Priest Caught on TapeBy Ben Deci
An Anchorage Priest on administrative leave today. He's facing accustaions that he used his positon of power to pressure a man into sex.
Those accusations only came to light after an exclusive 11 News investigation. The graphic sexual nature of what we uncovered is deepy disturbing and viewer discretation is certainly advised. But as hard as this may to be listen to, what is perhaps most troubling about this investigation, is that it centers on a spiritual leader, a preist, and it all takes place inside his Anchorage church.
Parishoners here at Our Lady Of Guadelope have reason to rejoice. Right next door they are bulding a new Cathedral. It'll be a million dollar house of worship. But even now, before it's finished, this house is hiding a secret so sinster, it will shake this church to it's foundations. It's revelation: enough to cause doubt for even the intensely devout.
Fredrick May says Father Bob wanted to trade him- sex for work- specifically for a job buidling the new cathedral.
I asked him, "What made you contact us?"
May responded, "I said, man, nobody's gonna believe me. This guy is way up in the church and I ain't not saint. I said they're not going to believe me and so I called Channel 11 News."
May's story of a priest, pushing to perform oral sex on a perspective employee seemed increadible to us too. But he showed us checks for 100, 150, even 500 dollars written to him by Father Robert Bester. Some of those checks written directly from the Church's account.
It was time to take a closer look. So we sent May back to Our Lady of Guadalupe, this time armed with a hidden camera, and voice recorder. What was said once He and Father Bob were alone, will shock you.
The following is an exerpt from the recording:
"Fred May: But uh, you're Dracula?
Father Bob Bester: Yes. When I was twenty I would have drunk you without you're saying anything.
Fred May: Drinking the seamen, you would have just hold me down and drink the seamen?
Father Bob Bester: Uh-huh.
Fred May: Ohhh...
Father Bob Bester: But I've developed more manners.
Fred May: You also know, you also know that the angel that sits beside me has great strength and great authority. You also know that.
Father Bob Bester: Yes.
Fred May: He has great strength.
Father Bob: And I combat them often.
Fred May: Yeah, I knew that. I knew that.
Father Bob: Are you surprised that I'm Dracula?"
We recorded two separate conversations between Fred May and Father Robert Bester. 33 minutes of tape- with contents so disturbing I had to seek out the priest for an explanation.
After thanking Father Bester for meeting with me, I played back the recorded conversations. I showed him checks he had written and transcripts of what he said. And then I asked him, "How do you respond? I mean, that is your voice. How do you repsond to some of that recorded material that he's got?"
Father Bester responded, "Well it went around that Dracula claim."
I said, "But you're saying there that you, you're making the claim yourself according to that tape."
Father Bester's answer was, "Yes, but I was kidding with him."
But Fred May says it was no joke. "That scared me. I couldn't sleep."
Not only was he losing sleep, May says he was losing money - never allowed to work at church, because he never allowed Father Bester to perform oral sex.
Another exerpt from the tape follows:
"Father Bob - I'm their Boss, but he knows I'm sassy. He knows I put people down, left and right.
Fred May: Okay, now, what made, what made me, what made you want to have the baby from me though?
Father Bob - Number one, you're comely.
Fred May - What does comely mean?
Father Bob - Good looking.
Fred May- Oh Serious?
Father Bob - Number two you're young. Number three you're straight. Number four I knew you had a lot of cum."
Recalling the conversation from the tape, Fred wondered, "I'm thinking, how many kids has this dude done this to? Or how many other people has this dude done did this to?"
I asked father Bester if he ever had a history of sexual misconduct. He told me no, and that he wasn't likely to start now.
"I'm too old to have sex." Father Bester said, "Every time he came he wanted money for clothes or for his court situation. I hardly know the man."
I asked, "Why would he then have the idea that he would be able to get that money?"
Father Bester's response was, "Well, I suspect because I've been generous with so many people including him. Money has not been a prime concern for me. No more than sex would be."
The concern is now for his congregation, hearing in uncomfortable detail the differance between Father Bester's message at the alter and the conversations behind closed doors in this house of God.
As mentioned earlier, Father Robert Bester was, just this evening, put on admisitrative leave as a result of our investigation. We offered to show Father Robert Bester's superiors the material we collected before we broke this story tongiht. We wanted to give Anchorage's Arch Bishop Roger Schwietz a chance to repsond. But more than that, we want to give him a chance to fully address a potentially scandous situation within his own house. The Diocese Declined.
Archbishop Schwietz didn't meet with us, instead his staff told 11 News that they didn't need to see the video at this time.
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