Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of image-based sexual violence, including the non-consensual taking of photos, the spreading of rumors about “naked pictures” that never existed and the devastating emotional and psychological consequences of such violations. Listeners may encounter descriptions of trauma, victim-blaming, and institutional betrayal. Please care for yourself as you listen.

Summary:
In this episode, Shielagh confronts one of the most painful and misunderstood chapters in her story: the existence of degrading photographs taken against her will, the lies that followed, and the devastating way church leaders weaponized those images to discredit her.

The narrative begins with Shielagh’s attempt to clear up a misunderstanding with Pastor Jim Mitchell, believing it would open lines of communication. Instead, she was silenced, treated as a threat, and ultimately had the police called on her. This painful rejection revealed a deeper problem: years of rumors and false narratives built on mischaracterizations of her, fueled by a single misunderstanding that metastasized into institutional mistrust.

Shielagh courageously addresses head-on the false claim that “naked photos” of her existed, explaining that while she was forced into degrading photos, no such explicit images were ever taken. Research on image-based sexual violence underscores what she has lived: heightened risks of PTSD, depression, shame, harassment, and social isolation. Rather than recognizing the images as evidence of her victimization, church leaders framed her as immoral, locking her into a distorted reputation that continues to affect her decades later.

By revisiting events from 2005 through 2022, Shielagh exposes how lies and silence within church leadership repeatedly compounded harm, substituting rumor for truth and preserving institutional self-protection over justice. Through her telling, she illuminates how profoundly a community’s refusal to acknowledge truth can weaponize power against a survivor.

This episode is both testimony and warning: when integrity is replaced by silence and gossip, victims remain trapped in falsehoods, while institutions escape accountability.
Time Period Covered: July 2022 and some history for context