Covenant Eyes Is ‘Devastated by This News’
Court documents indicate that Thomas Wideman, stepson of Covenant Eyes co-founder Ron DeHaas, responded to a July 23 post by Sgt. Anna Birkeland, who indicated she was 14. Using the Hush app, Wideman allegedly described how he would like to touch the teen.
By Aug. 10, records show, Wideman suggested meeting the girl in person. His texts include comments about wanting to “caress your body.” He said he would bring condoms but “even then might still pull out. If we even get that comfortable.”
When Wideman asked why the teen couldn’t send him “those kind” of photos, he asked, “Is your phone tracked or something?” Birkeland, posing as the teen, replied, “I hope not!!! No lol it just makes me nervous.” Wideman wrote back, “I won’t pressure anything. But you know I’d love a bra pic.”
Wideman allegedly told the person he was communicating with that he was married. He told her to arrive at their arranged meeting point wearing “something that makes you look older… [but] nothing with high school names or anything for sure.”
In a statement to ChurchLeaders, a Covenant Eyes spokesperson said the company “has been made aware of the allegations involving Ron DeHaas’ stepson” and is “devastated by this news.” He added, “Covenant Eyes takes any allegation of childhood sexual abuse very seriously. We are grateful for Michigan law enforcement efforts to keep children safe and are praying for everyone involved.”
ChurchLeaders also reached out to Wideman’s attorney for comment and will update this article with any reply.
