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.
Andre Johnson, a coach at Sumter Christian School in Sumter, North Carolina stands accused of 1 count of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, disseminating obscene material to a person under 18, assault and battery in the third degree, and incest. Sumter Christian is a ministry of Sumter Bible Church — a congregation similar to Independent Baptist churches.
A former coach at a South Carolina Christian school, who was accused of sexually exploiting a minor, now faces over 20 new charges for allegedly committing other sex crimes involving minors.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook on May 24 that 54-year-old Andre Girard Johnson of Dalzell had been rearrested on additional charges, having previously been accused of disseminating obscene material to one person under the age of 18 in March.
Charges include 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the first degree, 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree, disseminating obscene material to a person under 18, assault and battery in the third degree, and incest.
The alleged crimes involve two juveniles and authorities do not believe there are any other victims.
“Of the many cases our investigators work, the crimes against the most vulnerable in our society, like children, are always the hardest,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said, as quoted by WIS News 10.
In an earlier report, WIS reported that Sumter Christian School’s administration had initially reported to law enforcement in March that Johnson had been sending inappropriate text messages to a minor.
The minor reportedly told school administrators about the messages as they made her feel uneasy, investigators confirmed. Investigators stated that Johnson also sent pornographic images and sent a text message to the victim telling her that he wanted to have sex with her.
Deputies said Johnson surrendered himself on March 20 and was then transported to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. At the time, he was then released on a $5,000 surety bond.
Over multiple weeks, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office continued to conduct a full and in-depth investigation, bringing to light over 20 additional alleged sex offenses carried out by Johnson against minor victims.
Johnson was rearrested on May 23 and reportedly transported to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. He later posted a $28,000 surety bond and was subsequently released on Tuesday, May 24.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Caleb Toney, a youth pastor at several unidentified Iowa Evangelical churches, stands accused of two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, as well as two counts of supplying alcohol to a minor involving the same teen and one other.
A former youth pastor is facing charges in Polk and Story counties for allegedly sexually abusing teens and providing them with alcohol.
Twenty-six-year-old Caleb Toney of Elkhart is charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, one count of assault, three counts of supplying alcohol to persons under the legal age, and one count of permitting minors to consume alcohol.
Cmdr. Dan Walter with the Ames Police Department said the first charges stem from incidents in the fall of 2017 at a residence where Toney lived at the time. Toney is accused of giving a 15-year-old alcohol and once the teen was intoxicated Toney allegedly touched him in an “unwanted, insulting, and offensive” manner. Court documents show he provided alcohol for a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old on multiple occasions and allowed them to drink at his Ames residence.
The other incidents are alleged to have happened in Ankeny and Elkhart between January 2019 and May 2020. In court documents, the victim alleges Toney got into bed with him and touched his genitals when he and an underage friend spent the night at his home in Elkhart. Toney is also accused of touching the victim’s genitals while the two were sitting on a couch at an apartment where Toney lived in Ankeny.
Police in Ankeny and Ames did not have information immediately available about which church or churches Toney was a youth pastor at when the alleged abuse occurred.
Toney was arrested on Monday and bonded out of the Polk County Jail on Tuesday night. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on December 16th for the charges in Polk County.
A former youth minister from Elkhart has been sentenced to probation for sexually abusing an underage student.
Caleb Toney, 27, was arrested by Ankeny police in December. According to Polk County court complaints, Toney on multiple occasions had sexual contact with a teen boy, then a high school student, in 2018 and 2019. The teen told police that Toney was his youth pastor at the time.
Toney was charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, as well as two counts of supplying alcohol to a minor involving the same teen and one other.
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In April, Toney pleaded guilty to two reduced charges of lascivious conduct with a minor and the two alcohol charges, all serious misdemeanors. On May 18, he was sentenced to two years of probation in lieu of a four-year prison term.
Toney also was ordered to register as a sex offender and remain on supervision for 10 years. As part of his probation, he was ordered to stay off Craigslist and other online personal ad or escort services.
He must pay a fine of $1,720 on top of other court costs and surcharges.
Toney also was charged last year with assault in a separate Story County case. According to that complaint, Toney provided alcohol to a 15-year-old boy at a residence in Ames, then after the boy was intoxicated, began touching the boy’s body until the teen stopped him and moved away. That charge was dismissed at prosecutors’ request in January.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Raymond Chang, the pastor of Resurrection Church and an employee of Sweetser Adult Crisis Residential Facility in Rockport, Maine, stands accused of sexually assaulting a child.
Raymond K. Chang, who is both a pastor and works at a Sweetser crisis unit, was arrested by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant charging him with felony unlawful sexual contact and misdemeanor unlawful sexual touching.
Chang was taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland. Judge Sarah Gilbert set bail Wednesday, May 31 at $2,500 cash during Chang’s initial appearance in the Knox County Court in Rockland. The judge also ordered Chang to wear a GPS monitor, not have contact with the victim or her mother, and to have no unsupervised contact with people younger than 18 years old.
Assistant District Attorney Mari Wells had asked for bail to be set at $5,000, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Defense attorney for the day Daniel Purdy had asked for bail of no more than $1,200 which is the amount he said Chang could raise.
Chang is a pastor at his church and operates a Sweetser facility, Purdy said.
Sweetser Communications and Public Relations Director Justin Chenette said Chang works at a Sweetser adult crisis residential facility in Rockport but does not run it. Chang is on unpaid administrative leave, the spokesman said.
The affidavit filed in the court by the Sheriff’s Office stated that the victim said Chang had been kicked out of his last church and started a new one in Rockport called “Resurrection Church.”
The affidavit stated that the victim reported being sexually assaulted by Chang multiple times from when she was 12 to 14 years old. The initial criminal complaint filed by the district attorney’s office lists two counts in 2019.
Chang was not asked to enter a plea at Wednesday’s hearing because one charge is a felony and that must first be presented to a grand jury.
The affidavit quotes the victim as saying that she reported the sexual abuse to a family member and in response the family got together with members of the former church (which is not named in the affidavit) and she was told she needed to apologize and that both needed to forgive each other.
The victim reported the matter to police in early April and the Sheriff’s Office began its investigation.
The victim and her mother obtained a temporary protection from abuse order against Chang on April 21 from a state judge in Lewiston, citing sexual and physical abuse, according to the affidavit.
The Sheriff’s Office contacted Chang by telephone on April 27 and he referred Detective Justin Twitchell to his attorney. Chang said he did not have a contact number for the lawyer, and hung up. The man’s attorney Adam Sherman of Lewiston then called the detective back moments later, according to the affidavit.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Josh Price, pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Lexington, North Carolina, and his son Matthew stand accused of growing marijuana in the church building. According to news reports, the church closed sometime during the Pandemic. Price and his son, however, kept serving the Lord by growing weed.
A former pastor and his son have been charged with growing marijuana at his former church.
Josh Price, 50, and Matthew Price, 28, were arrested after an investigation that recovered approximately 13 pounds of marijuana and 20 plants as well as other drugs at the former Southside Baptist Church south of Lexington, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said. The church has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the investigation, it was determined Josh Price, who lives in the fellowship hall behind the church, was growing marijuana, the sheriff’s office said.
On May 28 officers with the patrol division and detectives with the Special Investigations Division conducted a search at the church building at 1014 Floyd Church Road. In addition to the marijuana, deputies found about 32 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 41 THC vape pens (THC is the psychoactive chemical in marijuana) and about 2 pounds of marijuana wax, a dense, highly potent form of THC. Investigators also recovered grow lights, potting soil, fertilizer and several growing bins, the sheriff’s office said.
The Prices were both charged with felony manufacturing marijuana, felony trafficking in marijuana, felony possession with the intent to manufacture, sell or distribute a Schedule VI (THC wax) controlled substance, three counts of maintaining a dwelling for the distribution or sale of a controlled substance, felony possession with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule I controlled substance (psilocybin mushrooms), felony possession with the intent to sell or deliver marijuana, felony conspire to traffic in marijuana and misdemeanor possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Christopher Fourcade, a children’s minister at First Christian Church of Norman, Oklahoma, stands accused of four counts of lewd acts to a minor and two counts of possession of child pornography. First Christian is affiliated with The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Christopher Fourcade was arrested and charged with four counts of lewd acts to a minor and two counts of possession of child pornography. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy said he was in a position of authority as a trusted adult, fostering children and working in a church.
“Oftentimes, these predators will enter as a ruse with churches because they feel that is a safe place where they’ll be trusted,” Dorman said.
The First Christian Church of Norman, where Fourcade worked, said he’s no longer an employee, and the investigation doesn’t involve any of their children. They also said no adults work one-on-one with children.
Fourcade also volunteered at multiple local organizations. Some told KOCO 5 volunteers are under the direct supervision of staff, while others said they didn’t have contact with children.
Fourcade was arrested Thursday evening and was in the Cleveland County Jail but has since bonded out.
An affidavit revealed more details in the case describing Fourcade making the victims feel comfortable to be alone with him. The OICA said it may be an example of grooming, but there are ways parents can spot potential predators.
Christopher Fourcade, 48, director of children’s ministries at First Christian Church in Norman, has been arrested on four counts of lewd acts with a child and two counts of child pornography possession, according to the Norman Police Department.
The Norman Police Department responded to a Norman residence on Dec. 28, 2022, where the reporting party said a caregiver facilitated lewd acts with a child.
An investigation was immediately initiated, and additional juvenile victims were identified, officials said. Norman police obtained an arrest warrant Thursday.
Fourcade was also a member of Fostering Futures, a Cleveland County nonprofit organization that provides “financial and emotional support for children and their families who receive services from the Cleveland County Child Welfare System.”
The church is aware of the arrest of Chris Fourcade. He is no longer employed by the church. While the investigation and arrest does not focus on any children from the church, our staff is fully committed to the truth, and is fully cooperating with any requests regarding the investigation. It is the church’s practice to never have adults alone with children, and we remain vigilant in that practice.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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 2022, Jordan Huffman, a former youth pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, Wisconsin, was accused of sexually assaulting a church teenager. The sexual assaults began when the boy was twelve. Huffman also worked for Forest Lakes District Evangelical Free Church of America in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Jordan Ross Huffman, 51, who is living in Satellite Beach, Florida, faces charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child, three counts of child enticement, one count of causing a child to view sexual activity and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.
The Portage County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges against Huffman on Aug. 5, and Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr. issued a warrant for him on Monday.
The Brevard County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office online records state officers arrested Huffman Tuesday. On Wednesday, Attorney Andrea Winder, of Madison, notified the court that she is Huffman’s lawyer.
According to the criminal complaint, in 2017, a couple approached Huffman, who at the time was a pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, and asked him to mentor their 12-year-old son. The boy had started drinking and getting into trouble.
The boy told police instead of helping him, Huffman did just the opposite, according to the complaint. Huffman gave the boy alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, according to the complaint. The boy said Huffman would drive him to a remote location at the end of a dirt road, after the boy was drunk or under the influence of marijuana, and inappropriately touch the boy with his mouth or hands, according to the complaint.
The boy said the encounters happened multiple times. He said nothing happened at Woodlands Church, other than Huffman telling the boy he had alcohol, marijuana or nicotine cartridges for him, according to the complaint. He said Huffman had sexual intercourse with him one time at Huffman’s home while his wife and children were gone.
When Huffman left Woodlands Church and took a job with Forest Lakes District Evangelical Free Church of America in Stevens Point, several encounters occurred in Huffman’s office there, according to the complaint.
The boy told police he let Huffman do these things because Huffman was his mentor and because he was drunk or high, according to the complaint. When the boy got older, he told Huffman he didn’t want to have sexual contact with him anymore, and Huffman respected the request. About six months later, Huffman told the boy he no longer wanted to hang out with him, according to the complaint.
If convicted of the charges, Huffman faces a maximum of 221 years and 9 months in prison.
Huffman is now facing new accusations of sexual assault.
Jordan Huffman, 52, of Oshkosh, faces charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13, child enticement for sexual contact, and three counts of felony bail jumping.
Shortly after 1 a.m. May 19, a 12-year-old boy called 911 and told Winnebago County dispatch he had been kidnapped from an address in Appleton, was in a vehicle and the man who took him was “coming back,” according to a criminal complaint.
Dispatchers tracked GPS location from the juvenile’s cellphone and sent officers to the Econo Lodge Hotel at 2000 Holly Road in Fox Crossing, according to police.
Police conducted a traffic stop on Huffman’s vehicle, and the boy ran out of the vehicle “screaming and crying,” according to the complaint. Police took Huffman into custody.
In an interview with investigators at the Fox Valley Child Advocacy Center, the boy said he received and accepted a Snapchat friend request sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight May 18. He engaged in conversation with the other Snapchat user, during which he informed the person he was 12 years old. The person sent a nude photo, and the boy said he sent one back that he found online.
The boy said the Snapchat user stopped sending messages for a bit, then asked if the boy wanted to talk on the phone. The boy said no, and within minutes, he received a message saying “I’m here,” according to the complaint. The man was in a vehicle outside the boy’s house.
The boy said he “was confused and didn’t know how the male knew where he lived,” then realized his Snapchat location settings were on, the complaint says. He told investigators he went into the man’s vehicle, thinking they were only going to talk, then the man began driving and told the boy they were going to a hotel.
When they arrived at the hotel, the man took the car keys and checked in, leaving the boy in the car. The boy said this was when he called the police.
When the man returned, the boy said, they went into the hotel and sexual contact occurred. The boy said he faked a phone call from his mother, and told the man his mom was calling to tell him to come home. He said he called police again, pretending it was his mom, according to the complaint.
The boy said the man was beginning to take the boy back to his house when the police arrived. The boy said Huffman asked if he had “set him up,” according to the complaint.
Huffman has an open case in Portage County for which he faces one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of repeated sexual assault of the same child, three counts of child enticement for sexual contact, one count of causing a child to view sexual activity and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.
In that case, Huffman is accused of engaging in sexual activity with an adolescent boy he met through church over the course of multiple years.
According to a criminal complaint for the Portage County case, in 2017 a couple approached Huffman, then a pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, and asked him to mentor their 12-year-old son who had been drinking and getting in trouble. The boy told police Huffman did not help him, but instead gave him alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, and engaged in sexual contact with the boy.
The boy told police that Huffman on multiple occasions gave him alcohol, marijuana or pills, and while the boy was under the influence, Huffman would drive him to a remote location and inappropriately touch him with his mouth or hands. In one instance, the boy said Huffman sexually assaulted him in Huffman’s house while his wife and children were gone.
The first incident occurred when the boy was 12, and continued for a couple years, the boy said. When the boy was 15, he said he told Huffman he no longer wanted to engage in sexual contact. He said he and Huffman continued to hang out for about six months before Huffman told the boy he no longer wanted to spend time with him, the complaint says.
The Portage County charges were filed in August, after the victim came forward with information.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Daniel Mayfield, a student pastor at First Baptist Church of Gowensville in Landrum, South Carolina, stands accused of secretly video recording a woman while she was taking a shower. First Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention
The Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office said a youth pastor admitted to videotaping a woman while she was in the shower on Saturday.
According to an incident report, a woman told deputies she was showering at her mother’s house when she saw a light outside the bathroom window. When she went to look, she said she saw 35-year-old Daniel Kellan Mayfield standing in the backyard alone.
The woman and her sister told deputies they confronted Mayfield about the incident to which he initially denied. He then admitted to taking a video of her while she was showering and gave her the phone to look at the video, according tot he report.
Deputies were contacted and responded to Mayfield’s home to speak with him. After admitting to law enforcement, he was taken to the Greenwood County Detention Center and charged with voyeurism.
First Baptist Gowensville, which is located in Greenville County, confirmed that Mayfield was employed with the church as a student pastor.
He was fired from the church on the day of his arrest.
First Baptist immediately fired Mayfield, but makes no mention of him and his alleged crime on their Facebook page or website.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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 2018, Gary Miller, pastor of Sycamore Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri (the church is permanently closed), was accused of raping a female church member. Previously, Miller had been investigated on child abuse allegations, but never charged.
Officials say a Springfield man accused of using an elaborate scheme to extort and rape a woman was a pastor.
And a former churchgoer says the pastor admitted at least parts of the act to his congregation six years ago.
Gary Miller, 41, was charged Tuesday with forcible rape and forcible sodomy following allegations that he sent “anonymous” threat letters to set up a sexual assault in 2012.
Sherry Clark said Miller was her pastor in 2012 at Sycamore Baptist Church in Springfield.
Clark said one day in 2012, Miller stood in front of the congregation and admitted to having sex with the victim.
Clark said she could not remember if Miller also admitted to other parts of the alleged scheme, like sending the threat letters.
“I was shocked because he’s got kids of his own,” Clark said. “He never seemed like he would be that type of guy.”
Clark said the day of Miller’s admissions was her last at Sycamore Baptist Church, and she assumed that Miller would soon face legal consequences.
Clark said she doesn’t understand why it took six years for charges to be filed in the case.
“Why they are just now opening up a case about it is insane to me,” Clark said.
Public court documents indicate police only recently became aware of the alleged rape scheme while they were investigating other sexual abuse allegations made against Miller.
According to a probable cause statement, a woman told police last week that in August 2012 she got a letter in the mail from an “anonymous” sender that threatened harm against her loved ones if she did not film herself having sex with Miller.
The statement says the woman confided in Miller about the letter, and he suggested they meet in person to discuss what to do.
Miller allegedly told the woman that he did not want to have sex with her, but he felt like they had no choice.
The statement says the woman first pushed Miller away but eventually gave in and had sex with Miller as he used his cellphone to film the encounter.
After the incident, the statement says Miller insisted on tucking the victim into bed and praying with her.
The statement says that last week Miller admitted to writing the letters and carrying out the scheme in a conversation with his wife.
In July 2019, Miller pleaded guilty to sexual assault and deviate sexual assault. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison.
A former Springfield pastor was sentenced Friday to 7 years in prison for orchestrating an elaborate plan to manipulate and sexually assault a woman.
Gary Miller, 42, was given the prison time after a hearing in front of Judge Ron Carrier.
A probable cause statement used to charge Miller last year says a woman told police that in August 2012 she got a letter in the mail from an “anonymous” sender that threatened harm against her loved ones if she did not film herself having sex with Miller.
The statement says the woman confided in Miller about the letter, and he suggested they meet in person to discuss what to do.
Miller allegedly told the woman that he did not want to have sex with her, but he felt like they had no choice.
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The statement says the woman eventually agreed to have sex with Miller as he used his cell phone to film the encounter.
After the incident, the statement says Miller insisted on tucking the victim into bed and praying with her.
The statement says that in 2018 Miller admitted to orchestrating the scheme in a conversation with his then-wife.
Miller was initially charged with forcible rape and forcible sodomy, but he pleaded guilty in July to sexual assault and deviate sexual assault. The difference is significant since the maximum sentence for each charge dropped from life in prison to 7 years in prison.
Miller’s attorney Dean Price said the crime involved trickery, not physical force.
“There was never any force used,” Price said. “The charge was amended to reflect what actually happened.”
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Jordan Webb, an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) missionary to the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, was convicted of one count of second-degree sexual abuse with persons under the age of 12, a Class B felony; incest, a class D felony; and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. Webb was sent out as a missionary by Harvest Baptist Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The church also operates Harvest Baptist Bible College.
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 B felony; incest, a class D felony; and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.
“We are pleased with the outcome and that the jury provided justice in this matter,” Assistant Webster County Attorney Bailey Taylor told The Messenger.
Taylor, along with Assistant Webster County Attorney Brad McIntyre, prosecuted the case.
Webb was arrested in April 2022 following an investigation by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office and Webster County Attorney’s Office that was prompted by “some health concerns involving a juvenile,” the WCSO reported at the time.
During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at 1940 225th St. in Webster County, which is owned by Harvest Baptist Church and is used for its Harvest Baptist Bible College.
From 2019 to February 2022, Webb served as a missionary in the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia. According to a now-deleted Facebook page and website for Webb’s “Christ in the Caribbean” missionary work in St. Lucia, Harvest Baptist was the “sending church” for his mission work.
Webb’s alleged victim, who will be known as Jane Doe, was diagnosed with gonorrhea in early April 2022. The Messenger does not identify victims of sexual assault. Just days before Jane Doe was diagnosed, Webb was also diagnosed with gonorrhea, Taylor said during trial. The state alleged that Webb committed a sex act on the victim, infecting her with the STD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gonorrhea is a “very common” sexually transmitted disease that infects the mucous membranes of the reproductive tract, mouth, throat, eyes and rectum.
Over the course of the three-day trial, the jury heard testimony from a range of witnesses, including Dr. Regina Torson, an expert in child abuse pediatrics with UnityPoint Health — St. Luke’s Child Protection Center in Hiawatha. On Friday afternoon, the jury heard the closing arguments from the parties.
Taylor began her closing argument acknowledging that the state did not have any direct evidence of how the defendant allegedly infected the victim with an STD, but that she believes the sheer volume of circumstantial evidence proves Webb’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Among that circumstantial evidence is the timeline of when Webb was infected with gonorrhea and when the victim would have become infected.
Taylor poked holes through the defense’s suggestions that the infection could have been spread in a non-sexual manner — through using the same towel, or taking a bath together or helping a child clean up after using the toilet.
During Torson’s testimony, she stated that it is possible to contract gonorrhea by non-sexual means, but it is extremely rare.
“It’s possible, but is it reasonable?” Taylor asked the jury in her closing. “If this is so possible, why aren’t we seeing it more? … There is absolutely nothing reasonable about getting gonorrhea from a bathtub. That’s not a thing, because if it was, there’d be a lot more cases of gonorrhea. It wouldn’t be a sexually-transmitted disease, but it is.”
During his closing argument, defense attorney Dean Stowers challenged Torson’s credibility as a witness.
“She is a child abuse advocate,” he said. “She is not a neutral, unattached witness. Let’s get that straight.”
Stowers also emphasized that Torson’s expertise is not in infectious diseases and that she used words like “generally” and “typically” when describing how gonorrhea is spread.
“This case is a walking, talking, living, breathing reasonable doubt,” he said. “Every one of their witnesses is a reasonable doubt.”
In her rebuttal, Taylor again highlighted the amount of circumstantial evidence the state has presented.
“You put those pieces together to come to a conclusion,” she said. “Don’t ignore what happened to this child. Don’t ignore all of the evidence that you have seen.”
Just prior to the jury announcing its verdict, Stowers motioned for a mistrial based on something Taylor had said during her final rebuttal. After a brief conference, District Court Judge Christopher Polking denied the motion.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 5 at the Webster County Courthouse. Webb is facing a maximum of 32 years in prison if all three counts are ordered to be served consecutively.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
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.
Erin Gullickson, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max, North Dakota, stands accused of spending nearly $80,000 of church funds without authorization.
Rev. Erin Gullickson, 48, Benedict, the minister at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max, has been charged with Class B felony theft for allegedly spending nearly $80,000 of church funds without authorization.
According to documents filed with the court on Monday, the McLean County Sheriff’s Office began investigating after a report was made by the church’s council, stating that around $40,000 in certificates of deposit could not be accounted for. An audit eventually revealed to the council that the CDs had been deposited in 2019 into older accounts with Bremer Bank that were supposed to be closed, with the $40,304.15 spent completely within six months of the money hitting the account.
Further searching uncovered what investigators called “egregious expenditures” that were determined to have allegedly been made by Gullickson. Investigators say the purchases were made on websites such as Ebay, PayPal and Amazon on items like home decor, furniture, clothing, shoes, jewelry, vacations, or cash withdrawals totaling $79,968.44, beginning in 2016.
Investigators are alleging that Gullickson had access to a Youth League account and kept it open after the church council voted to move their banking from Bremer Bank to a local institution in Max. Gullickson is also accused of diverting portions of offerings destined for the church’s main account into the Youth League account she was surreptitiously maintaining. Gullickson was interviewed three times by investigators who say she claimed that the accounts had been “rarely used” and that her “greatest fear” was that church funds could be misappropriated or misused.
Gullickson, who also was the reverend for Concordia Lutheran Church in Benedict, was placed on a temporary suspension by the Western North Dakota Synod on Feb. 17. Bishop Craig Schweitzer told investigators that while reverends are trained not to get involved in a church’s assets or handle them, in small churches it is necessary for the reverend to be a signer only for the purposes of checks and balances.
Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen 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.
