Religion

Megachurch Pastor Must Pay $2.4M Herpes Settlement

Click2Houston reports: A prominent Houston pastor has been ordered to pay $2.45 million to a woman that a jury found he gave herpes to. After a three-day trial and six and a half hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously found Rev. Ralph D. West II liable. “You can’t fix it, she’s got it for the rest of her life,” said …

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IL Child Stabbed To Death In Anti-Muslim Hate Crime

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: The 6-year-old suburban boy stabbed to death in an apparent hate crime over the weekend will be laid to rest Monday, in Muslim tradition. Joseph Czuba stabbed Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother in unincorporated Plainfield Saturday morning because they are Muslim, the Will County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday. Late Sunday, the Chicago FBI Field Office, …

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Pennsylvania Priest Arrested On 31 Child Porn Counts

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reports: A priest who was placed on leave by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in 2017 due to a claim of abusing a minor being made against him was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this week. The Rev. Anthony Petracca Jr., 67, from Allegheny Township, Blair County, faces 31 felony counts of possession of child …

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New Allegations Against Mormon “Ex-Gay Therapist”

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Three additional men have come forward to say a therapist recommended and paid for by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints touched them inappropriately during counseling sessions related to struggles with their sexuality. The men’s statements follow allegations by three others, previously reported by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica, that clinical mental …

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Baptist Pastor Gets 10-23 Years For Making Child Porn

Manchester’s ABC affiliate reports: The former pastor of a Nashua church is on his way to prison after pleading guilty Thursday to the manufacture and possession of child sex abuse images. Stephen Bates, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of the manufacture of child sex abuse images and 10 counts of possession of such images. Bates was pastor at the …

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Oregon Pastor Arrested On Multiple Child Sex Charges

The Beaverton Valley Times reports: A Beaverton pastor was jailed last week after being accused of inappropriately touching two young girls who were members of his congregation. A Washington County grand jury indicted Christopher Michael Pruitt, 39, of Beaverton on six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse Wednesday, Oct. 11. Pruitt allegedly touched two …

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Four TN Pastors Indicted In COVID Relief Fraud Scheme

Memphis’s Fox affiliate reports: Four Mid-South pastors, including three from Memphis, and several business owners were indicted Tuesday in alleged schemes to steal thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief money, officials said. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee, they collectively defrauded more than $950,000 from federal programs, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), …

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LDS Nursery Worker Arrested On Child Porn Charges

Utah’s Cache Valley Daily reports: A 46-year-old Lewiston man has been arrested for downloading child pornography over the internet for years, according to law enforcement. Kent Daniel Prestwich was booked Tuesday, Oct. 10, into the Cache County Jail after state agents served a warrant to his home. According to arrest documents, Prestwich allegedly told investigators he had been viewing child …

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Baptist School’s Teacher Arrested On Child Sex Charges

The Indianapolis Star reports: A former English teacher and volleyball coach at Fishers Christian Academy was arrested on Friday and is accused of sexual misconduct with a student, according to court records. Stephen Ayon, 34, is facing three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, three counts of child seduction and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors. …

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FL Baptist Youth Pastor Gets 50 Years For Child Porn

The Pensacola News-Journal reports: The former Calvary Baptist Church youth director arrested for hiding a camera in the church bathroom to record people and possessing child pornography was sentenced to 50 years in state prison Friday after taking a plea agreement. David Nims, 40, was charged with 25 counts of child pornography possession and 16 counts of video voyeurism, and …

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Christian School Teacher Arrested On Child Sex Charge

Atlanta First News reports: A Milton private school teacher was arrested after a 12-year-old girl was inappropriately touched at a Walmart in August, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office. Kyle George, 43, was arrested and charged with sexual battery against a child under 16, the sheriff’s office said. According to booking reports, George was booked on Sept. 25 and was …

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Philippine Drag Queen Arrested After Dressing As Jesus

CNN reports: A drag queen who dressed as Jesus Christ and performed a rock rendition of The Lord’s Prayer has been arrested in the Philippines under the country’s obscenity laws, sparking a fierce debate about free speech and protections for members of the LGBTQ community. Amadeus Fernando Pagente, 33, whose drag name is Pura Luka Vega and who uses the …

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FL Sunday School Teacher Guilty Of Child Porn Charges

West Palm Beach’s CBS affiliate reports: Michael Dolce, an attorney from West Palm Beach who fought for child sexual abuse victims, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say when he was arrested in March, he had nearly 1,997 images and five videos of child sexual abuse materials on his laptop. He faces a possible …

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Texas Baptist Pastor Arrested On Child Rape Charges

Click2Houston reports: A Houston-area pastor is facing serious charges after being accused of raping a child and impregnating her, court documents stated. According to an arrest warrant, the rape started when the victim was 7 years old and lasted into her late teen years, happening more than 600 times. With Robert L. Carter now charged with a felony, the alleged …

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AP Does Deep Dive Into Nonreligious Americans

The Associated Press reports: In U.S. religion today, “the most important story without a shadow of a doubt is the unbelievable rise in the share of Americans who are nonreligious,” said Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of “The Nones,” a book on the phenomenon. The nones account for a large portion of Americans, …

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Ohio Youth Pastor Indicted On Child Sex Charges

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: An arrest warrant has been issued for a youth pastor after he was indicted on more than a dozen charges of sex crimes involving minors. Jairo Sanchez, 38, is wanted by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, according to a report from law enforcement. The youth pastor was indicted on charges of gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition, …

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WI Youth Pastor Gets 20 Years On Child Sex Charges

Wausau’s ABC affiliate reports: A 52-year-old former Plover youth pastor was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of repeated acts of sexual assault. Jordan Huffman, 52, of Antigo will also have 20 years of extended supervision after serving his sentence. The charges stem from an assault in 2017 and lasted until …

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TN Youth Pastor Gets Six Years On Child Sex Charges

Memphis’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Mid-South church leader and Christian school administrator who was indicted for sex crimes against a minor has been sentenced to six years in prison. John Brownlow faced eight charges related to the alleged grooming of a private school student during the pandemic. An Action News 5 Investigation revealed Brownlow was charged with persuading the …

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Minnesota Youth Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges

Minnesota Public Radio reports: A former youth pastor at a Duluth church was jailed Tuesday and charged with sexually abusing five teenage girls. St. Louis County prosecutors said that Jackson M. Gatlin, 35, assaulted the teens between 2007 and 2010 while he worked at Vineyard Church. Gatlin is the son of former pastors Michael and Brenda Gatlin. The couple resigned …

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Oklahoma Baptist Pastor Arrested On Child Sex Charges

Tulsa’s ABC affiliate reports: Tulsa Police arrested a man who worked as a pastor at a church and is accused of inappropriately touching a girl over a period of three years. The victim said Matthew Martinez was an associate pastor at New Heights Baptist Church and Academy near 21st and Memorial. She said Martinez first touched her hand and foot …

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