Memorandum Opinion by Chief Justice Dori Contreras of the 13th Court of Appeals in Texas regarding a matter of public concern surrounding Richard Galvan.
On September 13th, Sandra Garza of Rudy Garza Funeral Homes sent a private message to the Facebook page “Expose Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan”. The message shows the characteristics of not only Richard and Sonia Galvan, but apparently Sonia’s family as well.
The Galvan’s have no remaining causes of action against the Crews’s. They lost the defamation suit they brought against the Crews’s when the 13th Court of Appeals Memorandum Opinion ruled that Richard Galvan’s actions are a matter of public concern. The court determined that Richard Galvan used his position of power as a youth pastor to sexually assault a 17 year old girl in his youth group. Once the Galvan’s lost the defamation case, they voluntarily non-suited their remaining claims against the Crews’s.
The Galvan’s were deposed in May of 2020 because the Crews’s believed they had legitimate claims against them. In response to being deposed they continued their attack, attempted shaming, and harassment, and ordered the deposition of Hannah Crews solely. The Galvan’s original lawsuit was filed based on the actions of Blaine Crews, because he called the church and school the Galvan’s attended to warn them of his previous sexual deviant behavior. Yet the Galvan’s continued to show their behavior of bullying by solely deposing Richard’s victim Hannah, and refusing to depose Blaine.
Now Sonia’s family is showing the same abuse by “warning” that they are going to “expose” the victim in this case. This is the nature of their methods. We will not be bullied. This will not stand.
Sandra Garza (Sonia Galvan’s Sister) of Rudy Garza Funeral Home
Sonia and Richard Galvan’s own depositions expose their lies, behaviors, and character. Using Christianity to twist it to fit a narrative that allows her to enable, accept, and then sue the victim of her husbands sexual assault is beyond all human decency. This is exactly what Sonia Galvan did, and continues to do, despite all of the mounting evidence that shows the manipulative and malicious nature of her and her husbands actions. This is exactly how and why sexual predators are able to get away with their disgusting behavior. It’s one thing for Sonia Galvan to be naive and blind to the truth. It’s another for her to be caught in a web of lies, admit the lies, then change her stories to try and save face, all while acting like a good Christian family.
This is why this website exists. To expose the wolves in sheep’s clothing. When reading the screen shots below keep this in mind. Sonia Galvan admitted to the truth over the phone to Blaine, changed her stories along with Richard Galvan, lied under oath while signing sworn affidavits, then after losing their defamation lawsuit acknowledged the events happened but switched her story to blame the victim for it. ALL of this after suing the victim and the victims husband for almost one million dollars under the false pretenses that the sexual assault never occurred in the first place. She also admitted (after losing her defamation lawsuit) that her sworn affidavit claiming Blaine threatened her and her children was indeed false, though her and Richard attempted to sue him for “assault by threat”.
Below are screenshots that have been taken during the pendency of the lawsuit. These screenshots were taken from the public account “dailydeclarations_” on instagram, and show just how twisted Sonia Galvan is that she uses the Word of God to somehow justify her and Richard Galvan’s behavior. You can see this by reading the captions, and seeing her comments below. Just like one of the posts below, we do agree that God does NOT delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. Truth WILL prevail, and that truth stands on the side of the Crews’s.
On November 5th, 2020 The Crews’s filed a lawsuit against Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan for Malicious Prosecution, and Intentional Infliction of Emotions Distress. You can read the lawsuit in its entirety below.
Defendants FIRST AMENDED PETITION AND REQUEST FOR DISCLOSURE
TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT: COME NOW BLAINE AND HANNAH CREWS (“the Crews’s) and file this their First
Amended Petition against Richard and Sonia Galvan and would respectfully show as follows:
I. DISCOVERY LEVEL AND DAMAGES
1. Due to the nature of this action and the amount in controversy, The Plaintiff states that this case will be conducted under Discovery Level 2 as defined in the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Plaintiffs seek damages over $200,000 but less than $1 million.
II. PARTIES, JURISDICTION AND VENUE
Plaintiffs Blaine and Hannah Crews are individuals that reside in Tarrant County, Texas
Defendants Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan are individuals that reside in Cameron
County, Texas who may be served with citation at 15251 Sparrow, Harlingen, Texas 78552 or at 3404 Lyon Club Ct., Austin, Texas78738. 4. Subject matter jurisdiction and venue exists in this Court because the Plaintiff seeks damages that exceed this Court’s minimum jurisdictional limits and the incident in question occurred in this county. Venue is proper in Cameron County, Texas because all or a substantial portion of the occurrences and transactions at issue in this suit occurred in Cameron County, Texas.
PLAINTIFFS’ FIRST AMENDED PETITION 1
§ IN THE DISTRICT COURT
§ CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS
FILED – 11/5/2020 3:06 PM 2020-DCL-05323 / 47853588 ELVIRA S. ORTIZ Cameron County District Clerk By Christina Hernandez Deputy Clerk
III. FACTS
5. Hannah Crews met Richard and Sonia Galvan as friends of her family before she was a teenager. She and her family attended the Northway Bible Church in Harlingen, Texas along with the Galvans, and the families spent much time together as close friends outside of church activities. Richard Galvan was Hannah Crews’s youth pastor from the age of thirteen and at all times relevant to the facts herein. In the summer of 2007, when Hannah crews was seventeen, she suffered a traumatic break up with her high school boyfriend. Richard Galvan, as her youth pastor and family friend, offered Hannah Crews a job with his company, Orbit Broadband, and offered to counsel her about her breakup.
6. At work at Orbit Broadband, Richard Galvan would call Hannah Crews to his office on an almost daily basis to discuss her feelings and pray over her. During these visits, Richard Galvan would inquire about the details of Hannah Crews’ physical relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Richard Galvan would ask for details regarding what specific intimate acts Hannah had performed with her ex-boyfriend. Eventually, Hannah Crews was convinced to divulge to Richard Galvan that she was still a virgin and had never been sexually active with her ex-boyfriend.
7. During these counseling sessions which occurred at Richard Galvan’s office, Richard Galvan would tell Hannah Crews that her physical attachment to her ex-boyfriend was the cause of her heartbreak. Richard Galvan went on to claim to Hannah Crews that healing happens through intimacy. Richard asked Hannah to explain what she thought she needed to do to move on from her pain and trained her to respond that having sex would heal her. Once Richard Galvan conditioned this response, he offered to, “help her out with this.” Richard explained in a counseling session that, as her mentor, it would be safest if Hannah Crews had sex with him instead of someone else. After many of these conversations and sessions, Richard Galvan convinced seventeen year old Hannah Crews that he would not be taking her virginity but that she would be giving it to him because she was trusting him to help her heal spiritually and emotionally. Richard Galvan convinced Hannah Crews that it was ok to have sex with him despite her closeness to his wife Sonia Galvan, stating that Sonia Galvan would never know about the sex and Hannah Crews should not worry about hurting Sonia Galvan by having sex with him.
8. In subsequent counseling sessions, Richard Galvan began to “educate” Hannah Crews on various sexual acts and stimuli to get her prepared for the day she would have sex with him. After several weeks of these sessions, Richard Galvan rented a room at the La Quinta Hotel in Mercedes, Texas and instructed Hannah Crews to meet him there. This occurred at the beginning of volleyball season of Hannah Crews’s senior year of high school, in August, 2007. Richard Galvan was fearful of being discovered at the hotel. Richard Galvan convinced his youth parishioner Hannah Crews to have sex with him at La Quinta Hotel in the room he had obtained. Afterward, Hannah Crews traveled with her volleyball team to a pre-season game.
9. After exploiting Hannah Crews into having sex with him based on promises of emotional and spiritual healing, Hannah Crews’s mother discovered text messages between Hannah and Richard. Richard Galvan was confronted and told to tell his wife about the encounter. Richard stated that he had done so. Later, Hannah Crews had a conversation about the matter with Sonia Galvan, who told her it was not her fault and Richard Galvan had a problem sending, “mixed signals” to young girls. Soon after this, Richard and Sonia Galvan left their positions at Northway Bible Church. Richard subsequently told Hannah Crews that no one would believe her if she tried to tell anyone what he had done.
10. Richard Galvan subsequently visited Hannah Crews at her college during her freshmen year and tried to get her to go back a motel room with him. Hannah Crews refused. Hannah Crews subsequently learned that Richard Galvan has been inappropriate with other girls she knows. She believes that the potential remains for similar exploitive behavior to occur again between Richard Galvan and other girls. Hannah Crews is familiar with the standards in the community where Richard Galvan resides and believes that the residents of Cameron County, Texas have a public interest in preventing adults in positions of authority such as Richard from coercing and sexually exploiting and abusing young women.
11. Hannah Crews married Blaine Crews but never divulged the identity of the youth pastor that had exploited her until October, 2018. Upon learning this news and that the individual who exploited Hannah was Richard Galvan, Blaine Crews became upset. Blaine Crews called Richard Galvan and confronted him on the telephone. Hannah Crews did not direct Blaine Crews to make this call. In response to being confronted about the incidents with Hannah Crews, Richard Galvan merely responded that it happened a long time ago. Blaine Crews contacted two places where Richard Galvan would have contact with young girls, the Living Way Church and the Calvary School in Harlingen, Texas, and informed them of the incident with Hannah Crews. Hannah Crews did not contact anyone about Richard Galvan’s exploitation and did not direct Blaine Crews to do so.
12. After Blaine Crews contacted the church and school, Richard and Sonia Galvan filed suit against both Blaine and Hannah Crews for defamation per se on November 5, 2018. The Galvans sought and obtained a temporary restraining order against the Crews. The Galvans also requested, but did not receive, a separate gag order. The Galvans’ suit and request for temporary restraining order was supported by affidavits from Richard and Sonia Galvan. The Galvans’ petition included claims for defamation per se brought by both Galvans and against both Blaine and Hannah Crews. The alleged defamatory statements that formed the basis of the Galvans claims of defamation per se were Blaine Crews’s statements to the Church and School which the Galvans contended were statements that Richard Galvan, “manipulated and seduced Hannah Crews.” Incredibly, the Galvans’ petition and supporting affidavits did not allege that these statements were false and did not even allege that Richard Galvan did not have sex with Hannah Crews when she was in high school and he was her pastor. Likewise, the Galvans’ petition did not identify any allegedly defamatory statements against Sonia Galvan or any allegedly defamatory statements made by Hannah Crews. Despite claiming defamation per se without any allegation of false statement by Blaine Crews, the Galvans sought no less than $335,000 in relation to their defamation per se claims against both Blaine and Hannah Crews.
13. The Crews’s filed a motion to dismiss the Galvans defamation per se claims under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (“Anti-Slapp MTD”). The Anti-Slapp MTD was filed on December 12, 2018. Supporting the Motion to Dismiss were the affidavits of Hannah Crews and Blaine Crews which were considered by the trial court in their entirety and introduced without objection by Plaintiffs’ counsel. The trial court denied the Crews’s Anti-Slapp MTD and an appeal was taken to the Thirteenth court of appeals. On October 13, 2019, the 13th Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s decision and remanded the case for judgment consistent with its opinions. The Court of Appeals that Richard Galvan had sex with Hannah Crews in 2007 while counseling her as her youth pastor and that, as such, Hannah could not legally consent to same.
14. Following the appeal, Richard Galvan acknowledged in this suit that he had sex with Hannah Crews in 2007 as originally stated by the Crews’s in this matter. As such, the Galvan’s entire defamation claim was not based on a false and defamatory statement, but on true events of which both Richard and Sonia Galvan had actual knowledge prior to filing suit. Moreover, the Galvans executed verifications and affidavits in support of their pleadings that stated under oath that they contended Hannah Crews’s allegations were false. This was confirmed by their attorneys during the dismissal and appeals process. During this entire time, the Galvans knew these facts were true but alleged they were false for the ulterior purpose of attempting to silence Mr. Galvan’s sexual assault victim, Hannah Crews. These actions by the Galvans were undertaken at their insistence and with actual malice toward the Crews’s. The Galvans intended to cause emotional distress and mental anguish by silencing the delayed outcry of a sexual assault victim of Mr. Galvan. The Galvans have continued their attempts to silence Mr. Galvan’s sexual assault victim in 2020, opposing the lifting or modification of the injunction, which was sought under false pretenses with the motive of preventing Mr. Galvan’s victim from being to talk about his sexual assault even after the court of appeals finding of fact.
15. Following a hearing on June 9, 2020, the Galvans’ defamation claims, originally supported by their false affidavits, were dismissed with prejudice.
IV. CAUSE OF ACTION: MALICIOUS CIVIL PROSECUTION
16. The institution of the defamation suit and the Galvan’s actions in obtaining a temporary restraining order under false pretenses, continuing to allege the falsity of something they knew to be true was perpetrated with malice towards the Crews’s. The Galvans knew at the time they filed suit that they did not have probable cause to pursue a defamation claims over statements they knew were true. Despite this, they proceeded to restrain the Crews freedom and even continued this following the conclusion of the appeal, all with malice towards the Crews’s. The Galvan’s proceeding was terminated by the 13th court of appeals and judgment against the Galvan’s
dismissing their defamation claims will be entered by this court consistent with the appeals decision in this matter. The Galvans’ malicious prosecution of their claims has proximately caused special and actual damages to the Crews’s. The Galvans’ malicious prosecution of their claims has also caused damages including litigation expenses, attorney’s fees, severe mental and emotional pain and anguish in the past and in the future for which they sue herein. As such the Crews seek recovery for the damages by the Galvans as a proximate result of their malicious prosecution of their claims which they knew were based on false denial of the Richard Galvan’s sexual assault of Hannah Crews.
V. CAUSE OF ACTION: INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
17. The Galvans actions to stifle and silence Hannah Crews were undertaken with the intention and knowledge that they would cause a high degree of distress to the Crews’s. Suing the victim of your sexual assault for damages for telling the truth while swearing under oath that it did not occur is the definition of extreme and outrageous conduct beyond all bounds of personal decency. Further, the Galvans’ suit was not legally permissible as it was based on the untruth that Richard Galvan did not sexually assault Hannah Crews in 2007 and, had they confessed to the truth of the matter as the outset, the Galvans defamation claim would not have been allowed. Thus, the Galvans’ actions, as detailed above, proximately caused severe mental and emotional distress to the Crews for which they sue herein. The Crews also seek exemplary damages related to the Galvans infliction of emotional distress.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Plaintiffs respectfully request that they recover the following:
Judgment for damages against Defendant for damages as alleged herein;
Pre-judgment interest as provided by law;
Post-judgment interest as provided by law;
Reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees;
Costs of suit; and
Such other and further relief to which Plaintiff may be justly entitled in law and/or equity. VI. Request For Disclosure
Pursuant to Rule 194 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, Plaintiff requests that Defendant disclose, within 50 days of the service of this request, the information and material described in Rule 194.2(a) – (1).
Respectfully Submitted,
/s/ C. Davis Chapman C. Davis chapman State Bar No. 00798101 P.O. Box 387
Fort Worth, Texas 76101 (817) 781-0211 (682) 334-7306 – Facsimile
The South Texas Fellowship of Christian Athletes was notified about Richard Galvan’s prior sexual deviant behavior, as well as Bill Moore and Anne Moore of Livingway Family Church in Brownsville, TX. Richard Galvan served on the board for the FCA and was a member of Livingway Family Church, who according to the Melissa Barrera-Sosa (executive assistant to Bill and Anne Moore) was “a very active member”. The South Texas FCA blocked Blaine from being able to send messages via FB, nor would they speak to him over the phone about the serious allegations. He attempted to reach Nathan Jones (Multi Area Director) and Catherine Bain (Administrative Assistant). Bain also seems to run their FB page, and assumptively is who blocked Blaine from being able to send messages. The National FCA did take the matters serious enough and spoke to the Crews’s Attorney, but none of the leaders at the local level would.
The same can be said of Pastors Bill and Anne Moore of Livingway Family Church in Brownsville, TX who not only refused to speak about the matters, but their executive assistant Melissa Barrera- Sosa filed a sworn affidavit attempting to assist the Galvans by claiming Blaine went from “cordial to upset” when he was notified the pastors wouldn’t speak to him. That would be a normal emotion if an attempt to speak to the head pastors of a church (that assumptively has many young women who attend) refused to speak to you about matters that may protect said young women. It should have been at the very least a simple phone call from the pastors to hear the truth of these allegations for themselves. Instead, Bill Moore and Anne Moore not only refused to speak to the Crews’s or their attorney about the sexaul assault (which was criminal in nature), they seem to have allowed their assistant to assist Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan by filing an affidavit (shown below). Oddly enough, when the Crews’s attorney called Living Way Family Church and spoke to one of the church secretaries, she said Bill and Anne Moore weren’t familiar with the Galvans. This is a lie. Richard Galvan admitted in his depositions that Bill Moore called him and text him regarding this situation multiple times. Their assistant Melissa Barrera- Sosa also states in her affidavit that the Bill Moore and Anne Moore met with Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan. The truth is it seems The Moore’s are trying to cover for a sexual predator, or simply ignoring the truth. Either way, they are failing to do what is necessary to protect the young women of their church. The church has also deleted several comments on their social media platforms regarding the information, and Anne Moore blocked Blaine on social media.
Ideally, when you call to notify a church or school organization about something as disturbing and criminal as what Richard Galvan did to a 17 year old girl they would take the matters extremely serious. When we send our young people to school, or church, we expect the leaders or anyone in authority to be properly vetted for the protection of the students and young people. Also, it should be expected that matters are taken seriously by leadership when an attempt to speak the truth about the sexual assault of a teenage girl occurs. Pastors Bill and Anne Moore should be ashamed of themselves, as well as the behavior of the South Texas FCA. Even after the 13th Court of Appeals Opinion stating it was a matter of public concern, as well as admissions by Richard and Sonia Galvan’s own depositions neither the Administration from the South Texas FCA nor Pastors Bill and Anne more have yet to respond or reach out to the Crews’s or their attorney for comments.
*UPDATE*
After two years of ignoring the facts Livingway sent Blaine a FB message. It speaks for itself. Following the message and “threat” they blocked Blaine from being able to respond, as did the Youth Pastor of Livingway – Ryan Moore. So, the 13th Court of Appeals has deemed the actions of Richard Galvan a matter of public concern, Richard and Sonia’s depositions have admissions of criminal behavior and lies, and Livingway Family Church believes since they didn’t know the Galvan’s when the events took place, it’s none of their business… and we should let it go. The church is supposed to be a place of protection. Also remember- they filed an affidavit in support of the Galvan’s, and now want to act like they’ve had no part in this. They are hiding the truth, and trying to brush it under a rug.
This is the reason sexual predators are able to get away with their actions. Churches like Livingway are clearly only concerned with one thing… and it’s not protecting their young women.
Transcripts from Richard Galvans deposition below in which he acknowledges Pastor Bill Moore took his phone call, as well as called him back after Blaine attempted to reach him regarding Richard’s sexual assault, and criminal behavior. Yet, The Moore’s tried to act like they didn’t really know the Galvans. Oddly enough, Richard admits he called and told Bill Moore that Blaine threatened his children (not true). Richard later admitted in his deposition that was a lie. So- both pastors Bill and Anne Moore know the truth, they just refuse to acknowledge it.
Why would Bill Moore speak to an admitted sexual predator, but not the person speaking the truth regarding the allegations in an attempt to warn him that there was a sexual deviant in his church? Shouldn’t a pastor be concerned enough about the young women in his congregation to at least pick up the phone and call someone trying to speak about something like this? Instead, he has still to this day refused to speak to the Crews’s.
I want this to be clear. I have no ill feelings towards any of Richard or Sonia Galvans children, nor is it their fault that their father is a predator, and their mother is a lying enabler. They are innocent parties. However, Livingway Family Church hired their daughter on staff, and decided it would be a good idea to use her for a video regarding fasting. It wouldn’t normally be an issue, but the fact that there is ANY attempt by this “church” to allow the words “growing up my parents (Richard and Sonia Galvan) did this with us” to be promoted publicly in some way to show them in a good light is abhorrent.
Pastors Bill and Anne Moore have spent years completely silent regarding the truth, and in fact have never once publicly apologized for their lack of concern regarding a predator in their church. Now, it’s clear to say who’s side they are on, and it isn’t the side of truth.
The fact that they would allow a statement to be made by the daughter of a known predator (who the court had already deemed a matter of public concern) and her mother (who was caught in multiple counts of perjury in her deposition) is an attempt to suppress the truth and involvement surrounding the factual allegations made regarding the assault and subsequent lawsuit filed by the Galvans against Richards victim. This is not a real church.
Livingway Family Church posted the above video to their instagram page featuring Richard and Sonia Galvan’s daughter Elliana. Even after the courts determined Richard’s actions were a matter of public concern, they have yet to ever speak to The Crews’s, yet they will allow the daughter of a rapist to praise her parents for being Godly.
See below for the Affidavit of Melissa Barrera-Sosa, Executive Assistant for Livingway Family Church, as well as screenshots from the FCA showing they blocked Blaine from being able to send messages.
Clearly, Blaine was attempting to notify the pastors of Livingway Bill and Anne Moore. He became upset when they refused to speak about the matters. Why are Bill and Anne Moore, along with Melissa-Barerra Sosa attempting to assist a sexual predator?
Bill Moore posted a video to his instagram account about “cleaning your house”. He made comments about how we need to deal with all the things hidden, and make room for God. Well, immediately after posting this comment Blaine was blocked and the comment was deleted. This is the Moore’s M.O. They will tell you to clean your closet out, but block, and delete anyone who is exposing theirs. What do you expect though when the pastors of a church (after having the knowledge of the events) block the truth tellers, and follow the predators. The Galvan’s daughter speaking to students at Living Way Family Church in 2018 (around the time they were notified that Richard Galvan was a sexual predator). This was the very reason the church was called and expected to notify their church of a sexual predator in their midst. They failed to do so.Livingway Church keeps deleting comments and anything related to Richard and Sonia Galvan. Bill and Anne Moore have refused to acknowledge and address the fact that they have had a sexual predator in their church. Even after Richard has admitted it they still refuse to address it, and are only concerned with people not knowing about it. Richard and Sonia Galvan’s daughter is a member of the youth group there.
Showing Livingway Church in Brownsville keeps deleting comments to hide the truth. A church trying to protect a sexual predator. Is this what you would want from your pastors as parents of young women? Oddly enough Melissa-Barrera Sosa is the one singing in the picture.Shows the “message tab” removed, due to South Texas FCA blocking the ability to send messages from Blaine’s account. Showing the “send message” tab when logged into a different account. Showing they blocked messages coming from Blaine.
Sexual Assault in the church is rampant. Predators like Richard Galvan are attracted to positions in the church due to the easy access to young people, as well as the “forgiving” nature of most religious people. There is a great article written by a former FBI agent Joe Navarro regarding this very thing.
There was no dispute or objection from Richard Galvan or Sonia Galvan that they were ministers at their church youth group. Therefore the complained of communication was “a communication made in connection with a matter of public concern,” and thus, an exercise of Blaine Crews’ right of free speech.
Here, Blaine communicated that: Richard had sex with Hannah when she was seventeen years old and prior to her senior year of high school; Richard was her youth minister and pastor; Richard Galvan sexually seduced Hannah under the pretense of spiritual healing; Richard offered Hannah help to heal spiritually and emotionally after her break up with her high school boyfriend; and Richard told Hannah she was entrusting him to help her heal by giving him her virginity. Under the Texas Penal Code, a sexual assault occurs if “the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person’s emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman’s professional character as spiritual adviser.” TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 22.011(b)(10) (defining sexual assault by a clergyman)
A sexual assault under Subsection (a)(1) is without the consent of the other person if:
(1)
the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by the use of physical force, violence, or coercion;
(2)
the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against the other person or to cause harm to the other person, and the other person believes that the actor has the present ability to execute the threat;
(3)
the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unconscious or physically unable to resist;
(4)
the actor knows that as a result of mental disease or defect the other person is at the time of the sexual assault incapable either of appraising the nature of the act or of resisting it;
(5)
the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unaware that the sexual assault is occurring;
(6)
the actor has intentionally impaired the other persons power to appraise or control the other persons conduct by administering any substance without the other persons knowledge;
(7)
the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against any person, and the other person believes that the actor has the ability to execute the threat;
(8)
the actor is a public servant who coerces the other person to submit or participate;
(9)
the actor is a mental health services provider or a health care services provider who causes the other person, who is a patient or former patient of the actor, to submit or participate by exploiting the other persons emotional dependency on the actor;
(10)
the actor is a clergyman who causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other persons emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergymans professional character as spiritual adviser;
(11)
the actor is an employee of a facility where the other person is a resident, unless the employee and resident are formally or informally married to each other under Chapter 2 (Child in Relation to the Family), Family Code; or
(12)
the actor is a health care services provider who, in the course of performing an assisted reproduction procedure on the other person, uses human reproductive material from a donor knowing that the other person has not expressly consented to the use of material from that donor.
In 2007 and prior to her senior year of high school in Harlingen, TX, Hannah Crews (then Linn) suffered a break up with her high school sweet heart. Her youth pastor Richard Galvan hired her at his office, and began to counsel her. Richard told Hannah that the reason she was heartbroken was because of the physical attachment she had developed with her ex-boyfriend and “that the physical aspect of it caused her to be spiritually connected to her ex-boyfriend’s soul.” Richard explained to Hannah that the way to heal from her break up was through intimacy.
According to Hannah:
Richard would then bait me with his questions, asking, ‘so what do you think you need to do to move on from this pain?’ Richard made me think I needed to respond with ‘having sex,’ since he had just explained that sex brought healing. He then shook his head yes and told me that he would ‘help me out with this.’ Richard again told me that completing this physical act of sex would heal me spiritually, since the two (physical intimacy and spirituality) were tied together. He also convinced me that since I trusted him as my mentor, it was safest to go about it this way (having sex with him instead of someone else).
Nothing happened that day physically between us. It still took many more conversations to convince me that having sex with him (Richard) would help me heal. I even asked him during a later conversation, “But that means you would be taking my virginity,” of which he got angry with me, stepped close to my face, and said sternly, “No, I am not taking your virginity, you are giving it to me, because you are entrusting me to help you heal.” Since I had deep love and admiration for his wife Sonia, I would also ask him how it was okay to do this since he was married. He convinced me, over and over, that this act was a strictly physical action for a spiritual healing for me and me alone. But he also told me that she would never know about this, so I didn’t have to worry about this hurting her.
Finally, after weeks and weeks of conversation and manipulation and coercion and convincing in Mr. Galvan’s office, at the beginning of volleyball season before school started in August of 2007, I agreed to meet Richard at the La Quinta hotel in Mercedes, TX. Richard was fearful of being discovered that day, and even thought a car across the street was a hired investigator that was possibly watching us. We went upstairs, I agreed to sexual acts, and lost my virginity that day. Afterwards, I had to go to school and travel with my team to play in the first volleyball tournament of the pre-season. I was still 17 years old. And that was the first and last time I agreed to do anything physical with Richard Galvan for the rest of my life.
Hannah’s mother found out and confronted Richard. Richard then went to Hannah’s parents house and admitted what had happened to Hannah’s mother.
In October 2018, Hannah told her husband Blaine the details of the events that occurred. After learning of Richard Galvan’s identity, Blaine became very upset and obtained Sonia Galvan’s cell phone number and texted her. Richard called him back almost immediately. Blaine was concerned that Richard may “still be associating himself with youth and placing himself in a position to take advantage of other young women under his authority.” According to Blaine, during his conversation with Richard, Richard acknowledged that the events Blaine recounted about Richard’s sexual relationship with Hannah were true. Blaine told Richard and Sonia Galvan that he was concerned about Richard being around young women and that people needed the information about his interactions with Hannah to determine whether Richard should be around their daughters.
Blaine then called Calvary Christian School (where Richard and Sonia Galvan’s children attended, and Richard Galvan had coached the girls basketball team) and The Living-Way Family Church in Brownsville, TX (where the Galvan’s attended church). Blaine attempted numerous times to reach Pastors Bill Moore and Anne Moore and inform them of Richard’s past sexual misconduct with teenagers, especially since Richard and Sonia’s daughter was in the youth group there. Bill Moore and Anne Moore refused to speak about the matter to the Crews’s or the Crews’s attorney, and instead allowed their executive assistant Melissa Barerra-Sosa to sign a sworn affidavit attempting to assist the Galvan’s by stating “Blaine went from cordial to upset” after she told him the pastors wouldn’t speak to him. Since Richard was on the board for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in South Texas, he also reached out to them as well as the National FCA.
In or around November 2018, Richard and Sonia Galvan (The Galvan’s) filed a lawsuit against the Crews’s for Defamation Per Se, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Public Disclosure of Private Facts, and Civil Assault. The Crews’s filed a Motion to Dismiss via the Texas Anti-Slapp Statute on the grounds of freedom of speech in regards to a matters of public concern in which the trial court denied. They immediately appealed the decision and took it before the 13th Court of Appeals in Texas in which the Memorandum Opinion written by Chief Justice Dori Contreras reversed the judgement of the trial court, dismissing the Defamation per se cause of action. The Galvan’s have since nonsuited all of their remaining causes of action against the Crews’s.
On June 9th, 2020 the Crews’s were awarded mandatory fees and sanctions. Click here for more information. The Crews’s have filed a counter-suit for Malicious Prosecution and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. That claim is still pending jury trial set for February 2022.
A photo of Richard Galvan preaching to high school aged children during an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) event. Though he and Sonia Galvan claim in their depositions neither of them held any kind of leadership role over young people.One of the biggest concerns for Blaine Crews was that Richard Galvan was associating himself with young girls in a position of authority- like this photo above which shows him coaching a girls basketball team. Blaine (a father of a daughter himself), could not allow the previous admitted behavior of Richard Galvan to go unrecognized. It is the sole reason he contacted the schools, churches, and FCA organizations. The parents of girls just like the ones above have the right to know about Richard Galvan and Sonia Galvan. The girls faces have been blacked out to protect their identity. Taken from The Valley Morning Star showing Richard Galvan involved with the HCISD (Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District). The opinion from the 13th Court of Appeals in Texas believes the public has the right to know about Richard Galvan’s sexual misconduct, as it pertains to a matter of public concern.
