Candace Conti was awarded a record settlement in her child sexual abuse lawsuit against the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the parent organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Credit: Adithya Sambamurthy/Reveal

From Psalm 39:1: “I will set a muzzle as a guard to my own mouth as long as anyone wicked is in front of me.”

If you’ve answered a knock at your front door, you might’ve had an interaction with a Jehovah’s Witness or two. This kind of face-to-face interaction is considered public ministry to members of this religious organization.

But while this public-facing outreach seems to convey an openness to sharing its message, Reveal reporter Trey Bundy found out what this powerful religious hierarchy wanted to keep to itself. He and producer Delaney Hall unravel the web of policy and silence used to hide child sex abuse from law enforcement and allow perpetrators to strike again.

DIG DEEPER

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Julia B. Chan worked at The Center for Investigative Reporting until June, 2017. Julia B. Chan is a producer and the digital editor for Reveal's national public radio program. She’s the voice of Reveal online and manages the production and curation of digital story assets that are sent to more than 200 stations across the country. Previously, Chan helped The Center for Investigative Reporting launch YouTube’s first investigative news channel, The I Files, and led engagement strategies – online and off – for multimedia projects. She oversaw communications, worked to better connect CIR’s work with a bigger audience and developed creative content and collaborations to garner conversation and impact.

Before joining CIR, Chan worked as a Web editor and reporter at the San Francisco Examiner. She managed the newspaper’s digital strategy and orchestrated its first foray into social media and online engagement. A rare San Francisco native, she studied broadcasting at San Francisco State University, focusing on audio production and recording. Chan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.