Tag Archives: religion

First Coast News reports: A youth minister at Celebration Church in Jacksonville has been arrested and charged with six counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, newly-released documents show. Celebration Church says Williams was in this position as a volunteer. Rashad Williams, 34, was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after it was discovered that he was in a …

The Dubois County Free Press reports: The Jasper Police Department arrested a Jasper man on eight counts of child molestation involving a girl under the age of 14. According to police, they received information on the allegations of child molestation on June 30. After an extensive investigation, police were able to establish probable cause that Michael Crockett, 49, Jasper, had …

South Bend’s NBC affiliate reports: A man who preached at a Michiana church is accused of sexually abusing a child. Gregory Sebastian, 41, is facing two counts of felony child molesting. He allegedly laid in bed with and inappropriately touched a girl who is under the age of 14. Sebastian was booked into the St. Joseph County Jail on June …

Austin’s Fox affiliate reports: The pastor of a Round Rock church has pled guilty to a federal charge related to child sexual abuse material, or CSAM. David Lloyd Walter, 57, of Georgetown pled guilty June 27 to an enhanced charge of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Walther knowingly searched for, downloaded, distributed and possessed CSAM using BitTorrent, …

The Kenosha County Eye reports: David DeBerge, 67, of Kenosha was charged today in Kenosha County Circuit Court with repeated sexual assault of a child and another sexual assault-related felony. The first count carries a maximum sentence of 60 years and the second, 40 years. According to the criminal complaint, DeBerge is accused of molesting a relative from the time …

Wichita Falls’ NBC affiliate reports: The longtime pastor of a Wichita Falls church has been indicted on six counts of sex crimes against children involving three different victims over eleven years. According to court documents, Wichita Falls pastor Ronnie Allen Killingsworth, 78, was indicted by a Wichita County Grand Jury on six counts of indecency with a child by sexual …

The Pottsville Republican-Herald reports: The former pastor of a church in Andreas was jailed Wednesday after being charged by West Penn Twp. police with indecent assault involving three juvenile girls between 2007 and 2012. Marvin Leroy Mosley, 43, of 101 College Ave., Milroy, Mifflin County, was arraigned on two felony counts each of indecent assault of a person under the …

Portland’s CBS affiliate reports: The former pastor and co-founder of North Clackamas Bible Community was sentenced to 160 months in prison after he was found guilty for sex abuse, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday. Michael Sperou, 72, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration on May 19. It’s the third time since 2015 …

City News Service reports: A retired Orange County pastor was sentenced Friday to 186 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two young girls with whom he is related. Jose Andres Lopez, 70, of Mission Viejo, was convicted March 22 of 18 felony sexual assault charges dating as far back as 1991 through 2020. Lopez is a retired Orange …

North Carolina’s Stanly County Press reports: A former pastor and founder of a ministry to help individuals dealing with substance use problems has been arrested for sex crimes against children. Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said it received a report May 30 of sexual assault involving a juvenile. Following an investigation, detectives charged Lawrence “Larry” Francis Wilkins, 44, with four counts …

The Detroit Free Press reports: After three hours of public comment and months of intense debate, the Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags from being displayed on all city properties. Introduced by Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan, the resolution also prohibited the display and flying of flags with racist and political views. Hassan and …

The New Castle News reports: A New Castle man accused of child sex trafficking and corrupting children in Ohio has been found guilty by a jury in Mahoning County Court. The Ohio jury’s verdict was delivered Wednesday against 35-year-old Jarod Mills of West Terrace Ave. of unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor. Mill was arrested in Mahoning County in …

The Christian Post reports: A former financial director of a Colorado church has been charged with stealing over $340,000 from the church to purchase several items for personal use, such as adult sex toys. According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Sara Ann Mock-Butler turned herself into El Paso County Jail on May 31 to answer for charges related …

The Associated Press reports: The Southern Baptist Convention has refused to welcome Saddleback Church back into its fold, rejecting an appeal by the California megachurch over its February ouster for having women pastors. Southern Baptist church representatives at their annual meeting here also rejected a similar appeal by a smaller church, Fern Creek Baptist of Louisville, Kentucky, which is led …

Chattanooga’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Walker County deacon is facing a laundry list of charges, from Sexual Battery to Exploitation and Intimidation of disabled adults. Deputies say this has stemmed over the last two to five years. Deputies picked up 75-year-old Dennis Laman on June 2nd, and he’s been in the county jail since. Officials with the Walker County …

Via press release from the Alaska State Troopers: On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the Alaska State Troopers received a report of sexual abuse of a minor. Investigation revealed that Dwight Chris John, age 71 of Ketchikan, sexually assaulted a minor at different times, over a period of seven years. The sexual assaults occurred in Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island. …

First, a reminder from my April 2023 report: It took a Webster County jury just under two and a half hours late Friday afternoon to convict a former Christian missionary of sexual abuse. Jordan Dee Andrew Webb, 30, of Fort Dodge, was found guilty of one count of second-degree sexual abuse with persons under the age of 12, a Class …

Staten Island Advance reports: A former Staten Island priest already accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a minor in New York pleaded no contest to several charges in Pennsylvania Friday in connection with abuse allegations more than a decade ago. Rev. James Garisto, 74, pleaded no contest to charges of corruption of a minor and indecent assault after a …

The Bellingham Herald reports: A Blaine mother of six who is a former teacher and currently a candidate for the local School Board was arrested Friday, June 2, and charged with three counts of child rape, four counts of child sexual assault and drug possession. Tana Perkins Reneau, 51, was arrested by Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies after detectives for the …

The Modesto Bee reports: A Modesto man who stepped down from his role as a church youth leader a month before his arrest has pleaded guilty to molesting a family member. Michael Sasser, 41, was arrested in April on suspicion of three counts of child molestation for acts that occurred during a period of months in 2022. On Wednesday, he …