Religion

Sunday School Teacher Gets 87 Years For Child Rape

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Sunday school teacher will spend the next 87 years of his life in prison after being convicted of abusing and sexually assaulting at least three young girls behind church walls and on church buses in Johnston County. A jury found Jonathan Young, 38, of Benson, guilty on multiple counts of rape, sexual offense and …

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Tennessee Christian School Principal And His Secretary Charged With Having Sex In Front Of Underage Student

Nashville’s Fox affiliate reports: The principal and secretary of a small Christian school in McMinn County engaged in improper sexual activity in front of an underage teen and former student at the pastor’s home, according to 2 arrest reports from the McMinn County Sheriff’s Department. 47-year-old Jason Kennedy is principal, teacher and pastor of Liberty Christian School in Riceville. 28-year-old …

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Police: FL Pastor’s Wife Embezzled $165K From Church

Mobile’s CBS affiliate reports: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement charged a woman with grand theft after a Milton Church was defrauded out of $164,716. Lisa Michelle Hively, 55, was charged with one count of organized schemes to defraud and one count of grand theft. Hively was arrested after investigators opened up an investigation into the finances of Faith Baptist …

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PA Pastor Pleads Guilty To Recording Sex With Minor

The Delaware County Times reports: A 72-year-old Chester pastor pleaded guilty Tuesday in Delaware County Court to videotaping a sexual encounter he had with an underage girl during a relationship that lasted from 2018 through 2020. Edward Lilly, of the 4100 block of Kates Glen Drive in the Boothwyn section of Upper Chichester, entered an open guilty plea to one …

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NJ Youth Pastor Charged With 75 Child Sex Counts

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: A Burlington County man who served as a youth pastor has been indicted on charges that he sexually exploited underage boys, deceiving them into sending him explicit images, then blackmailing them into performing lewd acts so he could watch and record them remotely, authorities said Friday. Sean Higgins, 31, of Palmyra, has been in custody since …

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MI Pastor Guilty Of Paying Boys To Have Sex With Wife

Kalamazoo’s CBS affiliate reports: A Kalamazoo pastor accused of paying teen boys for sex pleaded guilty Tuesday. Stricjavvar “Strick” Strickland pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly offering to sell transportation services for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, according to prosecutors. As part of the plea deal, Strickland will spend one year in jail and he will not have …

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Texas Pastor Guilty Of Stealing From Alzheimer’s Patient

The Tyler Morning Herald reports: A longtime Tyler pastor, coach and community figure will serve six months in the Smith County Jail and 10 years probation after pleading guilty to stealing from an elderly couple, his former church and a local nonprofit. Through a plea deal, Rev. Jerome Milton, who leads Open Door Bible Church in Tyler, admitted to using …

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Lawsuit Accuses Cardinal Of Sexually Assaulting Woman

The CBC reports: The name of a prominent Vatican cardinal, who is regarded as a potential successor to Pope Francis, appears on a list made public as part of a new class action against the Quebec diocese, Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête has found. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who was the archbishop of Quebec when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was taking …

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Ontario Megachurch Pastor Accused Of Sex With Minor

The Christian Post reports: One of Canada’s largest megachurches says it has substantiated sexual abuse allegations against former pastor Bruxy Cavey, including one involving a minor. Cavey, who was arrested and charged with sexual assault in June, was the former pastor of The Meeting House, which has multiple campuses across the Toronto area. Ontario police arrested the 57-year-old on May …

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Lankford Opposes Christian Nationalist Movement

Jack Jenkins reports at Religion News Service: Religion News Service reached out to more than 50 House and Senate Republicans seeking their response, questioning whether they support calls to make the RNC the party of Christian nationalism. Two Republicans responded: Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. “I took an oath to defend the US …

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Rushdie’s Attacker Charged With Attempted Murder

ABC News reports: A suspect has been charged with attempted murder in the attack on author Salman Rushdie at a speaking event in New York state. The alleged attacker is Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, a law enforcement official told ABC News. He was arrested at the scene and is currently in New York State Police custody. Matar …

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Wisconsin Pastor Convicted Of Possessing Child Porn

The Appleton Post-Crescent reports: A 48-year-old pastor has been convicted of four counts of possession of child pornography and one count of meth possession. Rick E. Haberland, former pastor of Oneida United Methodist Church, pleaded no contest to all five charges Friday morning during a plea hearing in Outagamie County Circuit Court. Haberland also formerly served as a pastor at …

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Dominatrices To Testify Against New Orleans Priest

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Two professional dominatrices accused of a sexual tryst with a priest on the altar of Pearl River Catholic church in 2020 have each pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of institutional vandalism and won’t serve jail time, according to court records. But Melissa Cheng and Mindy Dixon will have to come back to 22nd …

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Suspect Nabbed In Killings Of Four NM Muslim Men

The Associated Press reports: Albuquerque police say they have detained the “primary suspect” in the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico’s largest city. Police Chief Harold Medina on Tuesday announced the update on Twitter. The killings have sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities in New Mexico and beyond and fueled a race to find who was responsible. …

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Missouri Pastor Arrested On Multiple Child Sex Charges

Jefferson City’s CBS affiliate reports: A Hermann pastor has been charged, accused of sexually abusing a child. Prosecutors in Camden County charged John Hampton, 32, with Statutory Sodomy with a Person under 12, 2nd Degree Statutory Sodomy, 4th Degree Child Molestation, and Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse 2nd Degree. Probable cause documents state the abuse happened at a lake house in Roach, …

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NC Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges

Wilmington’s ABC affiliate reports: At least two victims have come forward regarding allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former youth pastor at Wrightsboro Baptist Church in New Hanover County. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alan Croom, 35, for indecent liberties with a minor. The arrest took place at Wilmington International Airport, as Croom was traveling back to Wilmington …

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Southern Baptists Affirm Ban On Female Pastors

The Christian Post reports: Prominent Southern Baptist theologians have published a statement clarifying the meaning of the word “pastor” amid controversy within the United States’ largest Protestant denomination stemming from Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church ordaining female pastors last year. The theologians said that when it comes to the word “pastor,” Southern Baptists have always understood the term. Article VI of …

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Wisconsin Pastor Busted In Underage Hooker Sting

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: A sting operation this week in St. Paul and Stillwater led to the arrest of six people who now face felony charges in connection with attempting to solicit minors for sex or trafficking. Undercover agents posed as minors or sex buyers on social media and made arrangements to meet the adults. When the adults …

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Pope Floats Retirement After Tiring Visit To Canada

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has said that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his week-long Canadian pilgrimage was “a bit of a test” that showed he needed to slow down and one day possibly retire. Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, Francis, 85, stressed that he …

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Sex Offender CA Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges

The Fresno Bee reports: A Fresno County minster was arrested Thursday for alleged sex crimes, deputies said. Arrested was 64-year-old Bernardino Villalobos of Del Rey who is a registered sex offender and previously served time in prison for convictions of rape and sodomy. Detectives received information that Villalobos allegedly abused a child in 2017. Villalobos was booked into the Fresno …

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