Agape Ministries founder sentenced to 7 years for child sexual assault

OSSIPEE — The founder of Agape Ministries pleaded guilty on Monday to physically and sexually assaulting children and an adult family member and was sentenced to prison by a Carroll County Superior Court judge.

Kevin Straughan, 68, pleaded guilty to domestic violence pattern aggravated felonious sexual assault, domestic violence aggravated felonious sexual assault and second-degree domestic violence for crimes that took place between August 2017 and December 2022 in Ossipee and Moultonborough.

Carroll County Superior Court Judge Mark Attorri approved a plea deal between County Attorney Keith Blair and Public Defender Caroline Smith for Straughan to serve seven to 20 years in prison. He also got a 10-to-20-year sentence suspended for 10 years. He must also undergo sex offender assessment and treatment.

According to Ossipee police, Straughan was head minister of the Agape Ministries Church at the time the crimes were committed. He was apparently the adoptive father and foster parent of a number of children over the past couple of decades.

The indictment says he sexually abused a girl aged between 13 and 16 years old between August 2017 and August 2020. The domestic violence indictment said he engaged in strangulation of an adult family member in Ossipee in 2020. Three victims had statements read aloud by Marjorie Owen, director of Victim Services at the Carroll County Attorney’s Office.

“I can’t honestly put into words how much Kevin Straughan has taken from me and my siblings,” said one victim. “I can’t wrap my head around the fact that this man took 13 years of my life and is only serving seven years in prison.”

One of the victims said he abused her when she was in her bedroom and had assaulted her in the back of a cargo van. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of Straughan and said he started abusing her at around 13 years old.

“I hate Kevin, and he deserves to go to prison for what he did to me,” said a victim.

Another victim said his abuse caused her to feel suicidal from age 9 to 15. She said he abused her sexually and physically. “The trauma is following me into present day,” said the victim.

Straughan said little during the hearing but he did say he was “profoundly sorry” for his actions.

Attorri said he sympathized with the victims but noted that the sentence recommendation made by the county attorney “is not outside the realm of reasonable prosecutorial discretion.”

At the request of the state Attorney General Attorney Charitable Trust Unit, Todd Fahey, an attorney with Upton and Hatfield of Concord, was appointed in December to be the receiver of Agape Ministries Servants Inc., which was approved by Attorri.

As the receiver, Fahey’s job is to safeguard Agape’s assets and determine what should become of it.

Agape ministries has a thrift store and food pantry in Ossipee located at 1895 Route 16 in West Ossipee. It had a food pantry in Moultonborough, but that closed at the end of March and another food pantry has replaced it.

“I quickly realized that the organization is very viable,” said Fahey. “It still does great work and we are simply in the reorganization phase now.”

Fahey is looking for new board members and to have Agape be independent of receivership by the end of June. He said the board should consist of between five and nine people.

Anyone interested in serving on the board can contact Fahey at tfahey@uptonhatfield.com. Marilyn Prive, previously the treasurer, is serving as interim executive director.

Meanwhile, the charitable unit has a 25-page civil complaint against Straughan, then wife Janna Straughan and son David Straughan, among others. It says the Struaghans have “expended thousands of dollars of Agape’s funds and property for personal use and enrichment.”

The Straughans deny the accusations. Jury selection for the civil trial is scheduled for December.