Documents Show Church Knew About Abuse

Associated Press/February 12, 2007

Ripon, California -- For nearly a decade, members of Ripon's First Congregational Church bared their souls to Pastor Randall Radic. But clearly it didn't work both ways. There were certain things he wasn't telling them.

That became obvious a year ago, when Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop — exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful Web log about his double life as a sinner.

"We didn't know anything until we got a call from the bank that he had bought a BMW," said David Prater, who led the church board during Radic's tenure.

Parishioners had been rooting for a long prison term of up to 16 months at his sentencing, set for Thursday. But Radic's lawyer said last week that the former pastor, who spent six months in jail awaiting trial, will not have to serve any more time because he agreed to testify about the alleged murder confession of a jailmate.