Carmel church elder who admitted molesting girl at his home shows no remorse in court
Terry Van Gorp, a former elder at College Park Church in Carmel who pleaded guilty to child molestation charges last month, showed no remorse as he was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday.
During the sentencing, Hamilton Superior Court Judge Steve Nation said Van Gorp, 59, admitted to viewing child pornography one to two hours at a time, once or twice a week since 1998, but
"How he can be viewing the pornography and not see that as a problem caused me concern," Nation said Friday. "He couldn't understand that those children were victimized as much as the child was in this case."
Van Gorp offered a brief apology to the victim's family but showed complete lack of remorse for his actions, the judge said.
The Indianapolis Star generally does not name victims of sexual assault.
Van Gorp was arrested in June 2006 after he admitted to family and other church members that he had molested the child at his home in February 2006.
On Nov. 13, Van Gorp pleaded guilty to a Class A felony charge of child molesting. Prosecutors dropped two other felony charges of child molestation in exchange.
Nation sentenced Van Gorp to 15 years, with 10 to be served in prison and five on probation.
After Van Gorp is released from prison, he will have to register as a sex offender and complete a court-approved sex offender treatment program. He will not be allowed to contact the victim, travel alone after 10 p.m. or use a computer with Internet access without permission from his probation officer.
The child's family left the College Park congregation after church leaders encouraged parishioners to rally around Van Gorp. The church also provided financial assistance to Van Gorp and his wife, Barb, a former receptionist at the church.
Joe Rice, administrative pastor for College Park, said the church offered assistance to the victim's family as well. The family said it received an unsolicited check for $1,000.
Nation believes the structure of Van Gorp's probation will keep other children safe once he's released from prison. The victim's family isn't so sure.
Nation said the only other option he had was to reject the entire plea and force the victim, now 5, to testify against Van Gorp.
During the sentencing, Hamilton Superior Court Judge Steve Nation said Van Gorp, 59, admitted to viewing child pornography one to two hours at a time, once or twice a week since 1998, but
he didn't think it was a problem. He also said he didn't view the exploited children in the pornographic videos as victims.
"How he can be viewing the pornography and not see that as a problem caused me concern," Nation said Friday. "He couldn't understand that those children were victimized as much as the child was in this case."
Van Gorp offered a brief apology to the victim's family but showed complete lack of remorse for his actions, the judge said.
Van Gorp's attitude was "it's something that just happened, he's asked for forgiveness, now we're moving on," Nation said.
"He didn't have any emotion," the victim's father said Friday. "He faced us, said he was sorry and sat back down. (My wife) cried and cried, but he and his wife just sat there with no emotion whatsoever."
The Indianapolis Star generally does not name victims of sexual assault.
Van Gorp was arrested in June 2006 after he admitted to family and other church members that he had molested the child at his home in February 2006.
On Nov. 13, Van Gorp pleaded guilty to a Class A felony charge of child molesting. Prosecutors dropped two other felony charges of child molestation in exchange.
Nation sentenced Van Gorp to 15 years, with 10 to be served in prison and five on probation.
After Van Gorp is released from prison, he will have to register as a sex offender and complete a court-approved sex offender treatment program. He will not be allowed to contact the victim, travel alone after 10 p.m. or use a computer with Internet access without permission from his probation officer.
The child's family left the College Park congregation after church leaders encouraged parishioners to rally around Van Gorp. The church also provided financial assistance to Van Gorp and his wife, Barb, a former receptionist at the church.
Joe Rice, administrative pastor for College Park, said the church offered assistance to the victim's family as well. The family said it received an unsolicited check for $1,000.
Nation believes the structure of Van Gorp's probation will keep other children safe once he's released from prison. The victim's family isn't so sure.
"He deserves so much more (time in prison)," the victim's father said. "But we didn't want to have to put (the victim) through testifying in front of him again, when she had nightmares after the first time."
Nation said the only other option he had was to reject the entire plea and force the victim, now 5, to testify against Van Gorp.
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