NEWS 5 INVESTIGATES: Sex offender going door-to-door

[Guest Nicole]

COLORADO SPRINGS -

66 year old Waymon Ivery is re-living a nightmare that happened more than two decades ago

“I Had no idea ...no clue as to the effect that it would have."

Sitting in the KOAA studio conference room,he admitted his regret.

Ivery is regretful for his actions, and effects it would have on his then 9-year-old stepdaughter that he was convicted of molesting in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 1992.

Years later, what has people up in arms, is that Jehova's Witnesses, knowing his past, allowed Ivery to go door to door on behalf of the group.

His case came back to the forefront after a man named Roman Vargas approached Ivery with a video camera and surprised him with a question about a crime for which he served nearly a year in prison, after being sentenced to 10 years.

But just hours after the video began to make the rounds on YouTube , Ivery was reliving what he thought was ancient history.

Commenters on social media websites began to make their opinions public. One person wrote: “...this cult's days are numbered.?" Another wrote “JW’s and child protection issues just don't seem to mix well. What is the matter with them.”

And that’s exactly why we posed the question to the religious group.

Several calls and emails were made to the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witness in New York...They went unanswered. We also tried to contact several elders within the group locally. They initially said they would contact us back with more information. But that never happened.

So we went in search of answers directly from the people who go door to door...

We found them knocking on the doors of Lazy Lane Circle in northeast Colorado Springs.

They were not too happy to see us, and told us that we should follow the instructions on their website. They slammed the mini van’s door on our camera’s.

We decided to speak to a resident of the street who had been approached by a group of two women just moments before.

Peter Conroy, a lawyer, said, ”Do I think such a person would drag off a minor member of my family?

"I think it's highly unlikely..but it's always possible.”  But later added that at some point after paying his debts to society and turning his life around...he should have a second chance.

In fact Ivery did serve his time behind bars...and by all accounts has led a law abiding life ever since. However, the issue is with how Jehovah's Witnesses allow Ivery to freely go to the doors of stranger’s homes….yet keep it a distance when it comes to the church. For example: Ivery may not hold a position of leadership in his own church...like that of Elder….Or minister to children in the congregation. That’s what he told us was the procedure of the Witnesses.

We wanted to know why Jehovah’s Witnesses would allow such a policy in which the church would allow a policy in which a convicted child molester would allow to a convicted criminal into your neighborhood.

It’s a policy that many who commented on the video see as hypocritical..

But Ivery told us there’s a safety net in place that protects members of the church as well as the public.

Roman Vargas confronted waymon ivery in a Colorado springs neighborhood

First he confirmed that the man he was talking to was indeed Waymon Ivery. After Ivery confirmed his name, Vargas went on to question Ivery.

At first Ivery denied the allegations which were made in full view of at least three other witnesses Ivery was with.

Ivery then said Vargas should go. But instead enters the vehicle himself with the other Witnesses and leaves.

We went to Mr. Ivery's home in the Springs. At first Ivery denied an interview. But two days later agreed to come to the KOAA studios where he sat down with the News 5 Investigative Team.

He began the interview by saying he was doing this because he “felt like dirt,” and that his talking to us may help others abstain from acting on their urges.

Those urges he said, were brought on by post traumatic stress disorder after serving tours in Vietnam and Desert Storm while serving in the Special Forces..

But after serving his time for the crime...And interestingly enough, seeing an episode on the Oprah Winfrey on child sex molestation...”A light went off in my head,” explaining that he now takes full responsibility..."What I did was extremely wrong."

The Public Information Office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York never returned our emails or phone calls. But we asked Ivery why he thought Jehovah's Witnesses knowing about his past, allowed him to go door to door.

His explanation: “They allow this because they have a safety net in place. I have not gone door to door by myself...It's a policy of the witnesses."

In fact, Jehovah’s Witnesses policy is that they never approach a home and knock without being in a group of at least two people.

But our interview with Ivery raises more questions.  Who could be knocking on your door next? Could it be someone with a questionable past?

"Some people that have been committed (sic) of crimes that I committed have more restrictions on them than I do."

http://www.koaa.com/story/32799137/news-5-investigates-sex-offender-going-door-to-door

[The Librarian]

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