The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-05-06, Page 15Former Clinton minister charged
with sexual assault, exploitation
Patrialc Maloney-- sun media
When Rev. David Woodall joined
the United Church of Canada's Lon-
don -area executive staff, he foresaw
himself as a bridge between national
leaders and local parishioners' con-
cerns.
But yesterday at the offices of the
United Church's London conference
-- which oversees eight presbyteries
and 65,000 people -- it was a col-
league filling in as executive secre-
tary and reaching out to churchgoers
stunned by Woodall's arrest on sex-
related charges.
"(Our) priority is providing pas-
toral care to the people impacted by
this development," said Peter Kings-
bury, who took over Woodall's post
Thursday.
"David would be well-known by
a great many people. We've reached
out to all our churches (and) hold ev-
eryone involved and impacted in our
prayers."
Woodall, 53, was charged Wednes-
day with two counts of sexual assault,
two counts of sexual exploitation and
one count of sexual interference.
Huron OPP started investigating
after a man reported he was assaulted
as a child.
Another adult made a similar com-
plaint. Both said the incidents oc-
curred on sleepover programs orga-
nized as church functions.
Woodall is accused of sexually as-
saulting one child in Clinton in the
early 1990s and sexually assaulting
a second youth at McGregor Point
Provincial Park in Bruce County.
The church's area footprint in-
cludes 314 "preaching places," main-
ly churches, and more than 65,000
parishioners. It stretches from Wind-
sor to Woodstock and as far north as
Wingham.
"If you understand the church, we
are in many ways a family like. any
other fdmily," Kingsbury said in
describing his own reaction to the
charges.
"So think of (this) as if you just
heard this news about your brother."
Asked if he had spoken with
Woodall -- who was released on bail
after a court appearance Thursday --
Kingsbury said "of course."
Attempts to reach Woodall at his
Woodstock home yesterday were un-
successful.
Woodall served as Clinton Unit-
ed Church's minister from 1985 to
1994. He spent eight years at Lon-
don's Hyde Park church and was at
St. David's in Woodstock from 2002
to 2006.
It was then that he was appointed
executive secretary, which he de-
scribed as "an honour."
Though he saw the times chang-
ing, he told Sun Media in 2006 the
church's future was bright.
"What we're good at is helping
people," he said. "I'll act as a bridge
... by helping the national church
between (the) national church and
local (followers) .• .. understand local
needs and concerns."
Woodall will return to Goderich
court June
15.
Anyone
with in-
formation
should con-
tact Huron
OPP at 519-
524-8314.
Strict new drinking and
drivinglaws
Dave Sykes
signal -star publisher
The Province of Ontario just got tougher
with drinking drivers, introducing tough
new impaired driving laws that took effect
Friday, May 1.
As of last Friday, any driver caught with a
blood-alcohol level between 0.05 to 0.08 —
referred to as the warning range —will have
their licence suspended for three days.
If drivers are caught with a similar level
of alcohol in their system a second time,
their licence will be suspended for seven
days and the driver will have to attend an
alcohol education program.
If a driver is caught in the warning zone
a third time, the driver's licence will be sus -
in effect
pended for 30 days and the motorist will
have to complete a remedial alcohol -treat-
ment program.
Drivers caught a third time will also have
an ignition interlock condition placed on
their licence for six months. That means
that suspended motorists cannot drive any
vehicle that does not have an ignition inter-
lock device installed.
The roadside licence suspensions cannot
be appealed and the suspensions will be
considered when determining consequenc-
es for subsequent infractions for up to five
years.
Previously, any motorist caught with a
blood-alcohol level below 0.08 was subject
to a 12 -hour licence suspension.
Piot pair appear in Superior Court
A North Huron man and woman,
charged with . conspiracy to com-
mit murder and counseling to com-
mit murder, .were both remanded in
custody awaiting bail appearances
in Superior court next week.
. The 38 -year-old woman from
North Huron appeared in Superi-
or Court in Goderich last week as
her bail hearing began Wednesday
morning but was later adjourned to
reconvene Monday, May 11 at 10
a.m. She was remanded in custody
at the Elgin Middlesex Detention
Centre in London until her next ap-
pearance.
The 39 -year-old Wingham man
charged in the case is scheduled to
appear in Superior Court in God-
erich on Wednesday, May 13 at 10
a.m. He was remanded in custody
until his next appearance.
The pair was arrested Thursday,
March 12 for conspiring to commit
a murder. Names have not been re-
leased to protect the identity of wit-
nesses and the intended victim.
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, May 6, 2009 - Page A13
gRIC117111).R01.41 YMCA
‘t, Lit1,7111t"
Y1tt ,A
NOTICE
Tobacco -Free Policy
All games, activities, tournaments, competitions,
sponsored events, and other performances
sanctioned by the YMCA of Goderich-Huron will be
tobacco -free on
Maitland Recreation Centre property.
Tobacco free means no smoking, snuffing, dipping,
or chewing tobacco by players/participants,
coaches/leaders, parents, spectators, and officials.
The tobacco -free policy will apply to the playing
fields, sidelines and parking lots on the Maitland
Recreation Centre property effective May 15, 2009.
For more information, please call the
YMCA of Goderich-Huron at:
519-524-2125 ext. 204
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