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Bakker allowed out of prison to
visit injured elderly father
CHARLOTTE: Former US tele
vangclist Jim Bakkcr was allowed
to leave a Minnesota prison briefly
on Sunday to visit his elderly father,
in hospital in Charlotte, North Car
olina, with a broken pelvis.
Bakkcr, accompanied by a super
visor from the federal Mcdical Pris
on in Rochester, Minnesota, briefly
visited his father, Raleigh, at Caro
linas Mcdical Centre, Bakkcr's law
yer, Jim Toms, said. Afterward, he
flew back to Minnesota.
"I'm so grateful for visiting my
family at this time of need," Bakkcr
said in a statement read by Mr
Toms. "Despite our troubles, we
give thanks for so many blessings."
Bakkcr's 86-year-old father was
injured in a car accident.
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"He's doing reasonably well, but
given his age the doctors are treat
ing his injuries as serious," Mr
Toms said.
Last week, a US District Court
judge reduced Bakker's prison sen
tence to eight years. His lawyers
plan to ask the parole commission
to consider Bakker's parole at its
January 29 meeting.
The reduction was the second for
Bakkcr, who was sentenced in 1989
to 45 years in prison for fraud.
Bakker's lawyers argued that
Bakkcr, who cheated followers out
of more than SUS150 million
(SA218 million), has displayed ex
emplary behaviour in prison.
. Bakker was convicted on a 24
count indictmcnt charging, him
S
with overselling lodging guarantees,
called "lifetime partnerships", at his
.Heritage USA religious retreat .in
South Carolina.
Prosecutors said Bakker diverted
millions in ministry funds to buy
expensive homes, cars, jewellery
and holidays.
Prosecutors said $US265,QQ0
($A385,230) in partnership funds
was also used to pay former church
secretary Jessica Hahn to keep quiet
about a sexual liaison with Bakker
in 1980.
Bakker resigned from PTL after
that scx-and-moncy scandal be
came public.
He and his wife, Tammy Fayc,
were divorced earlier this year.
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