SARASOTA, Fla. — Clarification: An earlier version of this story did not clearly distinguish the denominations of the religious leaders being accused of misconduct. Former Bishop Henry Lee Porter, who is charged with sexual battery of a child in Florida, was a non-denominational Christian leader. As part of our abuse coverage, another man, Michael Smilanic, recounted the abuse he says happened to him at the hands of a different religious leader -- a Catholic priest -- years ago in another state. His allegations are separate from those currently being made against Mr. Porter in Sarasota, Fla. The story has been updated to make that more clear.
Updated Story Below:
A former non-denominational Sarasota bishop is behind bars, charged with sexually battering a child under the age of 12.
Lawyers said Henry Lee Porter is accused of sexually abusing kids for decades. Deputies said it happened while he was serving as bishop at the Westcoast Center for Human Development. Porter worked there for years before stepping down in 2016.
Police said the investigation is still open, and other charges could be coming. Sadly, Porter isn't the only religious leader accused of abuse. Accusations are being made across the country, including by people of various Christian denominations and other faiths.
“I’m still processing it,” Michael Smilanic said. “I still am feeling depressed about the whole thing, kind of reliving it.”
Michael Smilanic held his secret for years before coming forward to report sexual abuse against his Catholic priest.
“When I was 13 he had started saying things and actually kind of touching me inappropriately,” Smilanic said. “He's an authority figure, he's not a parent or anything, he's a representative of God and that made me really confused because I was a devout Catholic boy.”
Smilanic says he was abused in Denver, Colorado by a Catholic priest. He said it went on for almost two years. To get away from the pain of his past, he moved to Saint Petersburg.
“After it happens you don't have the same amount of self-esteem,” Smilanic said. “You almost have no self-esteem or self-worth from that standpoint and that's the thing that followed me my whole life.”
Smilanic is one of several who spoke up about a Catholic priest. He said coming forward is just the first step, and the 11-year-old in Sarasota may not be the only child who was abused.
“Usually if there's one victim you should normally triple that and say that there's three,” Smilanic said. “My priest admitted to, the priest that abused me, admitted to eight or nine kids and they [investigators] told me we should multiply that number by three so there's really 24-27 victims out there.”
It took him 50 years to talk about his abuse.
“It feels shameful to admit it and it feels embarrassing to admit it, but if you do that then it doesn’t have so much power over you,” Michael said.
He says he grieves for any child that's taken advantage of.
“I have fear for the boy who experienced that and actually grieve for him because there's a part of his life that's permanently changed and again without therapy, he may be permanently damaged,” Michael said.
While he advocates for stricter rules within the church, he wants other young boys to come forward no matter how hard it may be.
“They really need to grow through the hurt because I know there's a brighter side that comes, “Michael said. “I've experienced some of the brighter side, not all of it, but I know that the healing comes, and you can grow past some of these things.”
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