Podcasts > Dateline Originals > Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

By NBC News

In the latest installment of Dateline Originals, Josh Mankiewicz leads a deeply unsettling exploration into the misdeeds of Pastor Nick Hackney. With personal accounts from Annette Anderson, Greg Olsen, Diana Parmley, and Robert Biley, the episode dives into the complex web of manipulation and inappropriate relationships that Hackney forged using his position of trust and faith.

Revealing a troubling pattern of spiritual abuse and predatory behavior, the podcast details how several women, including those seeking pastoral counsel, were drawn into Hackney's sinister orbit. The episode brings to light the profound impact on the victims, marred by guilt and shame, and raises critical questions about church leadership's response—or lack thereof—to the allegations against him. Listen as brave voices break their silence, and a narrative of exploitation unfolds, confronting the darkness that sometimes hides in plain sight.

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Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

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Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

1-Page Summary

Inappropriate Relationships with Multiple Women

Pastor Nick Hackney, after losing his wife Dawn, manipulated several women into inappropriate relationships using his pastoral influence. Annette Anderson shared her experience of being pursued by Nick with unsolicited kisses and the assertion that God wanted them to be together, which she considered spiritual abuse. Nick also had an affair with his late wife's mother, Diana Parmley, which resulted in her experiencing guilt, suicidal thoughts, and the end of her marriage. Sandy Glass and her husband were counseled by Nick, leading to an affair with Sandy even before his wife passed away, taking place within church premises. These encounters left many women battling with shame, regret, and thoughts of suicide.

No Church Intervention Despite Knowledge of Behavior

There were signs of church leadership being aware of Nick’s inappropriate conduct, particularly Senior Pastor Robert Biley, who confronted Nick after concerns were raised about his visits to Sandy’s home. Despite this, there was no clear evidence of concrete or effective actions taken by the church leadership to stop Nick's behavior, leaving a question over the church's response to the issues.

Sandy Glass Goes to Police After Years of Secrecy

Sandy Glass broke her silence and reported the affair to the police four years after Dawn Hackney's death, revealing the years of secrecy that followed the inappropriate relationship.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • The events described in the text involve Pastor Nick Hackney engaging in inappropriate relationships with multiple women after the death of his wife Dawn. These relationships include incidents with Annette Anderson, Diana Parmley, and Sandy Glass. Despite concerns being raised about Nick's behavior, there was a lack of intervention from the church leadership. Sandy Glass reported her affair with Nick to the police four years after Dawn's death, revealing years of secrecy surrounding the inappropriate relationship.
  • The church leadership, including Senior Pastor Robert Biley, had knowledge of Pastor Nick's inappropriate behavior but did not take clear or effective actions to address it. This lack of intervention raises questions about the church's response to the situation and their responsibilities in overseeing the conduct of their pastors. The role of church leadership in maintaining ethical standards and addressing misconduct within the church community is crucial for upholding trust and accountability. In this case, the church's failure to intervene effectively allowed the inappropriate behavior to continue unchecked, impacting multiple individuals within the congregation.

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Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

Inappropriate Relationships with Multiple Women

Nick Hackney, while grieving the loss of his wife, Dawn, engaged in manipulative relationships with several women, using his position as a pastor to justify his actions.

Nick Pursues Relationships with Multiple Women While Grieving

Annette Anderson details how Nick Hackney pursued her shortly after his wife's death, with suggestive comments and unwelcome kisses, even trying to convince her that God wanted them to be together intimately. Similarly, Greg Olsen and Josh Mankiewicz describe how Nick leveraged his role as a spiritual leader to take advantage of women's sympathy and trust, often under the guise of providing counseling.

Uses position as pastor to manipulate women spiritually

Nick's manipulation was deeply spiritual in nature, convincing women that their relationships were divinely inspired, which Annette Anderson describes as "hideous spiritual abuse." His actions destroyed her psychologically and spiritually.

Has affair with Dawn's mother, Diana Parmley

In a striking betrayal, Nick Hackney sought comfort not just from unrelated individuals, but from his deceased wife's mother, Diana Parmley. He fostered a complicated relationship of comfort-turned-intimacy with her, which led to Parmley experiencing suicidal thoughts, intense guilt, and the end of her own marriage.

Nick has affair with Sandy Glass before Dawn's death

While counseling Sandy Glass and her husband on their troubled marriage, Nick began an affair with Sandy, who held a position of high regard within the church as a ...

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Inappropriate Relationships with Multiple Women

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Nick Hackney engaged in manipulative relationships with multiple women by exploiting his position as a pastor to justify his actions. He used suggestive comments, unwelcome advances, and spiritual manipulation to convince these women that their relationships were divinely inspired. This manipulation led to psychological and spiritual harm, causing feelings of guilt, shame, worthlessness, and even suicidal thoughts among the women involved. Nick's behavior included pursuing intimate relationships with women shortly after his wife's death and engaging in an affair with his deceased wife's mother, among other inappropriate actions.
  • Nick Hackney engaged in manipulative relationships with multiple women, including Annette Anderson, Sandy Glass, and Diana Parmley. He used his position as a pastor to justify his actions, manipulating these women emotionally and spiritually. This manipulation involved inappropriate behavior such as suggestive comments, unwelcome kisses, and convincing the women that their relationships were divinely inspired. Nick's actions caused psychological and spiritual harm to the women involved, leading to feelings of shame, regret, and even suicidal thoughts.
  • Nick Hackney, as a pastor, exploited his authority and trust within the church community to manipulate women spiritually. He used his position to convince them that their relationships were sanctioned by God, creating a false sense of divine approval for his inappropriate behavior. By intertwining religious beliefs with his actions, he blurred the lines between spiritual guidance and personal desires, leading the women to feel conflicted and manipulated. This abuse of power and spiritual influence ...

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Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

No Church Intervention Despite Knowledge of Behavior

While the evidence suggests some awareness of impropriety, concrete action from church leadership appears lacking.

Senior Pastor Robert Biley was made aware of the situation when concerned parents of Sandy's husband reported Nick’s frequent visits to Sandy. Pastor Biley took the initiative to confront Nick about the behavior. Nick appeared to comply with Pastor Biley’s request to discontinue the visits; however, it seems the affair proceeded unabated.

Despite these actions, the transcript does not provide explicit details that confirm effective intervention by Robert Bile ...

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No Church Intervention Despite Knowledge of Behavior

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Clarifications

  • Nick's visits to Sandy were concerning because they implied a potentially inappropriate relationship or behavior between Nick and Sandy, which could have had implications for both individuals and their families. The fact that concerned parents reported these visits to the church suggests that there were suspicions or worries about the nature of Nick's interactions with Sandy. The visits may have raised questions about boundaries, trust, and ethical conduct within the church community. The response of church leadership to these visits could have significant implications for how such situations are addressed within the church environment.
  • Church leadership is typically expected to address inappropriate behavior within the congregation, e ...

Counterarguments

  • The awareness of impropriety does not necessarily equate to a lack of concrete action; it may indicate a delay or a different approach to handling the situation that is not documented in the transcript.
  • Reporting to Pastor Biley does not guarantee that the full extent of the situation was understood or that the information provided was accurate.
  • Confronting Nick could be considered an initial step in a larger, possibly ongoing, intervention process.
  • Compliance with a request to discontinue visits does not necessarily mean that the underlying issue has been resolved or that further action isn't planned.
  • The continuation of the affair, despite Nick's apparent compliance, could suggest that the problem is more complex and may require a different strategy than initially employed by Pastor Biley.
  • The absence of evidence in the transcript does no ...

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Mortal Sin - Ep. 2: Lust

Sandy Glass Goes to Police After Years of Secrecy

Goes to police 4 years after Dawn's death

After maintaining years of secrecy, Sandy Glass has approached the authorities, stepping int ...

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Sandy Glass Goes to Police After Years of Secrecy

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