Church Intern, Seminary Student Charged With Indecent Liberties

RALEIGH, N.C. — A 25-year-old man who worked with young people as a student ministry intern at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh for three years is now charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy from the church.

Doug Goodrich, a Southeastern Baptist Seminary student, is charged with taking indecent liberties with a child and a statutory sex offense.

"It is a dread feeling. You have a ministry that serves as many people as we do -- especially children and kids -- you fear that you are going to get that call," said Steve Munshower, the church's communications director.

Munshower said they did a criminal background check on Goodrich as they do on all volunteers -- and he had a clean record. No church leaders or parents saw any red flags in Goodrich's behavior that would have indicated there was a problem.

"We do a lot of things -- a constant training with folks in terms of what to watch for and that sort of thing, so we are as careful as we can be, but unfortunately these things do happen," said Munshower.

Police discovered Goodrich and the boy in a parked car during a routine security patrol just before midnight at Laurel Hills Park. They thought the car looked suspicious and got closer to investigate.

"I think I would characterize it as fortunate, fortuitous that they were doing their jobs, they were out there on patrol and they responded properly, obviously, when they did see something suspicious to them," said police spokesman Jim Sughrue.

Goodrich lives in a North Raleigh townhome, where, neighbors say, he kept to himself. They searched the home this morning.

Court records list him as a waiter at Applebees. He is a student at the Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest. The school is also looking into the case and deciding whether Goodrich, who is out of jail on bond, can attend classes.

Church leaders spent the better part of the day counseling the victim's family. They say the family is strong and doing well despite what their son has been through.

"They knew him, they trusted him, and he had been in their home and I think they have sympathy for him," said Munshower.