A London Baptist church pastor has written a letter to congregants admitting that he knew about the sex crimes committed by his son-in-law, against girls as young as six-years-old.
The Ebenezer Strict Baptist Church pastor – Philip Brunker – confessed that he allowed his son-in-law, Ben Kinderman, to join the church. Following his introduction, Kinderman rose to the level of deacon, the MailOnline first reported.
The 39-year-old convicted paedophile told Brunker of his crimes in 2009, meaning the pastor had known of the crimes for 10 years before admitting the truth to congregants.
Kinderman, who is from Streatham, was sentenced to three years in 2021 for sexually abusing two girls aged six and ten, more than 20 years ago.
The crimes were committed when Kinderman was 15 or 16. He wrote an apology letter more than 20 years later, spurring the victims to report him.
He admitted to molesting the elder victim – aged no more than 10 years – on three occasions. She is said to have suffered extreme pain after being touched sexually near a bonfire on a farm, whilst they were alone.
Other attacks happened during a game of table tennis, and in the back of a car.
The second victim – aged 6 – was touched sexually whilst the pair laid in bed together, despite there being other people in the room.
During his university years, he wrote letters to the victims, begging for forgiveness.
Following his trial at Swindon Crown Court, Judge Crabtree told him:
"She has nothing to be guilty for. The guilt lies with one person in this courtroom and that is you."
He said of the man's older victim: "It is clear that your abuse of her has had a very real and enduring impact upon her health. She recalls at the time and as a teenager being unable to sleep and believing she would be unable to marry and have children.
"She was terrified of anyone finding out about what you were doing as she believed what she had done was wrong.
"Of course, there was only one person who was doing wrong and that was you; even as a 15 or 16-year-old youth."
Pastor Brunker, 80, is also the father of Dr Joanna Main, the Christian who didn’t allow a gay couple to view her home, sparking online fury. She is the sister to Kinderman’s wife.