Ex-BJU student charged in sex abuse case

A Los Angeles attorney who attended Bob Jones University is under investigation after a 14-year-old boy was sexually assaulted, California authorities said.

Benjamin Lawson Adams, 30, was charged with three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, three counts of oral copulation with a minor and two counts of sexual penetration with a minor, according to Manhattan Beach police and the Los Angeles County Detention Center.

He was also charged with sodomy involving a minor, records show.

Authorities have accused the suspect of meeting a 14-year-old on social media and engaging in sexual activity multiple times. Manhattan Beach detective Aleina Smith said she believes the suspect used his title as an entertainment industry attorney to attract the teen's interest.

On Wednesday, Smith told The Greenville News that the investigation took her to South Carolina after she learned the suspect went to BJU.

"It is alleged he was dismissed from (BJUI) after juveniles came forward alleging sexual abuse," Smith said in an email.

"If the allegations of sexual abuse were made, it is unclear if Bob Jones University, once alerted to the allegations, informed law enforcement. I have not found any documentation that shows the university properly reported the abuse to law enforcement at the time they learned of it."

Randy Page, director of BJU public relations, confirmed Adams attended the university in 2004 but didn't complete his freshman year.

"Because of federal privacy laws, I am unable to comment directly on any disciplinary actions," Page said.

The suspect also attended Furman University, but Smith said university police couldn't find reports involving the suspect.

The case resurfaced in Greenville earlier this week after the Facebook group BJUGrace posted a story about Adams' arrest.

The group describes itself as a social media ministry that seeks the truth in abuse allegations at Bob Jones University.

GRACE, or Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, is an independent organization BJU hired to investigate its handling of reports of sexual abuse.

In December 2014, GRACE released a report that included several case examples of sexual crimes that happened on and off campus prior to 2010.

Smith, who has a copy of the report, said she's received information that the suspect may be involved in one of those cases but hasn't been able to corroborate it.

The Greenville Police Department concluded its investigation into BJU in July 2015. Police at the time said there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that BJU employees failed to report knowledge of criminal sexual conduct against juvenile students.

Adams was arrested on May 25 and released on a $200,000 bond the same day, jail records show.

The case has been presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review. Adams has no criminal history in South Carolina, according to a State Law Enforcement Division background check.

According to CBS Los Angeles, Adams worked as an attorney with a production company that worked with MGM. A MGM spokeswoman said Adams was is no longer employed with the production company, CBS reported.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call Smith at 310-802-5133.