Afro-witchdoctor removes demons with hims johnson

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Afro-witchdoctor removes demons with hims johnson

T.O. pastor accused of ritual sex
Opening statement at rev's trial tells of pigeon-blood bath, gravesite sex and threats of murder

"Connie" believed Rev. Frank Seeko Lawrence was her "saviour," who purged the evil spirits that afflicted her with an apparently incurable teenage sickness, court heard yesterday.



Pastor Seeko Frank Lawrence in a file photo

She described ritual baths costing $300 apiece -- including one in which the blood of a sacrificed pigeon was poured over her face -- that cured her painful migraine headaches and recurring vomiting.

Lawrence then rubbed ointment all over her naked body after a ritual bath in 1995.

Connie, 29, who believed in a mixture of black magic and Christian spirituality, was so impressed with Lawrence that in 2000 she recommended him to her acquaintance, "Ellie."

Now both women, whose identities are under a publication ban, are accusing the pastor of exploiting his position as spiritual healer and church leader to have sex with them against their will, said Crown attorney Paul Zambonini in his opening to the jury.

Connie and Ellie had babies by the accused and there is no dispute over paternity, Zambonini said.

Court was told Ellie became pregnant on a fresh gravesite during a ritual for which she paid $1,000.

Lawrence, 59, an ordained minister for more than 30 years with no criminal record, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault, four counts of threatening and an assault charge

Connie was 17 years old when her mother took her to see Lawrence 12 years ago after doctors couldn't diagnose or cure her headaches and vomiting, court heard.

"She began to feel better ... She believed that Rev. Lawrence had these healing powers," said Zambonini, reading an outline of his case.

'CRIED THROUGHOUT'

Seven years later, Connie, then 24, left her mother's home after a fight.

The pastor initially "made excuses, saying he was looking out for her spiritual well-being when touching her, Zambonini said.

"But eventually, the sexual touching turned to intercourse and Connie cried throughout," he said. "She believed the reverend had powers for good and power over evil spirits."

When Connie told the minister she was carrying his baby, he denied paternity and later threatened to "make her his slave," said Zambonini.

When Connie sought child support for her daughter in the fall of 2005, Zambonini said Lawrence threatened to kill her and the church treasurer.

Fearful of his spiritual powers, she went to Toronto Police, court heard.

Ellie turned to Lawrence for guidance in the spring of 2000 or 2001 when she went into a state of despair after learning that her son had been sexually abused, court heard.

Ellie also took a series of ritualistic baths and once paid $1,000 for the grave-site treatment. Lawrence "pushed her onto the ground and had sex with her," said Zambonini. "Her son was conceived on that night."

Although Ellie's alleged incidents occurred first, she didn't report them until after Connie came forward to the police in 2005, he said.

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Afro-witchdoctor guilty in sex rap

Pastor guilty in sex rap
But cleared of assaulting 2nd woman

A jury found a popular pastor guilty of sexually assaulting one woman but acquitted him of assaulting another and exonerated him on four other charges last night.

After three days of deliberations, a jury found that Rev. Frank Seeko Lawrence had assaulted a 29-year-old single mom who said he raped her between five and 10 times.

But the jury cleared him of allegations involving a 45-year-old woman who has a 5-year-old son by him. She alleged being raped at a fresh gravesite in 2001.

Lawrence had impregnated both women.

The 29-year-old woman testified she was sexually exploited by Lawrence when she roomed at his Toronto home from Easter until December in 2003. She testified he manipulated her fears of being cursed and forced her to have sex in order to be exorcised of the demons.

Lawrence denied this, saying the sex was consensual and he never abused his position of trust.

The woman, who has a 3-year-old daughter by Lawrence, and the 45-year-old mother of three made the allegations during a family court battle before DNA paternity tests could be conducted, said Lawrence's lawyer Anthony Robbins.

Lawrence had initially denied paternity.

"These allegations arose out of these family court (disputes)," Robbins said last night outside court.

"He was exonerated of all charges but one. His entire congregation is still behind him. All of his character witnesses said he doesn't abuse his authority, he doesn't practice black magic and doesn't instil fear in parishioners.

"He's respected and admired," Robbins said of his client, the founder and pastor of the Toronto Mount Zion Revival Church of the Apostles.

Court documents revealed that Lawrence, 59, has fathered and financially supported 11 children by six women, paying $1,400 a month out of his $19,600 a monthly salary in 2005. The children ranged from ages 8 to 17, although he didn't support a 22-year-old. Lawrence vowed he "supported all of my children to the best of my ability. I am not in arrears under any court order."

He was married, but separated in 1998.

Robbins said his client will be considering an appeal.

Justice Edward Belobaba will sentence Lawrence on Feb. 28. The pastor remains free on bail.

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CTV Toronto

Fri. Jan. 11 2008 1:47 PM ET

Rev. Frank Lawrence is seen outside the University Avenue courthouse on Tuesday.

Mixed verdict in pastor's sex assault trial

A jury has delivered a mixed verdict in the sexual assault trial of a Toronto pastor, convicting him of sexually assaulting one female parishioner while acquitting him of raping another woman.

Jurors deliberated for three days before returning the verdict Thursday night against 59-year-old Rev. Frank Lawrence.
The spiritual leader of was accused of forcing sex on two women who sought his so-called healing powers when he ran Toronto Mount Zion Revival Church of the Apostles, in the city's west end.

The incidents were alleged to have occurred between 2000 and 2005.

Lawrence maintained he had consensual sex with the women, who bore his children.

The women testified they paid Lawrence more than $100 for nude "healing" baths and naked rubdowns aimed at ridding them of evil spirits.

The complainants said they gave in to unwanted sex with the pastor numerous times because they feared his influence over the spirit world.

The jury found Lawrence guilty of sexually assaulting the 29-year-old woman, but acquitted him of charges involving the 45-year-old, who said she was raped during a ritual beside a freshly dug grave.

The Crown had argued Lawrence abused his position of trust over the women who came to him with emotional or physical problems.

Lawrence was also acquitted of several charges of assault and threatening involving the women.

The pastor has 11 children with various women from his congregation. Court documents show his monthly income in 2005 exceeded $19,000, CTV Toronto's Chris Eby reported. Lawrence is to return for sentencing on Feb. 28.

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Twisted cleric jailed 4 years for sex crimes

A pastor who impregnated a woman he terrorized into a sexual relationship by threatening curses was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison.

Justice Edward Belobaba said Rev. Frank Seeko Lawrence "grossly abused his position of trust as her pastor" and threatened her with evil spirits if she didn't acquiesce to his sexual advances.

"He intentionally had unprotected sex with her because as he said to her, 'My seed cannot be wasted.' The judge sentenced Lawrence for sexual acts ranging from fondling to five to 10 incidents of intercourse.

The woman, now 29, gave birth to Lawrence's daughter in August 2004. The victim filed for support in Family Court and, in September 2005 after receiving a "threatening phone call from Lawrence," phoned police, said Belobaba.

Court documents revealed Lawrence fathered and financially supported 11 children by six women -- two by his wife and nine by five other women -- paying $1,400 a month total out of his $19,600 monthly salary in 2005.

For several years, Belobaba said, Lawrence treated the victim as a physically ill teenager with "spiritual baths" to cast out evil spirits.

The woman moved into Lawrence's home in 2003, where she acceded to his advances, said Belobaba.

"I went to Rev. Lawrence seeking help and he was scaring me with evil spirits. I have slept with Satan," the judge quoted her as saying.

Lawrence said the sex was coonsensual and he had not abused his position of trust. The judge said he reduced the sentence because Lawrence has no prior criminal record, and "is much loved by church members" at the Toronto Mount Zion Revival Church, where he has been pastor for more than 20 years.