Church leaders respond to ex-pastor's voyeurism and child exploitation charges

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - An ex-pastor at a Lafayette church appeared in court for the first time Friday, after being charged in Tippecanoe County Superior Court 1 with five counts of child exploitation and five counts of voyeurism.

"We were devastated and shocked and disappointed," elder at Sunrise Christian Church Mark DeYoung said.

DeYoung said those emotions came pouring out from members and other leaders of the church when they first heard the news last year.

"Bob Lyzenga was a trusted and valued pastor," DeYoung said.

However, that trust was lost after ex-pastor Bob Lyzenga was arrested in May of 2012 when cameras were found in the women's bathroom at the church.

Court documents said a woman discovered the cameras in air fresheners in the stalls of the bathroom. The air fresheners were actually plastic boxes modified to hold the cameras.

Videos showed five adult women and five juvenile girls using the restroom.

The youngest juvenile recorded was 5 years old.

"It has been a very big challenge for us to try and understand how that could be true and how he could be involved in activities that he's been charged with," DeYoung said.

Lyzenga appeared in court for the first time Friday morning since charges were filed Thursday.

He entered a "not guilty" plea to the 10 charges filed against him. Five of those counts were voyeurism and the other five counts were for child exploitation. The judge ordered that Lyzenga have no contact with any of the victims.

"We hope and we pray for a special blessing for all of the victims. We pray for grace and strength and healing," DeYoung said. "We are praying for Bob and his family, his wife and his two children. We pray for justice."

DeYoung said although it's been a challenge moving forward, he said he and the rest of the church community continue to pray for the day when they're able to forgive Lyzenga.

For now, DeYoung said they'll continue ministering the people of the church. 

Friday morning in court, Lyzenga told the judge how he would typically leave the state once a month to visit family in Michigan.

However, the judge ordered that he gets prior approval before leaving the state.  

Lyzenga posted bond for $5,000 in May just hours after the initial arrest took place.

A jury trial has been set for July 2.