Prison minister, family vouch for serial Columbia child molester’s freedom

A volunteer prison minister told a Richland County jury Wednesday that convicted Columbia serial child molester Charles “Chuck” Sullivan helped sway convicts to Christianity while he was behind bars.

“I’m a Christian. I believe everybody has the opportunity to do better and come to Christ,” testified Gary Janelle, who told the jury he had known Sullivan for six years and that Sullivan’s work with Catholic prisoners’ groups helped convert inmates.

Under questioning by Sullivan’s attorney, James Falk, Janelle told how Sullivan’s personal guidance on how to help prisoners, as well as his knowledge of computers to produce Christian texts, “added a lot to the Catholic ministry at Allendale prison.”

In prison, with its mix of “Rastafarians and Wiccans and devil worshippers, ... telling the Christian story of God is so important, and Charles was able to do that, and it made a difference,” Jannelle said.

Assistant S.C. Attorney General Cam Morrow was not persuaded.

“Were you aware that while he was committing crimes, he claimed that he was a devout Christian in order to become involved with children?” Morrow asked during cross examination.

“I’m in prison ministry,” Janelle replied. “So I see lots of guys that have prison religion. I see lots of guys claim to be Christians. It doesn’t surprise me that someone would claim that – even Charles. All I attest to is the last five- six years.”

“Were you aware that Mr. Sullivan has admitted to molesting 40 boys from 1978 and 1997?” Morrow asked.

“Yes, sir,” Janelle said.

“Are you aware that Mr. Sullivan successfully convinced parents of his victims that he was a devout Christian and he was allowed to mentor their children?” Marrow asked. “Does that surprise you?”

“Actually,” Jannelle said, “with human beings nothing surprises me.”

Morrow then turned to the prison minister’s testimony about Sullivan’s computer skills. “Are you aware that Mr. Sullivan was convicted of viewing child pornography on a computer?”

“As I mentioned, nothing surprises me,” Jannelle said.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Richland County courthouse. Sullivan is expected to testify.

Wednesday was the second day of testimony in a rare public commitment hearing, held at the Richland County courthouse, for certain kinds of sexual offenders.

Although Sullivan served 17 years behind bars for molesting 19 young boys from 1978 to 1997, state law allows the Attorney General’s office to intervene after Sullivan is released from prison to seek to have pedophiles like him be confined in a special sexual predator unit run by the S.C. Department of Mental Health.

Sullivan, 60, finished his prison sentence last year and has been confined at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center pending this hearing.

Morrow is seeking to convince the jury that Sullivan is an incurable pedophile whose release would endanger area youth. Morrow wants the jury to vote to incarcerate Sullivan in a long-term state mental health facility.

Falk is arguing that his client is no longer a threat and should go free. If released, Sullivan would be labeled a sex offender but live in the community and not be closely monitored by authorities.

On Wednesday, two of Sullivan’s sisters told the jury that Sullivan is ready to live in the community and that there is a support system in place for him when he gets out. Both visited him regularly in prison.

“We believe he really does have remorse about this,” testified Sullivan’s older sister, Mary Jane Barrie, who told the jury that Sullivan would be welcome in her home.

Another sister, Eileen Sullivan, told the jury, “My mother is going to be 93 next month, and it would mean the world to her (to see Sullivan free).”

The sisters spoke of an English woman, Chris Tilbury, who they said has had a relationship with Sullivan since the early 1990s and is currently Sullivan’s fiancee. They indicated that Tilbury, whom they said was in Dubai with visa problems, would want to continue the relationship. She has his engagement ring, one sister testified.

Earlier in the trial, Morrow introduced evidence showing that English police arrested Sullivan in the early 1990s for molesting a child in that country at roughly the same time he was there with Tilbury.

Sullivan was arrested here in late 1997 after his child victims began coming forth and telling law enforcement about him. Over the years, Sullivan held numerous sleepovers and outings where he plied young boys with liquor, marijuana and pornographic videos. When the boys were intoxicated or asleep, he committed sex acts on them, according to evidence in his case and testimony Tuesday.

It took a long time to break the case because Sullivan accosted most boys in one-on-one situations and most kept silent, authorities said at the time.

Eventually, enough children and their parents came forward to convince Sullivan he should plead guilty. Evidence showed that Sullivan had preyed on Columbia area boys ages 10-15 from about 1978 to 1997, using his positions with Carolina Children’s Home, local athletic youth leagues and Cardinal Newman school to curry favor with parents and get them to let their young sons spend time with him.

Judge Tanya Gee is presiding over the unusual trial.

This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Prison minister, family vouch for serial Columbia child molester’s freedom."