Guilty Until Proven Innocent

"Children don't lie about these things". Pastor Keith Barnhart hears this assertion countless times as he fights for almost two years to prove his innocence of child sexual-abuse charges. If children don't lie about such things, then why is Brother Keith falsely accused?His story begins when a four-year-old boy complains about a two-year-old at the church's child-care center. The original report is found to be groundless, but under further police investigation, the story mushrooms into something far more serious. Authorities eventually charge the pastor with 19 offenses against seven young boys.From the beginning a bewildered Barnhart vigorously asserts his innocence against an overwhelming assumption of guilt by the judicial system. To his horror, he discovers that an accused child sex-abuse offender is assumed to be guilty and must prove his own innocence.During the 22-month-long ordeal, Barnhart and his family become afraid to leave their home. Television and newspaper stories condemn Brother Keith. He receives threatening phone calls. Vandals deface his home and church. Angry parents confront him in public places.Guilty Until Proven Innocent is a riveting exploration of one man's experience with the United States justice system. Readers have a chance to evaluate the words and actions of police and some medical professionals, taken verbatim from public records, in the light of the American tradition of liberty and enduring faith in God and in each other in the midst of one of life's most nightmarish turn of events.Barnhart, Keith is the author of 'Guilty Until Proven Innocent ', published 1990 under ISBN 9780929292069 and ISBN 0929292065.