Court documents detail Woodland Park pastor’s alleged child abuse
WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (KRDO) -- UPDATE: The attorney of Johnny Monderen reached out to KRDO to provide an update that the case had been dismissed.
According to attorney Joe Maher, the District Attorney's Office informed the court of evidence "substantially contradictory statements from the alleged victim's trial testimony" that had not previously been disclosed to the defense.
His attorney said, "the court determined that this was a violation of the defendant's constitutional due process rights. The court dismissed the matter that same day but later identified the dismissal as a declaration of a mistrial."
On December 27, 2021, his attorney stated the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office dismissed the case with prejudice citing an inability to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court ordered the case dismissed and the court record sealed.
Previous Coverage: Court documents detail new information about a local pastor in Colorado Springs accused of abusing a child for years.
Pastor Johnny Monderen was arrested Oct. 30 on numerous charges, including sexual assault on a child and sexual exploitation of a child.
KRDO obtained court documents from Teller County Monday that say Woodland Park police were notified about the possible abuse after the young student took an online psychological assessment in school. Those assessments are meant to help school counselors spot students who could be struggling with mental health.
The school then contacted police, and the child told detectives the abuse started about three years ago, lasting up until a few days before Monderen's arrest.
According to the court papers, the purported victim said Monderen would enter the child's room when everyone in the home was asleep. Monderen would reportedly force the child to drink wine and beer.
The police report also said the child would be further abused if they refused the sexual advances.
We reached out to the Church of the Son, where Monderen is supposedly the pastor, but they have not responded. Monderen is due back in court on Monday next week.
Editors Note: This article was updated on May 11, 2022, after Monderen's attorney provided new information regarding the case.
