Youth Minister Won't Serve a Day for Raping the Gay Away

An Iowa church elder turned youth pastor turned convicted sex offender, who was arrested on 60 counts of suspicion of sexual exploitation for having sex with teenage boys to "help them with homosexual urges," received a 17-year prison sentence last week, which was suspended provided he undergoes sex offender treatment while on probation. KRMG Radio reports.

As reported by UPI, in February, Brent Girouex, 31, confessed to police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that he had sexual relations with four young men starting in 2007 to help them gain "sexual purity" in the eyes of God. However, at least eight men have come forward with complaints that the pastor molested them.

In one case, Girouex admitted to having a relationship with a 14-year-old boy, saying that they had "mutual" contact 25 to 50 times. The victim, who is now an adult, alleges the actual number of encounters to be between 50 and 100.

As reported in AddictingInfo.org, Girouex told detectives that his actions were meant to "help with homosexual urges by praying while he had sexual contact with [them]" in order to keep them "sexually pure" for God. He then allegedly told police that "when they would ejaculate, they would be getting rid of the evil thoughts in their mind."

Although Girouex has admitted to having sex with four minors, eight more have stepped forward since his arrest, claiming that they were also violated by the former youth pastor. Several of the victims told investigators the encounters took place at Girouex's house.

Erin Girouex, the wife of the convicted abuser, expressed frustration with the judge's decision to suspend her estranged husband's sentence. She is currently filing for divorce.

The couple has four small children together, two of which are foster children. Mr. Girouex has expressed a desire to maintain contact with his children. KCCIreports that currently, he has two monthly visits supervised by his own mother.

AddictingInfo.org states that "this 'rape away the gay'" idea is nothing new. Last year, a radio personality told a father that he should have one of his male friends rape his daughter until she turns straight."

Girouex will also be under the supervision of the Iowa Department of Corrections for the rest of his life, as part of the state's special sentence for sex offenders.