The principal and a former pastor of the Elora Road Christian Fellowship and School have been charged in connection with alleged sexual assaults in the 1980s.
School principal Arend “John” Dekorte, 66, of Fergus, was charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child under the age of 16. He was a teacher at the time the alleged assaults took place.
Henry (Henk) Katerberg, 80, of Guelph-Eramosa, was charged with one count of sexual assault on a child under 16. Katerberg, the founder of the church, was pastor at the time of the alleged offences.
Police say the “alleged sexually-related offences against minors” took place between 1981 and 1986 at the church and school, which are located on the same property on Wellington Road 7 north of Guelph.
Wellington County OPP spokesperson Cheri Rockefeller would not disclose the number of alleged victims.
In a telephone interview on Jan. 17 Dekorte said the charges are unsubstantiated.
“I’m completely innocent,” Dekorte told the Advertiser. “I have not done the thing I’m accused of, but my lawyer says I should not be talking to people.”
Katerberg also professed his innocence on Jan. 17.
“There is not one ounce of truth in this whole story … it’s absolutely not true,” he said, indicating one of the alleged victims is female.
“I don’t know how this all came about in her life … I mean God loves her … but at the same time this story was birthed in hell.
“And some day … it will be proven, but for us who are involved, whether it’s my wife or my children or a whole lot of people that we’ve had the privilege to bring to Jesus, yeah, it’s a sad story.”
The Wellington County OPP Crime Unit began an investigation in early December, apparently after someone stepped forward.
“The information is brought to the police, they do an investigation, then obviously do a thorough investigation and lay charges if the evidence is there,” said Rockefeller.
Jim Gordon, lead pastor at Elora Road Christian Fellowship, said Dekorte has been placed on a leave of absence until the “matter is resolved via legal proceedings.”
“The safety of our students is a top priority,” he wrote in an email statement. “We have a rigorous abuse prevention plan in place, and have a zero tolerance for any form of abuse.
“As an organization, we are following due process.”
Dekorte is to appear in Guelph court on Jan. 31 and Katerberg in Guelph court on Feb. 14.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Wellington County OPP Crime Unit at 519-846-5930. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip at www.csgw.tips.
