don’t see it, we don’t have to acknowledge it. Protecting our reputation and our assets seems to be more important than protecting our most precious possessions—our vulnerable young people.

Perhaps those who refuse to act should also be removed from office. How else can we protect future victims when we choose to remain silent?

Our greatest want remains the want of men who will be true to duty as the needle to the pole and who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

"For evils that we might have checked, we are just as responsible as if we were guilty of the acts ourselves." (Ellen White, Desire of Ages, 441)

"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

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