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9:41 p.m. • 2-9-12

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Garner man had prior indecent liberties conviction


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Randy Robertson,
Randy Robertson,

A Garner man charged last week with a sex offense against a 14-year-old boy pleaded guilty to similar charges in 1980.

Randy Homer Robertson, 48, was arrested at his place of work, GFI software in Cary, on Friday, Garner Police Sgt. Joe Binns said. He was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child.

In 1980, Robertson pleaded guilty to two counts of the same charge for offenses against two boys, a search of Department of Correction records shows.

Robertson wasn't listed on the sex offender registry because his early crimes occurred prior to its creation.

Police said a surveillance video camera at Garner United Methodist Church captured Robertson making sexual advances toward a 14-year-old boy on a nearby playground in April.

"We regret very much that this incident happened here," Garner United Methodist Church Rev. Bill Haddock said on Wednesday.

Robertson and the victim were visiting from Saint Andrews United Methodist Church. The two churches were collaborating on a project to help the homeless.

"We're going to work with whoever we can to make sure we provide a place where children and youth and their parents know that this is a safe environment," Haddock said.

Rev. Randy Maynard, the pastor at Saint Andrew's, said he encouraged the victim's family to call police.

"We at Saint Andrews United Methodist Church, in consultation with denominational leaders, took immediate and swift action when this allegation occurred," Maynard said in a statement. "At this time, our utmost concern is for the victim and the victim's family as they continue to worship with us. We are encouraging, supporting and assuring the victim through various means of ongoing support. We are relying on Christ to help us, and we will guard against this ever happening again."

After the incident Robertson, who had been a member at Saint Andrews United Methodist Church since 1995, was asked to leave the congregation.

With Robertson's prior conviction, Wake County prosecutor Melanie Shekita said there is a concern that he may have other victims.

"The question is whether during that 30 years there may have been another victim and we would obviously encourage anyone who has information that may be relevant to contact the Garner Police Department to share that information with them," Shekita said.

Robertson, who was released on a $50,000 bond on Friday, declined comment to WRAL News on Wednesday.

RELATED TOPICS: Wake County, Garner, Cary

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Such a shame. There is a special place in prison for pedophiles. May he live long and get a life sentence. The church is better with out him in their congregation.

to sneeziegal and Love it or leave it - There is an action called intentional sin that you DO have control of and if you go out knowing what you are going to do is a sin and you continue on that path or are putting someone in danger you should be asked to leave the church. People who think they can act this way or say live in sin and be a member of the church cannot be part of the christian family because it looks as though the church condones that type of behavior. We all sin everyday, it's in our blood. But as a christian, we are to repent (turn away) from sin daily and try to live like Jesus and not like the world.

There were a couple wierdos in my home town. We all knew who they were and were told to steer clear of them. If they had so much as touched a kid, they would have been severely beaten. Period. No cops. No trial. No sex offender registry. Just a good old fashioned beatdown.

IF YOU READ THE 4TH PARAGRAPH IN THE ARTICLE, IT STATES HE WAS LISTED AS A SEX OFFENDER BECAUSE HIS CRIME OCCURED BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE REGISTRY. HE WAS NOT LISTED BECAUSE IT OCCURED PRIOR TO THE CREATION. PLEASE PROOF READ YOUR ARTICLE BEFORE SUBMITTIMG!!!

If you read the story carefully, you will see that the victim and the accused both attend the same church. That puts the church in the akward place of having to make these kind of decisions about who attends for worship. If you worshipped at the church, and especially if you have children, would you want to attend with the accused? You can't blame the church for trying to protect its members!

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