Oregon Pastor Arrested for Using Wooden Paddle to Discipline Teenage Son

Police said the father used the paddle to discipline his child as a form of corporal punishment.

(ALBANY) - An Albany pastor was in a Benton County courtroom Tuesday to face second-degree assault and first degree criminal mistreatment charges after he allegedly stuck his 13-year-old son multiple times with a wooden paddle.

47-year-old David Lee Fink, pastor of Potter’s House located in north Albany, was taken into custody at the church Monday afternoon.

Albany police Capt. Eric Carter says when police arrived they found the boy with welts, bruising, and red marks, on his thighs, arms and buttocks. The boy did not require medical treatment for his injuries.

Carter says the investigation revealed that Fink had struck the child at least 10 times with a 16-inch long wood paddle wrapped in duct tape.

Carter said it is not clear yet how long this type of punishment was going on in the home, but he did say that the father used the paddle to discipline his child as a form of corporal punishment.

DHS went to the home to investigate the incident, and left the child in the care of his mother.

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CJ April 5, 2007 2:40 pm (Pacific time)

Spare the rod, spoil the child. The world has been blinded they do not see nor descern. The worst things done in school in the 50's and 60's was chewing gum and talking in class. Now what do we have? Why would this be? Could it be the generation that has not been spanked and disciplined. If you dont discipline your children someone else will. But be reassured when they get to jail they will be able to get a Bible and learn to read,write and much more. If you thought school tax was allot do you know how much it costs to house a prisoner? Check it out some day.

friend of accused April 4, 2007 1:37 pm (Pacific time)

What of it, the boy got spanked. People get bruises from tripping over boxes! Butts were made to be spanked when our brains fell into our pants, that way we can get the sense knocked back into us!!!! I got spanked for disobeying my parents; they'd spank me with wooden paint sticks and tell you what it did me a whole lot of good. I know right from wrong. And I’m not a pill popping druggie with five kids living on the street ...so give it a rest. Do your kids a favor and discipline your children, then we won't have to deal with all their stupidity and your own for wanting to just be their "FRIEND" they have friends now they just need parents who are willing to do just that!!! just take a look at our juveniles and jails filled with kids who’ve done stuff that could have been prevented if parents would just stand up and be parents and spank(not beat)their children. Proper discipline come from the heart that cares about what direction their child is going. there are many forms of discipline, you have to be willing to find what works for your child, you will not always have to spank them the older they get you should have already established what direction they are to take and then you must establish communication and why they are being disciplined. Reasoning with a child that is incapable of understanding the whole picture, all they see is I want my way and how can i get it? They do not see that to become a law abiding citizen in our communities comes by following rules and suffering consequences of bad decisions. Therefore leaving the home, a proving ground, to learn how to be a good law abiding citizen. If we undermine parents ability to discipline their children then we under mind the child’s future to be good citizens. Remember these children will grow up and be making decisions that will hold our future; we need to provide adequate tools for them to be all they can be. This doesn’t mean abuse! Pastor Fink is a very magnificent man of God; this whole situation puzzles me to no end! The whole family is wonderful and I consider myself to be somehow graphed into their lives. And it seems like this is outrageous unreal occurrence to hear that he is being charged with assault for spanking his son who I know he loves with all of his heart. It’s stupid and it should have never happened. But considering the type of world we live in it doesn’t surprise me that the government would pull such a unfunny prank that’s turned real. Ridiculous absolutely ridiculous!!!

the Devil's addendim litigation; March 1, 2007 8:51 pm (Pacific time)

and furthermore, if said accusation; "little bastard" is more than a viscious act of character muckraking slander, (or is he a relative?) then he would have access to my good offices in legal representation at No Charge!, as a '"lttle bastard" infers parental ambiguity, he would have a good case unless of course he was guilty of specified triumverant.,then he and his dad will show up at my place eventually., so take it from here.,and if his kid is reading this I want to tell him; "Don't let the bastards grind you down!" and to quote a favorite anthem; "I love rock and roll, put another dime in the juke box hombre!", and have you heard Ry Cooder's latest, "Buddy"?,it's about a pig, and I won't tell you any more.

the Devil; March 1, 2007 8:28 pm (Pacific time)

to "so what?"; are you implying this thirteen year old was running wild, smoking dope and making babies?!!,was their any ..,pardon the phrase.,"devils muusic" involved?,(making the triumverant; "sex,drugs,and the blues"!),if so I wasn't aware of it!,(I usually know about this sort of thing), and furthermore I have no entries in the incoming basket that day to suggest anything other than an overzealous anus-pore beat up on one of his kids with a "16 inch wooden paddle".,which is longer than my entire ettention span! If the truth is how you present it though, would the punishment alredy inflicted be sufficient?,or should both father and son be busted? or the son only ? or the mom and other relatives who were silent till now? Well?, what should the Godly do? Discipline is a connundrum for me too!

Anonymous March 1, 2007 3:53 pm (Pacific time)

I have never become a criminal, nor have my brothers and sisters, and we were all whipped with a rubber hose when we misbehaved. I felt my father whipped us too hard, leaving embarrassing bruises and welts, but he lived such a sinless life and was such a hardworking person taking care of his family, we grew up to love and respect him very much. But, I doubt if any of us lavished hard whippings on our children. Children need to know they are loved by their parents or it won't matter how much you whip them. Love fosters love, hate fosters hate.

So, what? February 28, 2007 11:16 pm (Pacific time)

Maybe little bastard deserved some paddling after all. I wish parents would punish their children when they deserve it, instead of letting them run wild , smoke weed and have babies at 14.

Slam; February 28, 2007 4:10 pm (Pacific time)

they could send "pastor" Fink up to Mt. Ararat to get the ark, it ought to be visible soon with global warming melting the glacier and all, and he could paddle his own canoe., so to speak!., and he could float by and see if the Discovery Channel can fix him up with a clay box with bones in it and do a world tour selling and telling everybody it's Jesus Christ's casket and skeleton! I'm not making this up!, and to add oxidants to the flames of hell and damnation I just read a Forrest Grove "chaplain" has been incarcerated under a cloud, so maybe the Devil has it figured. Maybe God hates America cause Clinton let gay preachers into the military? or because the citizens don't take the law into their own hands and send the rev. Phelps of Topeka Kansas to the promised land, or because Idi Imin lived to be a ripe old bastard along with Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin and Donald Rumsfeld! Condi hasn't been around long enough and she'll be back at Berkley next year if they'll have her. God, what a mess! Maybe God doesn't hate anyone!?, but personally I hate George Bush unabashedly! It's easy!

the Devil; February 28, 2007 2:31 pm (Pacific time)

preacher Fink, tarred and feathered to Afghanistan, on a mission to put the fear of "God" into those ragheaded heathen unwashed masses! They need you! I'm getting pissed at all these godly people. $55,000 bail is less than the Taser had to pay, I guess it's who you know? Hell, this isn't hurting me at all! keep it up all you inquisitor types! God Damn it anyway!, has the world gone over the edge or what?, wheres the deliniation between sinners and saints?

Hank Ruark February 28, 2007 2:22 pm (Pacific time)

Matt: Let's hope they consulting solid psychological research re learning-mechanism theory and facilitating treatment. Physical and psychological pain-application long outmoded and now supported almost alone in some religious sectors. Seems useful in both these illuminating reports to seek out well-documented detailed information, as used in most courtrooms.

Matt Johnson February 28, 2007 1:36 pm (Pacific time)

Where are all of the punishment supporters from Queen of Peace?

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