Calvary Chapel Nation Organization in Costa Mesa, CA

KOSNOFF Trial Lawyers, co-counsel launch sex-abuse case against Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
August 9, 2011

Four men, represented by Kosnoff Fasy, have filed suit against one of the largest Protestant church associations in the country, after they were sexually abused as kids by a former Calvary Chapel youth pastor, Anthony L. Iglesias.

Iglesias was convicted of sexually abusing two Idaho boys in 2003 and now is serving a lengthy prison sentence. Local Calvary Chapel churches operate under the oversight of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, the Santa Ana, Calif. parent church.

Tim Kosnoff, Dan Fasy and their co-counsel, Idaho attorney Leander James, nationally recognized victim advocates, are now seeking to hold accountable the parent church they say should have known of the abuser’s past, in exercising reasonable care. Kosnoff Fasy and James have already filed separate civil lawsuits against the local churches, Calvary Chapel in Rathdrum Prairie, Idaho and North Country Chapel in Post Falls, Idaho on behalf of Kory Larabee, Kyle Larabee, Nicholas Rutler and Alex McIntosh.

Years ago, Iglesias was criminally charged for sexually abusing a 13-year old boy in Southern California. At the time, Iglesias regularly attended Calvary Chapel in Diamond Bar, Calif. and engaged in a church youth group. Iglesias pleaded guilty. Calvary Chapel pastors removed Iglesias from youth ministry there for a period of months to keep children safe from his predatory behavior. However, Calvary Chapel ministers reinstated Iglesias’s contact with children after about six months, exposing children to potential harm.

Later, Calvary Chapel pastors in the Pacific Northwest had multiple opportunities to prevent the molestation of all four clients, but failed, after learning that Iglesias had again abused children – this time on a foreign church mission trip.

Pastor Bob Davis employed Iglesias in youth programs in Post Falls, Idaho and sent him on a mission to the Baan Emanuel orphanage in Thailand. (Baan Emanuel is part of North Country Chapel, Inc.) “Pastor Bob” did not report Iglesias to authorities, as he was required to under state law, after learning that Iglesias had allegedly molested children in Thailand. Another Calvary Chapel pastor, Ray Duran, later learned of Iglesias’s abuse in Thailand, but employed him anyway in Rathdrum Prairie’s youth program, where he molested the Larabee boys and Nick Rutler.

Founded in 1965 by Pastor Chuck Smith, Calvary Chapel is a network of more than 1,000 evangelical churches worldwide. Calvary Chapel ministers typically do not have any formal seminary or theological training. Calvary Chapel presents itself as an association rather than a denomination; if it were a denomination, it would be the fourth-largest Protestant denomination. Calvary Chapel’s radio broadcast network, Calvary Satellite Network (“CSN”), consists of 449 radio stations in 45 states. Local churches use the dove symbol and Calvary Chapel name under agreement.

If you have suffered sexual abuse by a Calvary Chapel pastor or employee, or if you have information about Anthony Iglesias, please call our abuse help line: 855-529-4272.