Judge Set To Make Key Decision In Local Church Sex Abuse Case (PDF)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -

A Santa Barbara judge is expected to hand down a decision in a civil lawsuit involving the Presbyterian Church.

Attorney Tim Hale said, “It’s really a battle of secrecy.”

Two women and a teenage girl are suing leaders of the Presbytery of Santa Barbara, located in Goleta.

They accuse church officials of covering up their sexual abuse at the hands of former Carpinteria youth pastor Louis Bristol in 2012 and 2013.

The victims are not only seeking monetary damages, they want the church to be more transparent.