Former pastor sentenced for sexually assaulting minor

PONTIAC/FARMINGTON HILLS — Kenneth Flowers, 64, of Farmington Hills, was sentenced in Oakland County 6th Circuit Court before Judge Martha Anderson on July 17 for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy in Flowers’ home.

The former pastor at Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church pleaded no contest in April, according to court records. As such, he will not face trial.

As part of the prosecutor’s agreement, no sentencing recommendation were offered.

Anderson sentenced Flowers to 4-15 years. His attorney Layne Sakwa was contacted but declined to comment.

Flowers must register with the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, as part of the sentencing.

“Today’s sentence means that Kenneth Flowers is being held accountable for his actions,” said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. “Our focus throughout the process was providing a just outcome for the victim.” 

 

Keeping kids safe
John Piggott, the police chief for Farmington Hills, and Zena Dailey, the crime prevention and community relations officer for West Bloomfield Police, shared their thoughts on protecting kids from predators.

“Sexual predators and bad people aren’t necessarily strangers,” Piggott said. “While we don’t suspect it’s going to be your counselor or priest or pastor, it is possible, and (parents) need to make sure their children know that anyone could do this.”

Dailey said parents should teach children to have autonomy over their own body.

“It’s OK to have boundaries,” she said. “If someone tries to hug, kiss or touch you and it makes you uncomfortable, you have the right to say no.”

Make sure children know the difference between “good touch” and “inappropriate touch,” and use the correct words for private parts. Don’t use nicknames or alternative terms. Using proper language for anatomy helps remove shame and makes it easier to talk about issues.

An adult asking a child to keep a secret from their parents should be a red flag to the child. This was one of the most important points, according to Dailey and Piggott. And if a parent is a sexual abuser, one should find a trusted adult and tell them right away.

“Staying silent or uncertain can sometimes be misunderstood as permission,” Dailey said.

Be cautious online. If someone makes a child feel scared, uncomfortable or asks for private information or photos, they should tell a trusted adult immediately. Many online predators build trust before asking for inappropriate content.

“Kids get tricked online all the time,” Dailey said. “A lot of kids have sent pictures of their (private parts) or girls of their breasts, and that has been used to (extort) money, (to) gain access or sexually assault (the kid).”

Officials recommend using parental controls on devices. Set privacy restrictions and limit app permissions, such as location access.

According to Piggott, many predators target kids who are withdrawn or don’t have a good relationship with their parents.

“Those grooming processes take time,” Piggott said.

The predator is watching and monitoring the child, waiting to make their move.

“They probably can have 20-30 great contacts with them before they test them with something that is just slightly over the line to see whether it will affect them or (whether) they will be willing to tell a parent. And sometimes those things look rather innocuous,” he said. “They try to explain it away with, ‘Oh, that was just a simple hug,’ (or) ‘Don’t tell anybody I hugged you.’”

 

Dealing with strangers
Parents should teach their kids to never travel with a stranger. Instead, politely decline and move along. Kids should also be taught to not enter unfamiliar homes, especially by themselves, and they should run and yell loudly if a stranger follows them.

If a stranger calls to them from a vehicle, kids should run towards nearby houses and backyards since West Bloomfield does not have yards with fences and gates, allowing them to reach the next street. They should also run in the opposite direction from the car, making it harder for the stranger to follow, Dailey said.

Before allowing your child to visit another family’s house, the chief recommends learning about the other family.

“You just never know what’s going on in other people’s homes,” Piggott said. “There could be drug use, unsecured weapons or abuse situations.”

If a kid is doing yard work at a neighbor’s, such as mowing the lawn or shoveling snow, you may want to encourage your child to stay outside and never enter the premises. If the neighbor wants the child to come inside for payment, ask for digital payment instead.

There are services available to help those in abuse situations, such as Care House, HAVEN and Child Protective Services. The local police are also available to help.

“We have very compassionate detectives,” Piggott said. “We start from the perspective (that) our survivors are telling the truth, and we’ve established a culture in our department to maintain the trust and confidentiality of the people who come forward with these cases.”

For more information about Care House, visit carehouse.org or call (248) 332-7173.

To learn more about HAVEN, visit haven-oakland.org or call (248) 334-1284.

To reach Child Protective Services, visit michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv.