Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Via press release from Bergen County prosecutors:
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 74-year-old STEPHEN E. SWEET, a church pastor, who resides in Paramus, NJ on charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated criminal sexual contact and criminal sexual contact. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck.
On Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit was contacted regarding the alleged sexual assault of a juvenile that occurred in the past. An investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office revealed that STEPHEN E. SWEET committed various acts of sexual contact and sexual assault on multiple occasions over the course of several years when the child was between the ages of 13 and 18 at locations in River Edge, Paramus, and Ridgewood, NJ.
The New Jersey Advance reports:
Sweet is pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in River Edge. He was ordained and installed in 1997, according to the church website. A woman who answered the phone at the church Friday said there was currently no one available to comment on the arrest or charges.
Sweet is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, 10 counts of second-degree sexual assault, three counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, three counts of third-degree criminal sexual contact, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
Sweet’s photo and bio remains on the church’s website at this writing. He remains jailed as of this afternoon.
A Bergen county church pastor was arrested on Thursday and charged with 21 counts of sexual offenses allegedly against a child, officials said.https://t.co/XVkVbN1z7m
— NorthJersey.com (@northjersey) July 12, 2024