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.
Elizabeth Bryson, the wife of John Bryson, a prominent Evangelical pastor in Memphis and Acts 29 board member before he resigned and returned with his family to Harlan, Kentucky, has been charged with fourth-degree assault (child abuse) and second-degree strangulation.
The wife of a former, prominent Memphis, Tenn., pastor and former Acts 29 board member has been arrested and booked on charges of 4th degree assault (child abuse) and 2nd degree strangulation.
Elizabeth Bryson, 52, was arrested on April 11 by police in Harlan, Ky., according to a police report obtained by The Roys Report (TRR). The Bryson family had moved to Harlan from Memphis several months ago. The child abuse charge is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying a sentence of up to one year in prison. The strangulation charge is a Class D felony, carrying a potential penalty of one to five years in prison.
Bryson is the wife of John Bryson, who founded and for more than 20 years, pastored Fellowship Memphis, a prominent, ethnically diverse church in Memphis. Pastor Bryson resigned from the church last August, stating that he wanted to return to Harlan, where his extended family lives, for the sake of his kids.
Bryson also served on the board of the church planting organization Acts 29 but rolled off the board in 2016. Until last year, he also chaired the board of City Leadership, a nonprofit that seeks to recruit and develop talented leaders in Memphis.
According to the Harlan police report concerning Elizabeth Bryson, an officer received a call of a possible “domestic where the accused was intoxicated” at 1:30 a.m. last Tuesday. When police arrived at the Bryson home, they were met by two children, aged 14 and 15.
The children reportedly stated that their mother was drunk and had “attacked the 15 year (old), throwing and busting at TV, throwed an iPAD, and blueberries that the child was or had been eating.”
The children said the mother grabbed the 15-year-old “and began choking him in a headlock, pulling his hair and hitting him in multiple places including arms and back,” the report stated. It added that the 14-year-old helped get his mother off the 15-year-old.
The report added that when officers arrived, the mother was “upstairs in her bedroom with the door locked.” Officers knocked on the door multiple times with no answer “even after we announced police,” the report said.
One of the children gave police a door key, which officers used to enter the bedroom, the statement continued. At that point, Elizabeth Bryson responded to police, the statement said.
“She was ex-streamly (sic) intoxicated, had slurred speech, and staggering with a strong odor of alcoholic beverage,” the statement said. Bryson “denied hitting the child and kept saying they stole my car keys,” the statement added. It also noted that the latest incident “makes several times officers has been called to the residence over disturbances or domestics.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Donny Raney, pastor of Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church in Okeechobee, Florida, stands accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teen girl at the school where he worked.
A middle school coach and pastor from Okeechobee has been arrested on suspicion of a romantic relationship with an 18-year-old student at the high school, the county’s school district and sheriff’s office said Thursday.
Donny Raney, 36, was arrested Wednesday and faces a charge of offenses against a student by an authority figure. Raney was booked into the Okeechobee County jail. He has since posted bond and has been released.
The sheriff’s office said a detective received information on April 12 from a woman who said her daughter, a student at the high school, about concerns she was having a relationship with Raney, including video of him on her cellphone.
The school district said on Friday it was contacted by a detective regarding inappropriate conduct between an individual who has served as a baseball and basketball coach from Yearling Middle School and an 18-year-old student.
“Mr. Raney has been removed from all coaching activities and contact with students,” the school district said in a news release posted on Facebook. “The district has notified the Office of Professional Practices for further sanctions.”
During an interview with Raney on Wednesday, the detective “asked him how he knew (redacted), to which he replied through chaplaincy and seeing her around the last year. He explained that he helps with chapel services during sports at the High School. He has never been her actual coach.”
Raney is listed as a pastor at Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church on its Facebook page (which is currently inactive).
The detective said he questioned Raney about the cellphone video, which was located on the phone, sent by him. Raney explained he had a physical relationship with her.
Normally, the fact that the girl was eighteen would mean that this was a consensual adult relationship. However, Raney is an authority figure in this teenager’s life, thus he was charged with a sex crime.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Robert Gordon, a music teacher at First United Pentecostal Church in Security, Colorado, and a public school bus driver, was charged last week with sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact, and enticement of a child.
A former church music teacher accused of sexually assaulting a child may have more victims, according to arrest papers obtained by 11 News.
The papers listed a 17-year-old victim, along with the 14-year-old whose parents first brought the case to law enforcement’s attention.
As 11 News first reported last week, 58-year-old Robert Henry Gordon was arrested April 13, three days after the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from those parents.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim’s mother first noticed something wasn’t right when she saw her son using a cell phone in his bedroom — despite never owning one.
“The parents of the child, a 14-year-old male, found inappropriate text messages between their child and the suspect,” part of a news release from EPSO reads. “The parents reported their findings to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. An El Paso County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy took the initial report and immediately forwarded the information to detectives. SVU detectives conducted further investigation. The child was interviewed by a certified forensic interviewer and evidence collected.”
The child told investigators Gordon gave him the phone, according to the arrest papers. The papers go on to say that the boy told law enforcement Gordon would use religion to justify their relationship.
The sheriff’s office said Gordon served as a music teacher at First United Pentecostal Church in Security and worked as a school bus driver in multiple districts, including Widefield School District 3.
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Gordon remains in jail as of Monday night and is being held without bond. He is facing charges of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact, and enticement of a child.
The arrest papers say Gordon’s criminal history includes similar charges dating back to the late 90s. He has pleaded guilty to some of these past charges and been acquitted on others.
Two new cases involving child sexual misconduct have been brought against Robert Gordon on the same day as his first court appearance for alleged sexual assault on a child in a third case.
Gordon, a 58-year-old church music teacher and former bus driver, was arrested April 13 on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, unlawful sexual contact and enticement of a child after an investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
On Thursday, two additional criminal cases were brought against Gordon. In one, Gordon faces one charge of enticing a child, and in the other, he faces alleged sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a child and child abuse.
In the original case from last week, the parents of a 14-year-old boy reported finding inappropriate text messages earlier this month between their son and Gordon, a friend of the family, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by The Gazette.
The affidavit revealed that the victim spent most weekends at Gordon’s house, where the victim told investigators he engaged in sexual behaviors with either Gordon or another juvenile almost every weekend for around three years. He was 11 years old the first time he spent the night in Gordon’s bedroom and Gordon allegedly had sex with him.
Gordon allegedly gave the victim gifts and money, and justified the alleged sexual abuse with a religious sermon about respecting elders, the affidavit said.
The affidavit referenced a 17-year-old who also spent weekends at Gordon’s house and may have also engaged in sexual activity with the victim in this case, according to the affidavit.
Gordon is due back in court on April 27 for official filing of charges in this case and is being held on no bond, court records show.
Gordon was the subject of a yearlong investigation in El Paso County that began in August 2011, according to previous reporting by The Gazette. A male victim reported he and Gordon allegedly had a sexual relationship in 2001 when the boy was around 12 years old. He was said to have met Gordon at a church in Security-Widefield.
In a 2011 interview with an El Paso County sheriff’s deputy during this investigation, “Mr. Gordon did admit to having a sexual relationship with (the victim). Mr Gordon said he was in his 30’s at the time and (the victim) would have been around 12 or 13 years old,” the affidavit said.
Of the eight total charges brought against Gordon in that case, four were dismissed by the district attorney and he was acquitted of the other four by a jury in 2014. He pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust with a victim under the age of 15 and two counts of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of sexual abuse.
Around the time that alleged relationship would have been going on, a jury acquitted Gordon in a separate case in 2001 where he faced two counts of sexual assault on a child with force and sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, court records show. Gordon was found not guilty of the charges in that case in February 2001.
According to the arrest affidavit in this case previously obtained by The Gazette, a 14-year-old boy accused Gordon of having sexual intercourse with him “quite a few” times while the boy slept over at Gordon’s house in 1996. The teen alleged that the first incident happened when he was 12 or 13, the warrant said.
Gordon was convicted of harboring a runaway child, a misdemeanor, in 1998, and was sentenced to a one-year unsupervised deferred sentence.
First United Pentecostal has made no public statement about Gordon’s arrest. Here’s what I want to know: did the church know about Gordon’s past? Did they run state and federal background checks on him? Did they contact his previous employers? Did they, did they, did they . . . the answer is likely no. It is clear that Gordon is a sexual predator. First United must be called on to account for allowing him to have ready access to church children.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
A conspiracy theorist at the center of controversy over a creationist theme park has been arrested for alleged sexual assault of a nine-year-old.
Christopher Link Jones, 55, was arrested late last month in Aiken, South Carolina, the Aiken Standard first reported. An arrest warrant shows Jones charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 14. Jones was previously convicted of battery and lewd acts on children in California.
Jones’ California criminal record created rifts at Dinosaur Adventure Land, a creationist theme park where Jones is friends with head preacher Kent Hovind, and where Jones has been accused of sexually abusing a boy. Hovind and Jones have blamed the previous conviction on a plot to silence Jones for what he claims was his work with Infowars founder Alex Jones.
Hovind told The Daily Beast that Jones is still welcome at Dinosaur Adventure Land (DAL) despite the new charges.
“I’ve known Chris for many years,” Hovind told The Daily Beast. “He gets accused of things all the time, but everybody gets their day in court. I don’t know the details on that [the charges].”
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Former DAL residents previously told The Daily Beast they distanced themselves from Hovind after he allegedly arranged for Jones to share a bed with an 11-year-old boy whom Jones had brought to DAL in 2019. The boy, whom The Daily Beast is not naming, later told his mother that Jones had touched his genitals through a paper towel. Recordings from a 2021 meeting of DAL staff and residents, previously reported by The Daily Beast, show Hovind dismissing concerns about the incident.
“That’s Chris’s decision and the kid’s decision,” Hovind said during the 2021 meeting, when DAL residents raised concerns about Jones wrestling with the child, or sharing a bed with him. “How people here react to that is their decision. He’s got a right to wrestle with a kid if he wants and you’ve got a right to say ‘I’m not getting around Chris.’”
Reached for comment, the boy’s mother told The Daily Beast that Jones’ arrest in South Carolina last month was related to her son. The arrest warrant does not appear to relate directly to DAL (which is located in Alabama), but to an incident approximately two years before the DAL visit, when the boy was nine. The boy’s mother previously stated that Jones was her boss, and that he had sometimes looked after her son prior to the DAL trip.
Neither Jones nor his lawyer returned requests for comment on Jones’ arrest. Jones left jail last month on a $15,000 bond, court records show.
Jones was previously convicted on three charges of lewd acts on children, after he made three boys (ages nine, 11, and 12) play strip poker with him. He was also convicted of battery for spanking a naked seven-year-old boy.
He and Hovind have blamed the past cases on political persecution. Jones claims to have recorded undercover footage from Bohemian Grove, a campsite for the rich and powerful that has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. Jones claims he gave the footage to Infowars founder Alex Jones (no relation), prompting government forces to pursue sex crime charges against him.
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“He got a job there and video taped a bunch of stuff and they wanted him in prison,” Hovind said in a voicemail to a DAL resident who called to ask about Jones’ criminal past.
Neither Infowars nor an Alex Jones spokesperson returned requests for comment.
Reached by phone about Jones’ latest arrest, Hovind said it was not feasible to perform background checks on all DAL visitors. Even so, he said. “I would doubt he’s guilty.”
But Hovind doesn’t need to perform a background check; he’s already aware of Jones’ past conviction.
“Well even that doesn’t mean you’re guilty,” Hovind said. “How many people, later, convictions get overturned? Thousands of them. Sometimes 20 years, 50 years later.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Charles Willoughby III, a youth pastor at New Life Worship Center in Norfolk, Virginia, was convicted on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.
A federal judge convicted a Norfolk man today on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Charles Willoughby III, 39, served as a youth group leader at New Life Worship Center (NLWC) in Norfolk. From 2006 to 2012, Willoughby routinely groomed minor teenage girls who were part of the church’s youth program in order to attempt to sexually abuse them. On June 26, 2012, Jane Doe, who was then 15 years old, and other youth group members boarded a chartered bus from NLWC to travel to Georgia for a national church youth group conference. Willoughby served as one of the chaperones. While on the bus there, Willoughby forced Jane Doe to engage in a sexual act. Jane Doe did not disclose the abuse until 2018, and other victims were identified after that disclosure.
Willoughby faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison when sentenced on April 19, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A Norfolk man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Charles Willoughby III, 39, was a youth group leader at New Life Worship Center in Norfolk.
According to court documents, from 2006 to 2012, Willoughby routinely groomed minor teenage girls who were part of the church’s youth program in an attempt to sexually abuse them.
On June 26, 2012, a then-15-year-old girl, referred to as “Jane Doe” in filings, and other youth group members boarded a chartered bus from the worship center to travel to Georgia for a national church youth group conference. Willoughby served as one of the chaperones.
While on the bus there, Willoughby forced Jane Doe to engage in a sexual act. Jane Doe did not disclose the abuse until 2018; other victims were identified after that.
The church was made aware of Willoughby’s crimes and did nothing. Ministry Watch reports:
Court records allege that from 2006-2012, Willoughby routinely groomed female minors who were part of the church’s youth program with the intent to abuse them sexually.
One of the survivors, named “Jane Doe” in the report, was 13 years old when her family began attending New Life. Willoughby was 27.
Willoughby developed a trusting relationship with Doe and had one-on-one conversations with her about boys. He was affectionate with her and would give her long hugs. In addition, Willoughby often took her out for ice cream and once treated her to a “practice date” to show her how a boy should date her in the future.
The charges say that in June 2012, the youth group took an overnight charter bus to the Youth Forward Conference in Atlanta. Willoughby, who sat at the back of the bus, texted the girl to come to the back “to talk.” Willoughby then inappropriately touched her and forced her to engage in a sex act.
The following morning, Doe confronted Willoughby about the incident. The report says Willoughby told her she must have wanted to participate in the act since she didn’t move away.
Doe was 15 years of age.
She did not disclose the abuse until 2018 after a conversation with her mom about the “Me Too” movement. Doe told her parents, who confronted Willoughby in a phone call. The phone call was recorded, unbeknownst to Willoughby. During the call, he apologized.
Doe’s parents took the recording to Bishop Carl Vann Sr., the senior pastor of New Life. Vann invited the family to a meeting where he said he would reprimand and “restore” Willoughby. At the meeting, Willoughby confessed and apologized. Doe and her family stopped attending New Life and claimed they never received any update or check-in from Vann or the church.
Three other youth group members, all female minors, testified at the bench trial last week that Willoughby sexually assaulted them. Prosecutors said the multiple testimonies demonstrate Willoughby’s pattern and practice of sexual abuse of minors and his intent before, during, and after the Atlanta trip assault.
New Life claims to have reprimanded Willoughby after the Jane Doe incident. He is not listed or referenced on New Life’s website.
Willoughby committed felony sex crimes, and his pastor, Bishop Carl Vann Sr, did what, exactly? He reprimanded him! I hope Bishop Vann is prosecuted for failing to report Willoughby’s crimes.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Bobby Cornealius Smith, pastor of New Beginnings Ministries in Las Vegas, Nevada, stands accused of eleven felony charges, including nine counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, and one count of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. His wife, Lashawn Nicole Smith, was also indicted on two felony charges including sexual assault and child abuse, neglect, or endangerment.
A Las Vegas pastor is accused of sexually assaulting three women including one family member and two women who he referred to as “God daughters.”
Bobby Cornealius Smith, 46, was indicted by a grand jury for eleven felony charges, including nine counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, and one count of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment.
A woman identified as his wife, Lashawn Nicole Smith was also indicted on two felony charges including sexual assault and child abuse, neglect, or endangerment.
Bobby Smith is the pastor of New Beginnings Ministries and his wife is the “First Lady” of the church, according to the church’s website.
A family member testified in front of the grand jury that Smith forced her to use sex toys multiple times starting when she was 17 years old and a senior in high school, according to transcripts obtained by the 8newsnow.com Investigators. She said that Bobby Smith told her, “God is telling me that it is important for you to do this,” and insisted that the sex toys would prevent her from ruining her life and giving into “urges.” Smith later showed her how to use the toy and would tell her to meet him at hotels, she said.
The woman testified that she had reported what had happened to Lashawn Nicole Smith who failed to contact the police.
A second woman who said that she was a member of the church testified that Bobby Smith begged her to perform oral sex on him. He blocked a stairway and dropped his pants, she said. She testified that she panicked and eventually pushed him off.
A third woman testified that her family became involved with New Beginnings Ministries when she was 16 years old. At 17, she said, Bobby Smith texted her a photo of a sex toy. She told him that she did not want to use it. Bobby Smith later brought up the sex toy again, telling her that sex toys are not a sin and that he wanted to show her how to use one, she said.
The woman said that Bobby Smith would then use the sex toy on her at various locations including at least two Las Vegas area hotels. After telling Smith’s wife, the woman says she received a text message from Bobby Smith stating “…you guys want to paint me to be like this monster or like I’m doing something wrong when I’m just trying to help you all.”
She said that Bobby Smith requested a meeting and when she showed up, he and his wife were both there and he told her to perform sexual acts with his wife.
North Las Vegas Police started investigating the allegations against the pastor after the first alleged victim made a report, according to Detective Ashley Bertschy. She had learned that the third alleged victim had reported what had happened in 2014 and that she had been examined by a nurse at University Medical Center who also collected a rape kit. Bertschy testified that Las Vegas Metro Police had closed the case and she reopened it.
Police executed a search warrant at the Smiths’ home in North Las Vegas and found over 20 sex toys, according to Bertschy.
A jury trial is set for Bobby Smith on July 17. Jail records show that he remains in the Clark County Detention Center. His bond is set at $225,000.
Lashawn Nicole Smith is currently out of custody. No trial date has been set for her.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Daryl Hayes, pastor of Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ in Franklin, Tennessee, stands accused of sexually exploiting a minor.
Members of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force recently arrested Daryl Hayes, 50, following a Williamson County Grand Jury indictment for six counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The WCSO-ICAC Task Force began investigating Hayes after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning the upload of child sex abuse material from a local church’s internet connection, where Hayes was the lead pastor. The investigation led to a search warrant being executed at the church and Hayes’ residence.
Neither Hayes’ family, nor the church where he was pastor — Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ in Franklin — were aware of Hayes’ activities. The church was fully cooperative and Hayes was terminated from his position immediately. Nothing in this investigation led detectives to believe there were any local child victims, or any additional concerns for the public.
Church members and neighbors are in shock after the pastor of a Franklin church was arrested for sexually exploiting minors.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said Daryl Hayes, 50, was charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He is the lead pastor at Berry’s Chapel Church of Christ. He is accused of using the church’s internet connection to upload images of child sex abuse online.
“Oh, my goodness. Are children safe anywhere?” Debby Leddy, a church member who lives near the church, said.
Leddy is just one of many Berry’s Chapel church members confused about the pastor’s arrest.
“It’s very shocking because we don’t know where we can have our kids safe, and we don’t know people as well as we thought we did,” Leddy said.
After getting a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Williamson County investigators said they searched Berry’s Chapel and found Hayes had had been uploading child sex abuse pictures using the church’s internet connection.
“When I was growing up, my father was a pastor and never did you hear anything like this, and to do this so obviously on the church’s wi-fi,” Leddy said.
To make matters worse, members who spoke to WSMV4 –who didn’t want to go on camera– said Hayes had access to dozens of children.
“I often did programs for the preschool that they have there and they’re so many children there,” Leddy said.
When other church leaders found out what happened, they said they fired Hayes immediately.
“I hope that they get him the help he needs and some sort of guidance because definitely something has to be wrong,” Leddy said.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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 2019, Bicente Velasquez Morales, pastor of House of Restoration Ministry in Sarasota, Florida, was arrested and charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a six-year-old girl.
A Sarasota pastor was arrested Friday evening after allegedly sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl.
Bicente Velasquez Morales, 43, was arrested around 7:10 p.m. Friday on a felony charge of sexual battery of a victim under 12.
Detectives say on Thursday, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the girl’s mother that Morales sexually abused her daughter. The mother reported the incident after detectives say her daughter told her about the abuse.
The child said Morales digitally penetrated her on three separate occasions, according to documents from the Sarasota Police Department. In one of the alleged occasions, Morales stopped sexually abusing her because it was time to get ready for church, the victim was cited saying in documents.
Morales is a pastor at the House of Restoration Ministry in Sarasota.
A Sarasota pastor was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after he was arrested in July 2019 when the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office received a report that he’d sexually abused a 6-year-old child, according to a news release in the case.
Twelfth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced Bicente Velasquez Morales, 47, was convicted on April 19 of sexual battery upon a child less than 12 years of age, and lewd and lascivious molestation upon a child less than 12 years of age. Morales was sentenced to life in prison on both charges, according to the release.
The news release stated that Morales “used his position of trust within this family to take advantage of a 6-year-old child,” but the victim was taught which parts of her body shouldn’t be touched by anyone other than a doctor. She confided in her brother and mother that she’d been touched inappropriately. Her mother then alerted the police.
The child told her mother that she’d been assaulted three times by Morales, stating the pastor had “digitally touched and penetrated her” while at Morales’s home, according to the affidavit in the case.
At the time, Morales was a pastor at the House of Restoration Ministry in Sarasota, according to previous reporting.
“Taking advantage of a little girl is never acceptable and will not be tolerated in our community,” said Assistant State Attorney Kate Metz, who prosecuted the case. Metz praised Detective Maria Llovio’s efforts, stating the detective conducted a thorough investigation and left no stone unturned.
“Based on the strength of the victim’s testimony, the defendant’s own statements, and the investigation by Detective Llovio, we were able to hold this defendant accountable and get a dangerous, manipulative predator off the street,” Metz said.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Many in the secular community respect and admire the Dalai Lama. I know I did. The Dalai Lama is the fourteenth spiritual leader of the Yellow Hat school of Tibetan Buddhism. Recently, the Dalai Lama was in the news for inappropriately asking a young boy to suck his tongue.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips triggered criticism.
A statement posted on his official website said the 87-year-old leader regretted the incident and wished to “apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
The incident occurred at a public gathering in February at the Tsuglagkhang temple in Dharamsala, where the exiled leader lives. He was taking questions from the audience when the boy asked if he could hug him.
The Dalai Lama invited the boy up toward the platform he was seated on. In the video, he gestured to his cheek, after which the child kissed him before giving him a hug.
The Dalai Lama then asked the boy to kiss him on the lips and stuck out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama can be heard saying as the boy sticks out his own tongue and leans in, prompting laughter from the audience.
While the Dalai Lama quickly apologized, others defended his behavior. One defender blamed China for the Dalai Lama’s behavior being so widely reported in the news. To that, I say, were the reports true? Did the Dalai Lama do what reporters say he did? He quickly apologized, so we know he did it. Sure, China is going to use this to discredit the Dalai Lama. That’s the world we live in.
Another defender suggested that the Dalai Lama was so pure and innocent that he couldn’t have done anything inappropriate. While the Dalai Lama is a humble, peaceful man, he is also shrewd and wise to the things of the world. I doubt that he is “innocent.”
And finally, one defender, Penpa Tsering, the political leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile said, I kid you not:
[The Dalai Lama displayed] “innocent grandfatherly affectionate demeanor.”
“His holiness has always lived in sanctity, (following the life of) a Buddhist monk, including celibacy. His years of spiritual practice have gone beyond sensorial pleasures.
His holiness is now being labeled all kinds of names.”
Grandfatherly behavior? To the grandfathers who read this site, have you ever asked one of your grandchildren to suck your tongue? Of course not.
Tsering saying the Dalai Lama is “beyond sensorial pleasures” is laughable. None of us is beyond sensorial pleasures. I don’t care how spiritual someone might be, he is still a human with all the desires humans have.
We in the West love to romanticize symbols and people from the East. From India’s Mahatma Gandhi to Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar to South Africa’s Nelson Mandela to the Dalai Lama. And in most cases, rightfully so. These are incredible humans who have dedicated their lives to liberate their countries, fight for their beliefs, for the rights of their people.
But despite all the glory, respect, and worship we place upon them, it’s important not to do so blindly and to remember that at the end of the day, they are also just people. They are human beings. And the Dalai Lama just gave us all a great lesson in how you can be a revered person, and still be in the wrong.
On Monday, footage of the Dalai Lama kissing a young boy on the lips and then prompting the child to “suck my tongue” during a public event went viral online. The young Indian boy had come forward to pay his respects during a temple event. Some clips garnered more than five million views. The Dalai Lama’s representatives had a swift response to a clip that seemed odd at best, abusive at worst.
“A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked His Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused. His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.”
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While it’s great that His Holiness “regrets” asking a child to “suck my tongue,” this “apology” is not only insufficient and offensive but feels more like the Dalai Lama is gaslighting rather than apologizing.
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But the tricky thing is that when people we respect and revere are accused of predatory behavior they still hold a lot of power. And that influence is something they can and do use to shield them from not only accusations, but any kind of accountability.
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While some people still prefer to look the other way, or remain in deep denial, when it comes to the possibility that religious and spiritual leaders could be abusing children, history has a very clear pattern. We like to sweep everything under the rug, defend whoever their holiness may be, and act like everything’s fine. Isn’t that what we did and still do when it comes to the Catholic Church and their endless child abuse allegations—including new revelations in Baltimore?
But now it is 2023 and we are more aware of the sexual predators in positions of influence than our parents or even their parents were. We are more open about the need to protect our children and what messages we can give them, so they know how to protect themselves, too.
We are at a pivotal point where we either teach our kids not only about consent, but about how predators are everywhere—even in our religious houses of worship, no matter the faith. Child sexual abuse happens in every religion.
Even if we want to give the Dalai Lama the benefit of the doubt, we can’t. Just watch the video and pay attention to how it makes you feel. It looks wrong and feels wrong because it is wrong. And as a mother of two young girls, I know we must talk to our children regularly about boundaries, consent, and predators.
Because they are everywhere.
Is the Dalai Lama a sexual predator? I don’t know. This could be a one-off, but my gut tells me it is not. The Dalai Lama’s behavior deserves careful scrutiny, but I doubt that will happen. Does this mean he is an evil man? That’s for others to decide, especially the Tibetan people. For me personally, this is a poignant reminder that my heroes have clay feet; that the moment I idealize and glorify someone, it is only a matter of time before I learn that he or she is just as frail and fallible as the rest of us are.
I will frequently receive emails and social media messages from people gushing over my writing. I typically thank such people for their kind words, but then I say to them: trust me, I will disappoint you one day! 🙂 I have had people send me glowing emails about my writing on Evangelical Christianity. Some of them even start donating money via PayPal or Patreon. And then, I write about this or that political issue, revealing my uber-progressive, socialist, pacifistic beliefs. All of a sudden, all their “love” turns into outrage. They cancel their monthly donations and let me know they can’t believe I am a _________ (fill in the blank with any of the numbers of labels I wear). Such is life. I am, who I am. (I lost several readers recently because they don’t like my support of transgender people.)
Years ago, I revered Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Over time, I learned that my idealized view of each of them could not be sustained. In the case of Mother Teresa, thanks to Christopher Hitchens and several other authors, I learned she was a despicable, deceitful human being. Yet, Mother Teresa is still revered by Catholics and others worldwide. I suspect that this will be the case for the Dalai Lama too.
I can’t unwatch the Dalai Lama’s inappropriate behavior with a young Tibetan boy. This is no different from me learning that Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) megachurch pastor Bob Gray of Jacksonville — one of the best preachers I ever heard preach — was accused of French kissing school girls; that he had been doing so for years. Gray was arrested for his crimes but died before he could be prosecuted. Will the Dalai Lama face investigation and, if warranted, criminal prosecution? I suspect we all know that the answer to that question is no. When societies deify religious figures, it becomes almost impossible to see the figures as fallible (and even criminal) human beings. Think of how many times people have come to this site to defend this or that preacher accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. No amount of evidence will change their minds. To this day, countless Evangelicals believe disgraced IFB preacher Jack Hyles was the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul. They cannot and will not accept the fact that Hyles was not the man they thought he was. I suspect this will be exactly how many people across the world will continue to treat the Dalai Lama.
How has the Dalai Lama’s recent inappropriate behavior affected your view of the man? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
Naasón Joaquín García, pastor of La Luz del Mundo, a Mexico-based Evangelical church with branches in the U.S. claiming more than one million members, was charged in 2019 with human trafficking, child pornography production, and child rape. (Church website)
García, 50, faces 26 felony counts that range from human trafficking and production of child pornography to rape of a minor. The charges detail allegations involving three girls and one woman between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County.
The fundamentalist Christian church, whose name translates to The Light of the World, was founded in 1926 by García’s grandfather. It has been the subject of child sex abuse allegations for years but authorities in Mexico have never filed criminal charges. It has more than 15,000 churches in 58 countries, according to its website. The church’s followers must adhere to a strict moral code in exchange for the promise of eternal salvation.
García — who was a minister in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California before becoming the church’s leader — coerced the victims into performing sex acts by telling them that refusing would be going against God, authorities said. He allegedly forced the victims, who were members of the church, to sexually touch themselves and each other. One of his co-defendants also allegedly took nude photographs of the victims and sent the pictures to García.
García told one of the victims and others in 2017, after they had completed a “flirty” dance wearing “as little clothing as possible,” that kings can have mistresses and an apostle of God cannot be judged for his actions, the complaint states.
The leader of the Light of the World Church, Mexican Naasón Joaquín García, was sent to a state prison in Kern County, California, to continue his sentence of 16 years and 8 months, after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual abuse of minors. The religious leader pleaded guilty on June 6 to sexual assault of three underage victims.
This prison is located in Delano, a little more than 150 miles north of Los Angeles. He was incarcerated in the Central Men’s Jail in that city, until Wednesday when he was transferred.
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The sentence is the highest that could be imposed on him after an agreement reached with the California District Attorney’s Office. He avoided going to trial on 19 criminal charges including statutory rape, possession of child pornography and human trafficking, which would have placed him in a position to be sentenced to life in prison.
Naasón Joaquín García has been in prison since June 3, 2019, when he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport with two of his assistants, who were also implicated in the case. This period between when he was arrested and sentenced will be considered as part of the sentence against him.
The leader of the Light of the World Church, Mexican Naasón Joaquín García, was sent to a state prison in Kern County, California, to continue his sentence of 16 years and 8 months,after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual abuse of minors. The religious leader pleaded guilty on June 6 to sexual assault of three underage victims.
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The conviction against Naasón Joaquín García accelerated a civil lawsuit filed by Sochil Martin, a former member of the Light of the World Church.
In February 2020, she sued La Luz del Mundo and its leader for allegedly running a sex trafficking ring that economically exploited victims and sexually abused her since she was 16 years old.
The Light of the World Christian church has its international headquarters in Guadalajara, Mexico, was founded in 1926 by Aaron Joachim, grandfather of Naason. It is currently present in 60 countries and claims to have up to 5 million followers.
After the arrest of its leader, hundreds of followers protested, claiming that Naasón Joaquín was unjustly accused, despite the testimonies and evidence presented against him, which forced him to reach an agreement with the California District Attorney’s Office, in order to receive a lesser sentence.
Meanwhile, five women, known as Jane Does, who said García sexually abused them between 2015 and 2019, filed a civil lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeking damages against the church. They also named García, his wife and children, and three other women in the suit, who they said either knew about the abuse or helped groom them for García. According to the suit, the victims said they were “routinely coerced” since they were children to believe that García’s wishes were direct orders from God and that if they didn’t obey, it would “lead to catastrophic consequences including, but not limited to, eternal damnation, unspeakable tragedy, infertility, and countless other harms.”
Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 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.
