 |
| Frediani, right, with teenagers recently at the Holy Grounds Coffee Shop. |
Police detectives on Thursday arrested Michael Frediani, 38, of 453 State St., for failing to register as a Level 2 sex offender in Springfield. He was living in an apartment above the coffee house.
He was being held at the Springfield police lock-up, said Sgt. John M. Delaney, a spokesman to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.
In New York, Frediani is listed as a Level 3 sex offender, defined as most likely to repeat an offense.
Frediani had identified himself as “Michael Free,” when he was interviewed last Friday by The Republican at the coffee house. At the time, Frediani said he was a “volunteer manager” at the coffee house, assisting the owner, controversial pastor Scott Lively.
 |
Frediani said then that he is a Born Again Christian and a “minister of Jesus.”
Frediani moved to Springfield on Jan. 1, from 2119 Northampton St., in Holyoke, and failed to register as a sex offender, as required by law, Delaney said.
In New York, Frediani was convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree and aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree in 1996.
The charge relates to an arrest by police in Canandaigua, N.Y., in 1995 in which the victim was a 10-year-old girl. The description of the offense was “deviate sexual intercourse.”
He was sentenced to two to four years in state prison, serving at the Midstate Correctional Facility from September of 1996 to February of 1999, according to Carole Weaver, a spokeswoman for the state’s Division of Parole.
The coffee house drew criticism last week from some city and school officials, in part because of concerns that truant students were visiting the site during school hours. Lively, pastor of Redemption Gate Mission Society, has criticized media reports, which he says falsely portray him as a gay-bashing, hate-mongering activist.
Frediani said he has managed the coffee house for Lively and offered the visitors free coffee, tea, hot chocolate and “anything they want.” He estimated that as many as 30 youth have been in the coffee house at one time.
“I talk to all the kids,” Frediani said. “We have a place that is safe.”
“The presence of God is here right now,” Frediani said Friday. “I invite God to touch them and he does.”
While he might ask for a donation of $1 for a coffee, the youth “not to worry” if they do not give a donation, he said.
Earlier this week, Lively said he had reached agreement with a vice-principal at Commerce not to allow students to congregate at the coffee house during school hours.
-end-
My husband and I know Michael Free (Frediani) for about a year. The only thing I could say that he is very kind and honest person. From my personal experience and my friends I know that God can change people's lives completely. Jesus himself said that “healthy people don't need a doctor- sick people do. I have come not to those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."(Luke 5:31, 32) He paid price for sinners so their lives would be restored and they would know what forgiveness means. There are some good people who don't do visible crimes, but if we could see what happening in their minds...God knows. So they would be judged by their thoughts and deeds according to God's law. Do you know that those who look at someone with lust already commit adultery in his/her heart? God's standards are much higher than humans. That's why people have tendency to believe in theory of Evolution more than Creation, because in their hearts they know they are rotten creatures.
ReplyDeleteI'm a born again Christian who believes in evolution, because I have a brain. I also believe God created my LGBT loved ones exactly as they are, and that they are PERFECT exactly as they are, without one change.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that I am a child of God, not a "rotten creature".
Be humble. Offer kindness.
Thanks Penny, I love these "Christians" who are so judgmental. Christ would be ashamed of what passes for religion in his name these days.
ReplyDelete