AA Member Molested 3 Year Old at AA Meeting In Bellingham Washington

When is AA World Services going to stop having meetings without safety guidelines? How many more children have to get molested by AA members for AA World Services does something?

Man molested 3-year-old at Bellingham AA meeting

THE BELLINGHAM HERALD May 9, 2014

A Bellingham man who molested a 3-year-old girl at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation Thursday, May 8, in Whatcom County Superior Court.

Gilbert Hannah, 66, was attending a meeting in January 2013 when he went into a nearby room where the 3-year-old and a 9-year-old girl were playing alone, according to court documents. NA Daytona Beach NA and AA Meetings in Holly Hill Parks.

After the meeting, the older girl told her grandmother that a man had come into the room and put his hand down the younger girl’s tights. The older girl said she didn’t say anything when it was happening because she was scared the man would do the same thing to her, according to court documents. Florida SOS, Life Ring, Women for Sobriety Meetings.

Relatives called police and decided to continue attending meetings to see if they could find a man who fit the description the older girl gave to police. The younger girl, who had recently turned 3, was unable to talk about what happened.

After some time, the girls’ relatives were able to figure out that Hannah likely was the one who molested the girl. Bellingham Police officers interviewed Hannah Feb. 14, and he admitted that he had been at the meeting and gone in the room where the girls were playing but initially said he didn’t remember putting his hand down the girl’s tights.

He later admitted that he did but said it was an accident. He was arrested for child molestation about a week later. NA Florida Region Orlando Meetings.

Hannah could serve 20 months in prison for the charge, though the Department of Corrections will have to complete a pre-sentencing investigation before he is sentenced.

Reach Zoe Fraley at zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com or 360-756-2803. Read the Dispatcher Blog atbellinghamherald.com/dispatcher-blog or get updates on Twitter at @bhamcrime.

12 thoughts on “AA Member Molested 3 Year Old at AA Meeting In Bellingham Washington

  1. And AAWS could not deny responsibility saying the members acted on their own because there is nothing in the pamphlet to the Sponsor to tell them not to and it has been common practice for many years. All information on how AA members are to be with criminals who are sentenced to AA are only in the pamphlets to the criminal and the judicial system – not to AA members.

    The Librarian.

    • They certainly have acknowledged that there is a problem with predatory behavior and have refused to do anything about it. I just think that is evil.

  2. I have decided to change my name from Mary Magdeline to ‘The Librarian’ because this name seems to fit better.

    So where will this sex offender go when he gets out? Right back to AA where there will be children. http://www.doc.wa.gov/community/sexoffenders/rulesincommunity.asp

    Here is an example of a sex offender who is not allowed to be around children but is attending AA. And who goes there? Minors, sometimes with their parents, sometimes for themselves. Who is going to protect these children?
    The article in question is dated April 23 2005 ‘Wisconsin: Man gets prison for sex assault’ http://kardasz.org/MolestersWithCP.html

    Who is going to protect the children? Just think of the Midtown group. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/21/AR2007072101356.html

    There are molesters in the rooms who have been sent their by the judicial system. AA members are working with the judicial system. I have shown that in my previous posts. AAWS encourages them to do so by providing all the tools they need to work within the judicial system – then not providing information within the sponsorship pamphlet to the contrary. Who is responsible when someone dies, is molested or abused????

    AAWS has no safety measures in place. It is time for this to change

    The Librarian 🙂

    • Hi Librarian. I like the new name and it fits you appropriately. This is what I so not understand, why government agencies or non profits that are out there to protect children are not having a field day with this? I believe because sex offenders are being sentenced to the same meetings as minors breaks many laws.

      Maybe it would be a good idea to present this kind of information to child protective services agencies and child advocacy groups to see if they would help.

      • I agree that this should be presented to child protective services and should be address but I will leave that up to people who have those skills. I’ve been working on my research skills specifically to provide parents and family members who have been abused, raped, murdered with the documents to sue AA. I want to continue this because I seem to be getting better at it.

        Now that I have tied Washington State’s document to AA and I have tied AA members keeping reporting to the courts on other members, I have clearly established the reciprocal relationship. Therefore, AA would be responsible if a minor who walked through their got molested, killed ect… by a pedophile who had been sent there by Washington State. Since AAWS two groups are working as a team.

        The Librarian.

        • AAWS could not wiggle out of it by pleading ignorance because they voted ‘No’ to addressing the issue. 🙂 And because they have tailored themselves to meet the needs of the judicial system. And because there are sooo many court cases. They can not claim that they did not know.

          • You are right they have tailored themselves to the needs of the judicial system. While at the same time going into our high schools inviting minors and young people to the same meetings.
            I think there has to be existing laws against this.

  3. How about sending this to AAWS! And add a lovely note asking them when they are going to publish guidelines for safety in its meetings? There is NO place for a minor at any meeting – not ‘Open’ or ‘Closed’. It simply isn’t safe.

    Anon

  4. I think that online meetings and groups such as the ones smart offer are so much safer for people with young children. There are too many nutters in 12 step recovery groups. I actually met more criminals in AA than anywhere else.

    • I totally agree Lovinglife52,
      Where I live AA/NA groups without safety guidelines or supervision still insist on holding their meetings in the park and attracting all the court mandates to gather right near the playground.

      What are they thinking?

      They don’t care about the increased risk that they know this poses to the children and others in the park, they only care that they don’t have to pay rent for their meeting place. They still collect money in the park even though they refuse to pay any rent with it.

      We have experienced big problems from members of these groups in the park for a long time and the problems continue to this day.

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