Scott Lively made a small splash by deciding to open a Christian-themed coffee house in Springfield, Massachusetts called “Holy Grounds.” People wondered aloud if this was a “new leaf” being turned over, but Lively made known that he would continue to serve as a conference speaker on the topic of homosexuality.
Now, it turns out that the man who advises parents to keep their children away from gays has himself employed a child molester to manage his establishment. Michael J. Frediani, 38, was arrested for failing to register as a level 2 sex offender in Springfield. He lived in an apartment above Lively’s shop.
In New York, Frediani was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree in 1996.
The charge relates to an arrest by police in Canandaigua, N.Y., in 1995 in which the victim was an 11-year-old girl. The description of the offense was “deviate sexual intercourse.”
He was sentenced to two to four years in state prison, serving at the Midstate Correctional Facility from September of 1996 to February of 1999, according to Carole Weaver, a spokeswoman for the state’s Division of Parole.
Local authorities expressed concern that the business was becoming a haven for truant teens, as well.
Lively is of course the co-author of the infamous book “The Pink Swastika,” in which he falsely claims the Holocaust was perpetrated by a Nazi Party infiltrated by hyper-masculine homosexuals. Its claims have been consistently debunked, and Lively has become well-associated with outright hatred of gay people. His group “Abiding Truth Ministries” has been on the SPLC anti-gay hate group list for several years, and recently played a key role in the introduction of Uganda’s “Kill The Gays” bill.
Lively’s response to Frediani’s arrest?
Frediani had told Lively that he had a “rough past before he became a Christian,” Lively said, adding that he did not know any specifics and that he saw no need for a criminal background check.
“That’s the beauty of the salvation of Christ,” Lively said. “When you come to Jesus Christ, and you accept his forgiveness for your sins, then you are forgiven by Him and enter a new life. It doesn’t surprise me that he had a rough past, that he has a criminal record.”
I am always so amazed at the lack of p.r. savvy folks in the ex-gay business seem to exhibit. Maybe Frediani’s past doesn’t matter to Lively, but you’d think he’d be aware that it would matter to those he’s maligned. Whenever I hear stories like these, the only part that surprises me is just how oblivious the mouthpieces of the industry are to this.
Lively’s coffee shop caters to young kids, giving them a safe place to congregate, yet he didn’t think he needed to do a background check on his manager? I had a background check done on me when I got a job in a restaurant!
99% of child molesters are heterosexuals.
What part of those stats don’t the haters understand?
the part where 99% are heteroasexual.