Godly, Jesusy Ohio Ex-Mayor Was Pretty Sure The 4-Year-Old He Was Raping Was Into It

 
 Oh god, Wonkette's bringing out the kittens

Richard Keenan, the former mayor of Hubbard, Ohio, was a deeply holy and Christlike man. In fact, in a 2010 interview with the Youngstown Vindicator, Keenan spoke openly about how very dedicated he was to serving the people and living out his faith:

Keenan said the opportunity for government service should make officials want to do their best. “It’s not about me ... it’s about serving the people,” he said.

Keenan also brings another element to the office. “I’m a Christian. Dedicating my life to Jesus has changed my life,” he said. “Don’t preach it, but live it” is a practice he takes to heart. That idea is wrapped up in wanting the best for his town.

That sounds lovely, doesn't it? What sounds less lovely is that last month, Keenan found himself in court pleading "not guilty" to molesting a young girl for a three-year period, starting when she was just four years old. The "not guilty" part is a little weird, given that he had already confessed his "sin" to his wife, his pastor, a social worker, his brother-in-law and his sister-in-law.

The girl had told Keenan's wife, Diana, about the molestation, and when she confronted him about it, he confessed. He was then apparently whisked away to a psychiatric facility, where he often spoke about the molestation in group therapy.

The filing is described in the Youngstown Vindicator :

The filing states Keenan also admitted sexual abuse during “group discussions” while he was in the ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital psychiatric ward.

The filing goes into extensive detail about each of the purported admissions.

It states that after Keenan voluntarily admitted himself into a Warren psychiatric facility after his release from Trumbull, he told a social worker “he was feeling suicidal because he had been molesting the child victim for approximately the past two years.” It states that during those discussions, Keenan blamed the victim for initiating the acts and called her a “willing participant.”

It also states that Keenan had “in-depth” conversations with the pastor about the sexual contact.

Yeah, you sure would think that with alllllllll of that confessin' that Keenan would not have the balls to say he's not guilty, but apparently he does! Because some of those confessions could be considered privileged, prosecutors may have trouble getting them into evidence. In Ohio, however, if a spouse wants to testify against their partner, they are allowed to do so. And for some reason, I'm not too sure that Diane is going to decline. I sure as hell wouldn't. Someone who thinks a 4-year-old is seducing them is probably not someone you wanna be married to or protect.

Keenan is currently out on a $75,000 bond, and will go to trial in April. He faces a life sentence if convicted.

[ Youngstown Vindidcator | RawStory ]