Menu Close

Category: Black Collar Crime

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Lindsey Whiteside Pleads Guilty to Having Sex with a Minor Girl

6 Comments
lindsey whiteside

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Lindsey Whiteside, a youth pastor at Getwell Church in Hernando, Mississippi, and high school basketball coach, was accused of having sex with a minor girl under her care.

Whiteside’s church bio states:

My deepest passion is for everyone to experience Jesus in the same way I have. Through student ministry, missions, or any other ministry, I am so thankful that the Lord has called me to Getwell Hernando where I can pursue that passion both inside and outside the walls of the church. It is an honor that the Lord calls us all to participate in His Kingdom, and I am grateful to be able to do it within and alongside the community of Hernando.

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28

Channel 5 reported:

A grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former DeSoto County youth minister with having sex with a child under her guardianship.

Court documents allege Lindsey Aldy Whiteside, 26, intentionally and knowingly had sex with an underage girl between May 14 and November 6, 2024.

An indictment was returned earlier this month, charging Whiteside with one count of felony sexual battery of a minor.

Prior to the indictment, Whiteside worked at Getwell Church Hernando as a student and outreach coordinator, and also previously served as an assistant basketball coach at DeSoto Central High School.

“We can confirm that the December Grand Jury of DeSoto County has indicted Lindsey Whiteside on the charge of sexual battery of a minor child by a person of trust or authority,” DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. “Prior to this indictment, Lindsey Whiteside served as a youth ministry leader and basketball coach—positions that carry a profound responsibility to protect and guide others.”

Whiteside served as the assistant girls’ basketball coach at DeSoto Central High until she was hired by Getwell Church Hernando in August 2022.

Church members claim she was terminated after the sexual battery allegations arose.

Getwell Church did not immediately answer Action News 5’s calls for comment.

Whiteside faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Recently, Whiteside pleaded guilty and was sentenced to house arrest. House arrest? She was facing thirty years in prison, yet the judge gave her a slap on the wrist, with NO PRISON TIME. Sadly, all to often judges give lesser sentences to women than they do men. I suspect that is the case here. The victim and others are rightly outraged by the light sentence. The district attorney stated: “This sentence is an absolute abomination of justice. It is not right; it is everything that’s wrong. This is why people actually question whether our institutions actually serve people.”

Fox-13 reports:

There will be no immediate jail time for a female youth pastor who admitted to the sexual battery of a teenager who attended her church.

Lindsey Whiteside’s case first came to light in November 2024. On Monday, the former youth pastor for Getwell Church in Hernando pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual battery, a charge that could mean up to 30 years in prison.

But Whiteside left the DeSoto County Courthouse sentenced to a decade of supervised release, beginning with three years of house arrest, virtually the complete opposite of the sentence sought by DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton.

“We, the State of Mississippi, and frankly, I am extremely disappointed,” Barton said. “The sentence ended up being three years of house arrest, followed by seven years of post-release supervision, for a total of ten years of supervision. This sentence is an absolute abomination of justice. It is not right; it is everything that’s wrong. This is why people actually question whether our institutions actually serve people.”

Whiteside’s victim was nearly 17-year-old at the time of the sexual battery, which by the former youth pastor’s own admission occurred multiple times, though she only faced a single count.

Those crimes occurred while the victim was being mentored and counseled by Whiteside, in her role of trust within the church the victim was attending.

The victim’s family was outraged Whiteside didn’t receive any prison time. Pam Pegram, a member of that family, spoke on behalf of the victim and her family following the sentencing.

“Let me be clear: no adult should ever engage in sexual contact with a child. In no way, shape, or form is the victim ever at fault,” Pegram said. “This adult could at any time have said, ‘Mom, help me; pastor, help me; friend, help me.’ She never did. She plotted and she planned, she deceived and she manipulated so that she could have her way.”

The district attorney said that, as shocking as the sentence was, so was the fact that educators and even a sitting school board member offered letters and even testimony in support for Whiteside, which he said is detrimental for the victim.

“It is true that when you support the abuser, you victimize the victim, and for that, that’s part of the reason that I was so disturbed by the amount of pedophile sympathizers that wrote into the court, and specifically Michelle Henley is an elected member of our school board,” Barton said. “Our victim at the time was a student at one of the schools that Michelle Henley is supposed to help govern. And yet she wrote a letter in support of the defendant; she testified on behalf of the defendant’s good character. Which I submit: there is no good character to someone that would sexually abuse a child.”

Just before handing down the sentence, the judge said no one was going to be happy with the decision. In addition to the ten years of supervised release, Whiteside will also have to register as a child sex offender for the rest of her life. She will face jail time if she violates any of the terms and conditions of her house arrest..

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Kevin Jones Accused of Soliciting a Minor

1 Comment
pastor kevin jones

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Kevin Jones, pastor of Summit Church in Elkins, West Virginia, stands accused of soliciting a minor.

The Inter-Mountain reports:

A nearly three-hour preliminary hearing Tuesday afternoon for the former pastor of the Summit Church resulted in probable cause being found for the felony charge of soliciting a minor via computer.

The charge will now proceed to the grand jury, after Tuesday’s ruling by Randolph County Magistrate Michael Dyer.

Kevin Curtis Jones, 33, appeared in an orange prisoner’s jumpsuit in Randolph County Magistrate Court Tuesday afternoon, represented by attorney James Hawkins Jr.

Jones is also charged with one felony count of distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit activity. A hearing on that charge has been continued to a later date.

Jones is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on two separate $50,000 cash-only bonds set by Magistrates Benjamin Shepler and Dyer.

The courtroom was full with approximately 20 people for Tuesday’s hearing, including family members of the alleged victim and a witness. Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Leckta Poling represented the state.

Hawkins brought forward two motions, asking for a reduction in Jones’ bond and for a dismissal of the charge. Dyer denied both of Hawkins’ motions.

Poling also made a motion regarding Jones’ bond, asking for additions such as, if Jones were able to make bond, he should not be permitted to have contact with anyone under the age of 18, and that there should be restrictions to Jones’ access to electronic devices. Dyer approved Poling’s motion.

Dyer found probable cause after more than two-and-a-half hours of testimony from a witness, the alleged victim and the investigating officer, Deputy and Task Force Officer D.A. Cale with the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Region Drug And Violent Crime Task Force.

During the witness’s testimony, a member of the courtroom’s audience stood up and began to shout at Jones and Hawkins. The audience member was then taken out of the room by courtroom security. The audience member could be heard continuing to yell and shout as they were escorted out of the Randolph County Magistrate Court building by court security and officers with the West Virginia State Police and Elkins City Police, who were also present for the hearing.

There was an unusual level of security present for the hearing, with two Randolph County Court Security officers stationed outside on the sidewalk questioning people who approached the magistrate court building. No one was allowed to bring a cell phone into the building during the hearing. No photographs, and no video or audio recordings of the hearing were allowed to be made by media representatives covering the hearing.

According to the first criminal complaint against Jones, filed by Cale, on Oct. 1, Cale assisted Cpl. C. Parks, also with the Barbour Sheriff’s Office, with a soliciting investigation involving Jones.

Parks told Cale he was “investigating Pastor Kevin Jones for soliciting a minor with a computer,” the complaint states. The alleged victim was an attending member of the Summit Church in Elkins. Cale applied for a search warrant in Randolph County to seize relevant cellular devices, flash drives, storage devices, computers, etc.

On that same day, Cale located Jones in an RV at the Smokey Bottom Camp Ground, off Route 33, the complaint states. A “large amount” of cellular devices and storage devices were seized. Cale also made contact with the alleged victim, who came out of the RV to speak with him.

The alleged victim stated that Jones was their pastor and that they recalled an event where they and other juveniles went to Jones’ house in Randolph County around Christmas of 2023, the complaint states. The alleged victim told Cale that Jones began communicating with them over the phone about being in a “clandestine relationship” with the alleged victim once they turned 18.

According to the complaint, Jones was the pastor of Summit Church “where the (alleged) victim attends, making (Jones) a person of trust over the victim.” Cale writes that he explained to the alleged victim what solicitation of a minor via computer was defined as under West Virginia State Code, and then asked the alleged victim if they thought Jones had solicited them. The alleged victim said, “Yes.”

“It is evident that Pastor Kevin Jones used a communication device to contact the victim to solicit, entice, seduce or lure (them) into a clandestine relationship while he remained married and was a person of trust,” Cale writes in the complaint.

According to the second criminal complaint, also filed by Cale, on Oct. 1, Cale issued a search warrant for digital evidence from Jones’ cellular devices.

Cale allegedly located several images of a juvenile on Jones’ cellphone, the complaint states. The images depicted the alleged victim “in (their) underwear with (their) arms shrugged.” Cale writes that, in each of the known images of the alleged victim, the alleged victim was wearing different color underwear. He writes that one of the photos has a text overlay depicting, “Does this Match?”

Though the alleged victim is no longer a juvenile, the timestamps on the images allegedly found on Jones’ cellphone show that the alleged victim was under 18 years old when the photos were taken, the complaint states.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Zachary Radcliff Accused of Sexually Abusing Children

2 Comments
zachary radcliff

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Zachary “Zach” Radcliff, a youth director at Oakwood Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan, stands accused of dozens of sex crimes. Radcliff’s father is the pastor of Oakwood.

In October 2024, CBS News reported:

A 29-year-old Washtenaw County church employee was arraigned on several charges, including criminal sexual conduct and charges related to child sexually abusive material. 

Michigan State Police began investigating Zachary Radcliff, a former music and youth director at Oakwood Church in Augusta Township, on Oct. 2, after they were notified that Radcliff had solicited child sexually abusive material from a minor. A search warrant was executed at his office and residence. 

Police say they have identified multiple victims and that victims range in age from 12 to 17 years old. It’s alleged that the crimes have been occurring since 2011. MSP says church leadership has been cooperative during the investigation. 

“The information that we received was shocking,” Oakwood Church said in a statement. “We were told that Zachary had been soliciting inappropriate photos and possibly videos from teens. We have also heard other stories. This information has ripped our hearts apart. The safety and protection of the individuals in our church is what is paramount to us. We are devoted to doing what we can for the care of the victims of these crimes.”

Radcliff, who is the son of Oakwood’s senior pastor, was first suspended with pay on Oct. 3 but eventually fired on Oct. 12. 

“The State Police were notified by families that were involved and our church staff,” the church said. “We are not aware of the full extent of his crimes, and we are doing everything we can to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

“We have counseling that is being set up and provided for any youth or adults who have been impacted by this crime. What is being done will be provided to our church family in the next few days. Like you, our hearts are broken. We have a desire to serve our Master in this community, with the understanding that the church family should be one of the safest places we can be involved in. Part of that trust has been broken. Our commitment is to be completely transparent and do what we can to help with this investigation.” 

Radcliff is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, two counts of child sexually abusive activity, five counts of using a computer or the internet to commit a crime and one count of using a computer to commit a crime. 

In March 2025. CBS News reported:

A former Washtenaw County church youth group director will now stand trial on 60 charges connected to sexual abuse after a judge added 30 more counts following testimony Tuesday. 

Zachary Radcliff, 29, appeared Tuesday in a courtroom for a preliminary examination, where several young men testified against Radcliff. Following testimony, 14A District Court Judge J. Cedric Simpson added nine counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and 21 counts of child sexually abusive activity. In all, Radcliff faces 60 charges related to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, child sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit a crime. 

“What I saw with them, they need to be believed, and they ought to be believed. Whether anyone does, that’s maybe for the future. But I believe them. I believe everything they told this court,” Simpson said. 

“I don’t say this lightly at all. Not how I operate my life and certainly not how I operate as a judge. But in my 25-so-plus years, I’ve seen a lot. This ranks up with one of the most egregious predators that I have ever seen as it regards individuals.”

Radcliff is the former music and youth director at Oakwood Church in Augusta Township. Michigan State Police began investigating Radcliff on Oct. 2, 2024, after they were notified that he had solicited child sexually abusive material from a minor. Police executed a search warrant of Radcliff’s office and residence.   

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Worship Pastor Arthur “A.J.” Bass Accused of Sexual Abuse

0 Comments
aj bass

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Arthur “A.J.” Bass, former worship leader at New Hope Christian Church in Wylie, Texas, and a substitute school teacher, stands accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child.

CBS reports:

A man who was prominent in both Wylie churches and schools has been arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of a child. 

He’s a former substitute teacher in the Wylie Independent School District and a former worship pastor at a local church. 

Wylie ISD said that none of its students have come forward with any allegations against this former substitute teacher so far. 

But the district confirms that for two years, he worked as a substitute at multiple schools, including Achieve Academy, which is for suspended and expelled students. 

Authorities said his name is Arthur Bass. But to those who know him, he’s A.J. 

The 55-year-old was arrested last week for the alleged continuous sexual abuse of a child. 

In a statement, Wylie police said the case came together quickly and that “the arrest stems from an investigation that began on October 1.”

Wylie PD said it received information of a “child making an outcry to her mother.”

Wylie ISD said Bass was terminated from his job as a substitute teacher immediately after authorities were informed by police about the arrest. 

In a statement to parents, the district said it was important to share “that this situation did not occur on a Wylie ISD campus, nor did it involve a student the substitute met through our schools.”

The district said Bass began working as a substitute in 2023, with his last assignment in April 2025. 

“He has not served in our schools this school year,” Wylie ISD said in its statement to parents. “During his time with us, he worked at multiple campuses across the district, and we received no complaints regarding his conduct.”

On his social media profiles, Bass said he is a worship pastor at New Hope Christian Church in Wylie, which confirmed to CBS News Texas that he was, from 2013 until Bass left the church in February 2023.

In a statement to its congregation, the church said, “The charges are terrible and disconcerting to say the least.”

The church did not say whether the accuser had any connection to the church. 

But the school district is urging parents to come forward if they have any information that could help Wylie Police with its ongoing investigation. 

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Adrian Davis Accused of Wire Fraud and Filing False Tax Return

0 Comments
pastor adrian davis

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

“The more you lean into every comma that God has created you to be, the more commas you will visibly see in your bank account.”

— Pastor Adrian Davis

Adrian Davis, pastor of All Nations Worship Assembly in Huntsville, Alabama, stands accused of wire fraud and filing a false tax return.

WHNT reports:

Federal court records show that the former pastor of a Huntsville church is facing charges for wire fraud and filing a false tax return. 

Adrian Davis was the lead pastor at All Nations Worship Assembly and also served as a marketing consultant for the church. According to court records, he received a salary and parsonage as compensation. 

Davis is accused of using ANWA funds for his personal benefit beginning in or around 2018. 

The court documents say Davis used funds to pay his mother’s mortgage, buy vehicles like an Audi A7 and a 2016 GMC Yukon, as well as pay off over $268,000 on his personal credit cards, which were used to make purchases from luxury stores like Louis Vuitton, Flight Club, a shoe store in New York, and other stores over the course of 2019 and 2020.

The documents state that Davis wired $13,663 from the ANWA bank account to pay off his personal credit card in October 2020.

Federal records also say Davis filed a tax return in 2021, falsely claiming he received $138,621 when he received total income in excess of that.

Davis agreed to plead guilty to both charges, court records show. As part of his plea agreement, he would be required to pay restitution to All Nations Worship Assembly and the Internal Revenue Service.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Presbyterian Pastor Stephen Melton Pleads Guilty to Paying Prostitutes for Sex

0 Comments
pastor stephen melton

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Stephen Melton, former pastor of Big Spring Presbyterian Church in Newville, Pennsylvania, recently pleaded guilty to paying prostitutes for sex.

Channel 21 reports:

A former Newville pastor is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty Monday to charges that stemmed from a human trafficking investigation at GL Massage in November.

Officials said Stephen Melton worked as a pastor at the Big Spring Presbyterian Church, during which he met up with a prostitute multiple times a week for over a year.

These visits occurred starting in April of 2023, court records showed.

An affidavit for Melton stated he recognized women at the business as possibly trafficked individuals, but continued visiting the parlor for sexual services.

The reason he chose GL in particular, was reportedly because of its location being on his way home from church.

During an interview with the pastor, police stated Melton admitted to giving some of the prostitutes flowers, food, and clothing.

Melton’s arrest was also part of a large scale operation by the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force named “Closed2Trafficking”, which started in 2023.

CBS 21 confirmed with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office that Melton pleaded guilty Sept. 8 of 2025 to patronizing prostitutes.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Aaron Williams Accused of Having Sex in an SUV with a Woman Not His Wife

1 Comment
pastor aaron williams jr

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Aaron Williams, Jr., pastor of Maddox Memorial Church of God in Christ in Mansfield, Ohio, stands accused of having sex in an SUV with a woman who is not his wife.

The Christian Post reports:

Aaron Williams Jr., an aspiring politician and pastor of Maddox Memorial Church of God in Christ in Mansfield, Ohio, is set to be arraigned in Mansfield Municipal Court on Tuesday after he was arrested in late August for allegedly engaging in a sex act with a woman who is not his wife in the back of an SUV at the Clearfork Reservoir Park.

The Mansfield Police Department confirmed with The Christian Post on Monday that Williams was arrested for public indecency. But when contacted by CP, Williams denied he was arrested and alleged he was dealing with political persecution.

“I wasn’t arrested. It’s politically motivated,” Williams told CP before clamming up and insisting he would make no further comment.

….

On his church’s website, Williams is presented as the son of the church’s late pastor, a “devoted husband,” “proud father of three beautiful daughters” and a Gulf War veteran who is deeply committed to his community.

“Above all,” states the church, “Pastor Williams lives to please God, serve His people, and inspire transformation in everyone he encounters.”

Records provided by the Mansfield Police Department show that at about 1:32 p.m. on Aug. 30, a patrol officer saw a grey 2022 Land Rover in Picnic Area #1 at Clearfork Reservoir Park. The officer saw Williams and a woman, CP has chosen not to identify because she is not a public figure, in the back seat of the vehicle, engaging in a sex act. Both of them were charged with public indecency.

….

Williams took over the leadership of the church in September 2016 from his late father. Online broadcasts from the church on Sunday did not show him at his pulpit.

When asked if he was still the pastor of the church, the 56-year-old said he had no further comment. 

In an earlier interview with The Roys Report, Williams said he never told anyone he was perfect and argued that his misconduct was being “blown out of proportion.”

“I’m not a villain. … I know people jump on stuff like this because they always want to look for something that the church is wrong about,” he told the news outlet. “I never said I was better than anybody or higher and mightier than anybody. I’ve never said I was holier than anybody.”

Williams told CP that he regrets making those comments to The Roys Report, insisting his words were being taken out of context, and questioned why the story was being covered by CP.

When informed that the role of pastor is in a high public office in the context of the Church, he ended the interview after stating that: “Nobody can hold me more accountable than the Father, myself or my family.”

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: IFB Pastor Albert Wharton Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Child Sex Crimes

0 Comments
arrested

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

In 2023, Albert Wharton, former pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Warsaw, Virginia, was accused of 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault. Victory Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation.

ABC-8 reported:

A former pastor of an independent Baptist church in the town of Warsaw in Richmond County is facing 30 felony charges relating to multiple incidents the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office alleges occurred at the church between 1981 and 1997.

Albert Benjamin Wharton, 86, of South Carolina, was arrested in South Carolina at 8:42 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 by investigators from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and South Carolina’s Pickens County Sheriff’s Department.

On the same day, Wharton was extradited to the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Richmond County.

Sheriff Steve Smith of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said Wharton’s arrest was the culmination of a 15-month investigation into more than two dozen alleged incidents that occurred while he was a preacher at Berachah Academy between 1981 and 1997. The academy has since closed.

Wharton was charged with 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault.

“Wharton has lived and served seven churches in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida over the past four decades,” Sheriff Smith said.

Today, Wharton was sentenced to eight years in prison for his crimes.

ABC-8 reports:

 A former Warsaw pastor at Victory Baptist Church in Richmond County will spend eight years behind bars for child sex crimes committed between 1981 and 1996.

Dozens gathered inside of a Richmond County courthouse in the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 8 in the small town of Warsaw. The anticipated hearing was set to determine the sentence for 88-year-old Albert Wharton, a former pastor at Victory Baptist Church.

In 2023, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department arrested and charged Wharton with 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault. 

According to deputies, the crimes were committed at the church’s former school, Berachah Academy, where Wharton was a pastor.

….

In June, Wharton entered an Alford plea for eight of those charges. Meaning he is maintaining his innocence while recognizing the Commonwealth’s evidence could find him guilty if this case were sent to trial. The remaining charges were nolle prosequi — meaning officials are declining to prosecute.

….

Four victims shared impact statements during the sentencing hearing. Many were brought to tears as they recounted the sexual acts. Some shared that Wharton abused his role as a pastor and say they were beaten and touched inappropriately. Every victim shared the emotional and mental toll this has taken on their lives and said they wish Wharton would take accountability.

Four of Wharton’s family and friends also spoke out during the hearing to share who they know Wharton to be. Many stated that the actions he was charged with was unlike the character they knew. Instead, they described Wharton as a caring, loving, man of God. Wharton’s daughter was among those to speak in Wharton’s character. She described Wharton as her hero and a great example for her kids.

Wharton’s defense attorney shared during his argument to the judge that Wharton does not deserve to die in prison. He cited the 88-year-old’s health as a reason for the judge to suspend his sentence or give him a shortened or at home incarceration.

The Richmond County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Elizabeth Trible, argued that Wharton’s age should not be a factor.

“Mr. Wharton used the girls ages in order to commit these crimes against them and attempted today to use his own age to avoid responsibility for these crimes. I am pleased that the judge didn’t accept that argument,” Trible said.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Brett Kitko Accused of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child

0 Comments
arrested

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Brett Kitko, pastor of The Phoenix at Central Park Church in Kernersville, North Carolina, stands accused of indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape/sex offense with a child.

Yahoo News reports:

A Winston-Salem man is facing child sex crime charges, according to court records.

Brett Martin Kitko, 50, of Winston-Salem, is accused in the warrant of having sex with a child.

Kitko is being charged with indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape/sex offense with a child.

According to the warrant, the offenses took place in August 2001. Kitko was taken into custody on Aug. 19.

The Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office confirms Kitko’s employment as senior pastor at Phoenix Church.

Kitko was given a $300,000 unsecured bond and appeared in court on Monday.

Kitko’s attorney told FOX8 that he will be pleading not guilty.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Jose Fierro Accused of Luring a Minor for Sexual Exploitation

0 Comments
arrested

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Jose Fierro, a youth pastor at Revival Youth Tucson in Tucson, Arizona, stands accused of aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation.

Channel 13 reports:

A youth pastor in the Tucson area has been accused of luring a minor.

The Oro Valley Police Department said 25-year-old Jose Fierro was arrested on Tuesday.

The OVPD said Fierro, a maintenance worker at The Golf Villas at Oro Valley and a youth pastor at Revival Youth Tucson, is facing a charge of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

During his initial court appearance Tuesday night, a judge set his bond at $25,000. It appears he was able to post the bond as he was not in the Pima County Adult Detention Complex as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

His next court appearance was set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 15.

The OVPD said Fierro goes by “Bebecito Fierro” on social media.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.