Houston doctor describes how he overcame child sexual abuse

HOUSTON (FOX 26) — The president of the Southern Baptist Convention has named ten churches that he says should be scrutinized over their handling of past sexual allegations. Out of the ten, three are in the Houston area. Even though Southern Baptist churches are under the microscope, a doctor and author from Houston who spoke with FOX 26 News says it is happening in government, schools, Hollywood, and the list continues. He says it time for action.

Dr. Gregory Williams is on the administrative leadership team at Baylor College of Medicine and the author of “Shattered By The Darkness,” which reflects his own experience with sexual abuse as a child more than fifty years ago.

Williams says incidents like this can happen in any faith, business, or family, and credits his church during his time of need.

"If it wasn’t for the church, I wouldn’t have made it through all the emotional trauma that I was going through," Williams tells FOX 26. "So the church for me, it was a pillar for me. It was a foundational truth. It was a place where I was safe.“

Williams says he feels no one should be exempt when sexual accusations come up and that as a society, we have to do better.

"Absolutely no tolerance and these are the rules, black and white," adds Williams. "No gray area and until that happens, there is always going to be people that’s going to find a way to manipulate the system and hurt our kids and our adults."

Williams says he also wants the victims to know it’s okay to speak out, like he did.

"It's not your fault and there is always hope," says Williams. "It’s not your fault, yes. Don’t take blame for you being abused.“

If you or someone you know was sexually abused, Dr. Williams recommends reaching out to the Children’s Assessment Center located in the Rice Village district.