Nixa man, a failed polygamist and minister, accused of illegally circumcising 2 teens
Springfield News-Leader, Missouri/October 10, 2018
By Giacomo Bologna
A Nixa man who started an organization called "Restore Bible Culture" was indicted for illegally circumcising two teenagers in May, court documents say.
A grand jury indicted Curtis W. Abbott in August on two counts of child endangerment and one count of unauthorized practice of medicine or surgery — all of which are felonies.
Abbott, 47, is not a doctor.
He sent a statement to the News-Leader calling the allegations false.
Because the case was handled by a grand jury, many details of the case — like an alleged motive — are not public.
However, court documents from a recent divorce shed light on Abbott and his strong religious convictions.
Abbott represented himself in the divorce, which his now ex-wife initiated in 2017.
Court documents filed by Abbott say his wife decided to end their marriage after his "decision to officially go back into the ministry after having multiple prophetic communications."
Abbott claimed his ministry had "several false starts in years past."
When his ex-wife accused him of being mentally abusive, controlling, a polygamist and dismissive of women, Abbott denied most of those charges — and also clarified his views on polygamy.
He responded, writing that he believed "polygamy is not in anyway (sic) condemned or looked down upon in the Bible and that many social ills pertaining to the stability of family would be balanced out if it were still in favor today."
According to court documents, Abbott began expressing an interest in polygamy in 2010.
When Abbott's wife resisted the idea of adding a "sister wife," Abbott allegedly cast her out of the home with just a few personal items because of her "rebellion."
Documents say Abbott never brought another "sister wife" into the marriage, but he spent considerable time and money looking online and in person.
Abbott traveled to the Philippines, Thailand and several places across the United States to "'interview' potential prospects but apparently he found them all lacking in some aspect or another," documents say.
During the divorce, Abbott hand-wrote a letter to the judge, saying he was struggling to make money as he had been "turned down from multiple jobs."
However, court documents say Abbott found enough money to build fencing around his home and begin raising exotic livestock "to feed his family."
Documents do not say what kind of animals the exotic livestock were. Abbott would not answer the question on the record.
Court documents say Abbott previously earned money through his own telemarketing business, called Vested Wellness.
Abbott reported that his family's annual income peaked in 2014 at more than $100,000, but he put an asterisk next to the number.
A note at the bottom of the page said Vested Wellness "took on a project that turned out to be a scam and we had to distance ourselves from it and suffer the embarrassment of our involvement."
The divorce was finalized this summer.
The News-Leader called Abbott for comment. Abbott, who has a Nixa address but lives south of city limits, provided the following statement via text and requested it be printed in full: "Until legal counsel is officially obtained, I have been advised not to discuss the false allegations that have been brought against me and my family. Court documents concerning this case and the undesired recent divorce contain glaring errors and uncanny misrepresentations. I look forward to our name being cleared on all counts and would request you refrain from printing stories/articles that will inevitably bring needless pain and embarrassment to innocent children."
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