Lawyers for an alleged victim of child sex abuse by an employee of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church of Richmond wants California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate the allegations because of the church’s connection to Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.
The unnamed alleged victim has filed a lawsuit in Contra Costa County against pastor Alvin C. Bernstine, former church employee Jesse Armstrong and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church of Richmond for alleged sex abuse by Armstrong “in or around” 2011 when she was 14.
Bernstine is married to Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.
The statement from the victim’s lawyers at Manly, Stewart & Finaldi says Armstrong is a registered sex offender in the state of California and currently incarcerated for two years and eight months in connection with his sexual abuse of the plaintiff.
The lawsuit alleges Armstrong was twice convicted of sexually abusing at least five minor girls before Bernstine hired Armstrong to be a youth choir director at the church.
The release alleges Armstrong “used his position as choir youth director to meet, groom and reportedly sexually assault Jane SD Doe for a period of approximately four months. The sexual abuse mentioned in the lawsuit occurred at various locations, including but not limited to, between classes at plaintiff’s school, and at hotels, oftentimes immediately following choir practice or other church events.”
“Armstrong was a convicted child molester at the time he was hired by Pastor Bernstine and the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church to work with children as a youth choir director,” the release said. “Even a minimal background check would have revealed that fact. Either they hired him with no background check which is the height of negligence, or they knew of his criminal background and hired him anyway which could expose them to criminal liability.”
A message left for Bernstine at the church Wednesday morning wasn’t immediately returned.
“Given the personal relationship between Pastor Bernstine and District Attorney Becton, we are calling upon Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate this case to avoid any conflict of interest on behalf of the district attorney,” said the alleged victim’s attorney Vince Finaldi.
Becton’s spokesperson Ted Asregadoo said in an email Wednesday, “Dr. Alvin Bernstine and Diana Becton were married in 2020. The events listed in this civil suit occurred in 2012. These civil claims substantially predate their marriage. As such, Diana Becton is completely unrelated to the civil claims which stem from a decade ago.”
a questionable woman has a questionable husband
Surprise???
Birds of a feather…
Great comment.
Yep. Just like Clarence and Ginny Thomas
S – How is she questionable? Sounds like she married a man with strong faith.
Paul – How exactly does this compare to Clarence and Ginny Thomas?
I do not see any comparison at all.
Paul clearly has a problem with Clarence Thomas. According to today’s standards we all know exactly what that makes Paul.
This was on next door Pinole today!
I’d like to share this with you. In 1985 my Grandmother was brutally raped and murdered in Richmond California. She was beloved by her all of her children and grandchildren. The man who murdered her was found, tried, and sentenced to San Quentin’s Death Row. He was a career criminal who continued his crime in our county .In 2019 our current district attorney Diane Becton , negotiated a plea deal and he was released from jail without our family knowing. We were blindsided reading this the paper. Mind you, he was already gone when we heard about his release. One uncle was still alive and they called him 3 days before the release. He had dementia at the time, and didn’t understand the call. We are able to make a change this year in June to elect a new DA for CCC.
Oops. Oh well. Move along, nothing to see here.
It’s time for a resignation.I bet she knew all about this.I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her.
Gross.
The charges of sexual assault are against an employee, not the pastor.
It’s a little far-fetched to accuse her husband of being a sexual predator.
I think it’s a good idea to get the state involved because of the potential conflict of interests.
But so far, nothing is being said about the Pastor being accused of a crime.
We don’t even know if the Pastor hired this guy or does someone else holds those responsibilities at the church.
This will be interesting to watch.
Sounds like qanon conspiracies to me. Funny how she hasn’t resigned yet. They will try to beat this and play the victims.
Liberal democrats are forever grifters and criminals. Low IQ dummies in the bay area fall for anything.
… hope that does it for her …. bring on Knox!
Probably explains why she has been in hiding and is never seen at the DA’s office. Rumor has it, weeds are growing in her parking spot. This is what major funding by out-of-state unions get us. Am praying Mary Knox gets in. We need a DA who will enforce the law, and not interpret it!
As if anyone needed another reason…Vote Mary Knox
Vote Mary Knox. Crime has gone way up due to Becton. We need Mary Knox to get tough on criminals and make our once nice hamlets safe again!!!!!
Ooh. An alleged pedo groomer? She should resign.
Why is this just now being reported?
The issues of this lawsuit may predate her marriage and she had no involvement, but they call into question her ability to make sound judgements. She married one of the two scumbags named in the lawsuit after it was filed. Okay, I’ll give her the fact that her husband is an “alleged” scumbag who hired a convicted child molester.
That was my thought too.
In the words of the Saturday Night Live Church Lady… “Well, Isn’t thaaat special.”
Yes. Vote for Mary nox for district attorney! Diana Beckton is just like Chesa Boudin in SF and George Gascon in LA. They were all funded hundreds of thousands of dollars from mad leftist George Soros. All three have ruined the areas that they are in charge of with horrible crime.
A twice convicted child molester hired to be youth choir director at a church?
What?
The world is run by a cabal of elite pedophiles. There is nothing that can stop what is coming, nothing
I quote Mr. Scott from Star Trek:
“Aye Captain… and there ain’t a force in the universe kin stop it!”
but they did stop it, the ship was saved & the universe lived happily ever after…. proof positive that nothing is predetermined and no situation is impossible to change!
Are you saying there may exist a child seggs ring that is largely patroned by various members of the Democratic Party and other icons of the Liberal elite?! No way? Or are you instead saying that the draw of liberalism is a magnet for kiddie touchers to know they can hide in plain sight? No way?!
Yes.
Regardless of the real situation, she’ll hide in the basement and hope to skate through the next election. Hey, it worked for Joe……
amazing how many men made smart axed comments about a serious problem. perhaps women should have all men castrated who are pervs
And what shall we cut off women who also molest children?
Janus,
The answer is Tenure.
Like we needed another reason not to for vote her.
Vote Mary Knox.
Wow.
Just wow.
At the same time, this is not surprising.
This story is as vile as that MDUSD elementary music teacher who by the way resigned from the school district. I wonder if Becton will charge that guy as well?
Not to mention her at home wedding during the beginning of Covid. Ignoring the shelter in place, mask, and other guidelines. Such a role model!
What does it take to wake up the “woke” crowd to see that all 3 DA’s in our area are Soros backed and do not give a darn about any of us and are just pushing their agenda’s down our throats. This must stop.
Love the new recall commerical on SF DA. It is great! Surprised the leftist media has allowed it to air.
People are fed up with this crap!
Nothing spells corruption more than the name George Soros.
And nothing resembles insanity more than voting for one of his operatives.
This was from a Pinole resident today on next door.
I’d like to share this with you. In 1985 my Grandmother was brutally raped and murdered in Richmond California. She was beloved by her all of her children and grandchildren. The man who murdered her was found, tried, and sentenced to San Quentin’s Death Row. He was a career criminal who continued his crime in our county .In 2019 our current district attorney Diane Becton , negotiated a plea deal and he was released from jail without our family knowing. We were blindsided reading this the paper. Mind you, he was already gone when we heard about his release. One uncle was still alive and they called him 3 days before the release. He had dementia at the time, and didn’t understand the call. We are able to make a change this year in June to elect a new DA for CCC.
Isn’t it interesting and yes I do mean interesting how all these stupid stories suddenly circulate and make their appearances during the election years and nothing but silence when it’s none of anyone’s business on what is current or relevant ?
@ON DA
II don’t believe that the allegations are a “stupid story.” And they are the public’s business when it is the District Attorney of the County who clearly has a conflict of interest in this case. Add to it that she admittedly plagiarized parts of her statement when she was running for DA, as well as her soft on crime record, and falling asleep at her desk during work, and having a party during the Covid lockdown when the rest of us were told to stay in our homes.