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Category: Black Collar Crime

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Thomas Pinkerton Accused of Sexually Abusing Six Teens

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pastor thomas pinkerton

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.

Thomas “Tommy” Pinkerton, a former youth pastor at Central Christian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, stands accused of abusing at least six teenagers from 2006-2010. Central Christian is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination.

NBC News reports:

Thomas Pinkerton Jr. used to tell children in his youth group in Maryland that it was normal for a pastor to kiss boys on the lips, because that’s how Jesus greeted his disciples, according to an arrest warrant made public last week.

Kissing was just the beginning, several men from Pinkerton’s former youth group told police.

Pinkerton, 52, a youth minister known as Pastor Tommy, is being held without bond following accusations that he sexually abused six teens from 2006 to 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County. He was extradited from his home state of Georgia to Maryland last Wednesday to face 24 felony and misdemeanor counts in Baltimore County. His attorney, Justin Hollimon, said he pleaded not guilty.

An arrest warrant said the alleged abuse included inappropriate touching and kissing of six teenagers in Maryland, who ranged in age from 13 to 19. The warrant said the alleged abuse happened at the church and at Pinkerton’s former home in Maryland. A seventh man reported abuse by Pinkerton in Georgia, according to the warrant, and that report was referred to authorities there, officials in Baltimore County said. 

Detectives believe there may be more victims and have asked anyone with information to come forward. 

Pinkerton, who has worked as a traveling evangelist in recent years, was “completely shocked” by the charges, his attorney said Monday.

“He is a pastor. He gave his life to the community, worked for the community,” Hollimon said, adding that he filed a motion Monday morning seeking another bond hearing for Pinkerton after a judge denied his release last week. “He’s anxiously waiting his day in court.”

Ministry Watch adds:

An online statement from Central Christian Church noted that Pinkerton left the congregation more than 15 years ago to start his own ministry. Lead Pastor Larry Kirk called the allegations “deeply heartbreaking” and said the church is “committed to walking alongside these young men with compassion and support.”

Assemblies of God officials pointed out that although Pinkerton served in the denomination, he was never a formally credentialed minister, NBC News reported.

Likewise, Savala was not a credentialed minister when he wielded influence in Chi Alpha.

Pinkerton, who currently lives in Winder, Georgia, and recently worked as a traveling evangelist, communicated through his attorney that he was “completely shocked” by the charges. His attorney has filed a motion for a second bond hearing after his first request for release was denied, NBC News reported.

Pinkerton’s preliminary court hearing is set for Sept. 5 while he remains at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

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 Daniel Merrick Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Possession

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pastor daniel w merrick

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, Daniel Merrick, pastor of Congregation Yahshua Messiah Gathering, a Messianic Jew congregation in Smethport, Pennsylvania, and a Christian musician was charged with 570 counts of child pornography involving indecent contact, second-degree felonies; 316 counts of child pornography involving nudity, third-degree felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communications facility, a third-degree felony.

Merrick told law enforcement that he had an “addiction,” and only started looking at child porn because his wife wouldn’t have sex with him. Merrick called his “addiction” a curiosity.

The Olean Times Herald reported:

A Christian musician, pastor, and former Bradford store owner is in McKean County Jail, charged with more than 880 felony counts of child pornography.

Daniel W. Merrick, 64, of 858 Route 446, Smethport, is charged with 570 counts of child pornography-involving indecent contact, second-degree felonies; 316 counts of child pornography-involving nudity, third-degree felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communications facility, a third-degree felony.

According to the criminal complaint, State Police Computer Crimes received a CyberTip from Synchronoss Technologies, which is Verizon Cloud.

Between July 8 and Aug. 10, Synchronoss became aware of eight images and one video of child pornography involving indecent contact and one image of child pornography involving nudity, all of which had been uploaded to Synchronoss’ infrastructure.

Synchronoss provided to police the cell phone number which uploaded the images; the phone was registered to Merrick, the complaint stated.

On Jan. 9, Trooper Robert Whyel with the state police computer crimes unit served a search warrant for the content on the Verizon Cloud account for that phone number. The results included 178 additional images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 139 involving nudity. The images were saved on a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G; there were numerous photos of Merrick on the account as well, the complaint stated.

On Feb. 10, a search warrant was executed on Merrick’s residence, and Whyel spoke with Merrick on the scene. He told the trooper that he “began viewing pornography due to his wife refusing to be intimate with him,” the complaint stated, which Merrick said led to a “two-month curiosity in child pornography.”

The complaint read, “The curiosity never entered the real world and was only a fantasy.”

He told police that he had an addiction and would seek help, the complaint read.

Reviewing Merrick’s phone, the trooper found 383 images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 176 involving nudity, including an image that was located on the CyberTip, according to the complaint.

Merrick was arraigned Friday before District Judge William Todd in Smethport. He was jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 9.

….

According to Merrick’s website, he holds a Ph.D., is a singer, musician, author, preacher, pastor and composer. He completed Bible college and went into the U.S. Army in 1979 serving in active duty, the reserves and the National Guard until 2004. The site indicated that Merrick is now the pastor of a Messianic Jewish congregation in Bradford and has a weekly show on The Now Network Christian Television.

Merrick’s Spotify profile says:

Pastor of Congregation Yahshua Messiah Gathering, a messianic Jewish followship, R. Capt. Daniel W Merrick PhD hosts “Faith Radio – The Latter Rain Chronicles” on Anchor FM and “Yah’s Way TV” on The Now Network Christian Station world wide. Dan completed his first Album in 1993 entitled “Aliyah” with 17 songs which featured “Like Stephen” which charted on the “CCM Countdown with Bob Sour” on Christian Radio Stations as a top 40 in 1994. Dan was born in Cleveland Ohio and raised on “church music” singing in the choir and as a teen was in the gospel singing group “The Teen Revivers” at Aspinwall Church of God Mountain Assembly. The group opened for the singing Rambo’s in the 1970’s in Cleveland. Dan grew up listening to Al Jolson, his dad’s favorite artist from WW2 era 1900’s who was the star of the first talking (sound) movie “The Jazz Singer” in 1929. Dan began composing music in High School and after having a few songs stolen, common in the industry, in 1987 copyrighted his first song. Dan has appeared on CTV, TCT TV and has weekly shows on The Now Network entitled “Yah’s Way TV” which broadcasts to 236 million people syndicated on Cable and Statilite TV Stations in Europe, USA, Africa, Middle East, Israel and via apps online to billions. Dan’s music is a collection of styles from Rock, Jazz, Gospel and Country with a stong Classical influence. Dan is the Son of “Lowes Girl” Fox Pin-up Model and Advertising Artist Laura Sloan Merrick Aka “Lolly” cousin of Jimmy Stewart.

In August 2024, Merritt was sentenced to  46 to 92 months in state prison followed by three years of probation.

Your Erie reports:

A Pennsylvania pastor has been sentenced after police found him to be in possession of hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. 

On Tuesday, August 12, the McKean County District Attorney’s Office announced that Daniel Merrick, a pastor in Smethport, was sentenced for possessing nearly 700 images and videos of child porn after attempting to withdraw a plea agreement.

Merrick claimed he was in possession of the content “as part of an investigation he had undertaken for law enforcement into Ukrainian and Russian children who are victims of child pornography.”

Later, Merrick told police that he and his wife had not been intimate in years, which sparked his curiosity to look at child pornography. 

The DA’s Office stated that Merrick claimed he “never touched a child and that it was only a fantasy.”

Merrick will serve a sentence of 46 to 92 months in state prison followed by three years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender.

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 Walter Masocha Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Sex Crimes

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walter masocha

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.

Walter Masocha, the pastor of Agape for All Nations Church in Scotland, was convicted of attempted rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault and sentenced to ten years in prison.

The Times reports:

A former Stirling University professor who founded a prominent church has been jailed for ten years for sexually abusing two female congregants.

Walter Masocha, 61, who led The Agape for All Nations Church in Scotland, was convicted of attempted rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. 

The High Court in Livingston previously heard testimony detailing Masocha’s predatory behaviour, with one married woman recounting how he groped her at his Stirling home, telling her she was a “gift to him from God”. 

She testified that Masocha justified putting his hand in her trousers and touching her private parts by claiming he was “removing demons” and bestowing blessings.

Another victim, who was just 20 when the abuse began described how Masocha — seen as a father figure by many in the church — told her: “God has given you to me to nurture you, look after you and provide for you. He told me to love you in any way you want to be loved. You don’t need a boyfriend.”

She recounted incidents of him grabbing her face and putting his tongue in her mouth, slapping her bottom and placing her hand on his genitals. She also described an attempted rape in his bedroom from which she managed to escape.

Advocate depute Michael McIntosh, for the prosecution, said: “She was looking for prayer and she found herself being preyed upon. Walter Masocha wasn’t just a pastor and a preacher, he was a predator who thought that his power and position rendered him immune from suspicion.”

The conviction follows a trial last month in which Masocha, of Bridge of Allan, denied all charges, asserting that both women had fabricated their stories. However, the jury found him guilty of the charges relating to incidents between January 1, 2006, and July 31, 2012, in the Stirling area.

Judge Susan Craig condemned Masocha’s actions as “appalling”, stating there was no alternative to a lengthy custodial sentence.

Upon his eventual release, he will remain under close social work supervision for four years and will be on the sex offenders register for life. Non-harassment orders have also been imposed, barring him from contacting his victims.

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: Southern Baptist Pastor William Jones Accused of Sexually Abusing Children

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pastor william 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.

William Jones, pastor of Jessup Baptist Church in Jessup, Maryland, stands accused of sexually molesting several students at Elvaton Christian Academy.

WJZ reports:

A former teacher and pastor in Maryland was ordered to be held without bond Monday after he was accused of sexually abusing students, according to court officials. 

William Auburn Jones, 58, was arrested on Friday, July 25, after police said he touched multiple students inappropriately while he was working at Elvaton Christian Academy in Anne Arundel County. Jones worked at the school between 2020 and March 2025 before he was removed from his position. 

According to police, Jones also serves as the pastor of Jessup Baptist Church and is affiliated with Mission Fields International, a global missionary organization. 

“To find out he’s a minister, that is shocking,” neighbor Charles Thomas said. “You hear of this happening in other places but not across the street.”

Police responded to the school on May 1 for a reported sex offense. Once they arrived, a parent told them that their child was involved. 

Through an investigation, Child Protective Services identified five alleged victims who were between the ages of 10 and 15. The investigation also revealed that the alleged abuse occurred between August 2023 and May 2024, according to court documents. 

The court documents detailed how a 12-year-old told police that Jones abused him during the third through sixth grades. A 10-year-old student also told police that Jones touched him inappropriately in school, according to court documents. 

Three other students also reported that they were abused and inappropriately touched by Jones, court documents show. 

“While we were there, we became aware of a second, similar case with similar circumstances reported to us by another parent,” said Justin Mulcahy, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police.

Jones is facing several charges of sexual abuse of a minor, assault, and sex offenses.

Elvaton Christian Academy said it is cooperating with law enforcement during the investigation into Jones.

Another WJZ report adds:

Child Protective Services began investigating the alleged abuse and conducting forensic interviews. Investigators ultimately identified five alleged victims between the ages of 10 and 15.

On May 15, a 10-year-old, identified in charging documents as Victim A, told police that Jones, known to students as “Mr. Bill,” touched him inappropriately in the computer lab when the student was in fourth grade. The alleged abuse started in Aug. 2023 and ended in May 2024. 

A 12-year-old student, referred to as Victim B, told police that Jones abused him from third through sixth grade.

Three other students also reported alleged abuse to police, detailing accounts of inappropriate touching by Jones.

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 Stanley Jay Accused of Sexually Molesting Church Teenager

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pastor stanley jay

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.

Stanley Jay, pastor of Worship Life Center Church in Mesa, Arizona, stands accused of sexually molesting a church teen.

ABC-15 reports:

Police are asking the public for more info after an East Valley pastor was arrested for multiple sex crimes against a teenage girl who is a member of his congregation.

Stanley Jay, 61, who is the pastor at Worship Life Center Church in Mesa, was arrested on multiple charges last week.

Jay is accused of the crimes against a 16-year-old girl. Police say the girl and her mother are active members of the church.

Among the charges Jay faces includes sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, luring a minor for sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse.

Police say they discovered text messages between Jay and the victim where he asked her for sexually explicit photographs.

Jay is also accused of making inappropriate remarks to the girl, along with sexual abusing and molesting her.

He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond.

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 Jim Mustain Accused of Child Pornography Possession

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pastor jim mustain

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.

Jim Mustain, pastor of Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco, Texas from 2019-2023, stands accused of possessing child pornogpraphy.

KERA reports:

A former Frisco pastor was arrested by Lewisville police on five child pornography charges, jail records show.

Jim Mustain faces four counts of possession or promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child and one count of possession of child pornography.

He served as a community pastor at Preston Trail Community Church between 2019 and 2023, according to the church’s website.

“We are deeply saddened and disturbed by these charges and unequivocally condemn any form of sexual misconduct,” the church said in a statement. “During Mustain’s time on our staff, Preston Trail had no knowledge of any behavior or activity related to these charges. Nevertheless, immediately upon learning of the allegations, we retained a third-party law firm to conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

The church said its investigation found “no indication that any children connected to Preston Trail were involved or harmed.”

Mustain, 64, was arrested April 25 in Ashe County, North Carolina after Lewisville Police issued warrants for his arrest, the department confirmed to KERA News Thursday. He was then extradited to Texas and booked into Denton County Jail on May 14.

His bond is set for $500,000 and Lewisville Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Mustain has been involved several communities across North Texas. He is the founder of public charity group Loving Community at Denton County, served on the Board of Directors of the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteered at Lewisville ISD schools, and previously held Place No. 7 on the City of Lewisville’s Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee. He was also involved in other Christian-based organizations like Christian Community Action and Forge Dallas.

Additionally, Mustain’s served in pastoral positions at other churches in different states and in North Texas, including Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell from 2005 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“Prior to the week of April 21, 2025, we had no knowledge of any behavior or activity related to these charges,” Valley Ranch said on its website. “At this time, we are not aware that any children connected to VRBC were involved or harmed.”

Lewisville ISD said in an email to KERA News they had notified parents of Mustain’s arrest and confirmed he had previously been involved with some campuses for several years, most recently at Durham Middle School and Creekside Elementary last school year.

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: Southern Baptist Pastor’s Wife Nancy Bertine Accused of Stealing $182,000 From Church

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nancy bertine

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.

Nancy Bertine, the now ex-wife of Pastor Lloyd Bertine, stands accused of stealing $182,000 over a four year period from Gulf to Lake Church in Crystal River, Florida. Gulf to Lake is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

960 reports:

According to Citrus County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Nancy Ellen Mitchell Bertine, 74, of Hernando, is charged with scheme to defraud to obtain property valued more than $50,000 and grand theft of more than $100,000, according to Citrus County court records.

Deputies arrested Bertine on July 24 after a months-long investigation, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. The probe revealed hundreds of personal purchases made with the nonprofit business account of the Gulf to Lake Baptist Church in Crystal River, the newspaper reported.

According to a criminal complaint, the church’s financial department discovered that numerous fraudulent transactions had been made on their Amazon account by Bertine.

Deputies began a criminal investigation on Feb. 5 into the grand theft, in which $182,610.16 was missing, court documents state.

….

The dissolution of a marriage earlier this year between Bertine and Lloyd Bertine, the head pastor who founded the church in January 1995, led to the discovery of the alleged embezzled funds.

Court documents state that the pastor had learned his wife was having an extramarital affair. She had been helping to manage the finances of the church but was fired from her position.

“Pastor Bertine and finance staff … quickly realized that on the defendants’ church office computer, there was an Amazon account opened in the defendants’ name solely,” court documents stated.

An investigation determined that Nancy Bertine was using the church’s nonprofit credit card, through Capital One, to make purchases for herself.

Some of the items included women’s clothing items, hair products and hair dye kits, cosmetics, dog food and cat food, documents stated. There were also more than $37,000 in fraudulent purchases from Amazon between 2022 and 2024.

“Yeah, I did it, I ordered those items, just like I ordered all the other items for the church that people asked me to order,” Nancy Bertine told investigators, according to the criminal complaint. “I’ve ordered a lot of stuff; I mean a lot! I didn’t even think about it at the time I was ordering those things, I just ordered them and the church would pay the bill.”

After pulling financial records, detectives learned that the defendant had made 1,433 purchases from Amazon from 2021 to 2024 that totaled $46,516.36. There were 2,098 charges made to the church’s credit card, the Chronicle reported.

She allegedly spent $196,000 but has paid back nearly $14,000 of the personal expenses.

“What happened was falsifying the records of what was being purchased and that’s why we never knew,” Lloyd Bertine told WFLA-TV.

The pastor said his ex-wife has given written notice that she will repay the funds and has money in her account to do so.

“She has the money from selling our house that she can use to repay everything,” he told the television station.

Nancy Bertine is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 8.

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 Roy Andrews Sentenced to 4-12 Months in Prison for Sexually Molesting Child

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youth pastor roy andrews

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.

Roy Andrews, a former youth pastor at Iglesia La Fuente in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was recently sentenced to 4-12 months in prison for sexually molesting a child.

MSN reports:

A Cumberland County man accused of sexually molesting a 9-year-old girl in a McDonalds will spend less than a year in prison, per a sentence handed down Tuesday afternoon.

A judge sentenced Roy Andrews, 77, to four months to a year in prison for touching a 9-year-old girl’s genitals in April 2024 while they sat in a McDonalds in Upper Allen Township.

Andrews also touched himself and had the girl touch him for more than a minute, according to police.

Andrews helped found a Hispanic church in Harrisburg called “Iglesia La Fuente” where he was a youth group leader from 2014 to 2022. After the church closed, Andrews began transporting Harrisburg children to a church in Mechanicsburg.

On the day he was seen molesting the girl in the restaurant, Andrews said he took the children to church, got them food and took them shopping, then back to his house where they “just kind of hung out” and “played,” according to police. He denied inappropriately touching the girl.

Two weeks later, when police showed up to arrest him, Andrews tried to run away into his home but police tackled him in his kitchen, they wrote in court documents. Police later found a suicide note and a gun near where Andrews had tried to run.

Surveillance footage of the interaction inside the McDonald’s showed Andrews letting the girl’s brothers run around the parking lot while he sat in a booth in the corner of the restaurant, holding the girl on his lap.

Police originally charged Andrews with several counts related to indecent assault of a child, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children and resisting arrest.

Andrews pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors: resisting arrest and indecent assault of a child. After his jail time, he will spend a year on probation and have to register as a sex offender and accept treatment.

Seibert allowed Andrews to report to Cumberland County Prison Thursday instead of being arrested during his sentencing hearing to allow him to get his affairs in order.

Corey Fahnestock, Andrews’ attorney, said the incident was “out of character” for Andrews, and Andrews told Seibert he was remorseful.

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 School Teacher Joshua Dice Accused of Soliciting Minor for Sex

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joshua dice

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.

Joshua Dice, a teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg, Florida, stands accused of soliciting and traveling to meet a minor for sex. Calvary Christian is a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, pastored by Ken Pledger. Pledger is a graduate of Midwestern Baptist College. He attended Midwestern with my partner’s father. (This is the same school Polly and I attended.) Calvary Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation. This is the second teacher at Calvary Christian to be arrested for sex crimes. In 2022, Caitlin Rose Crum was arrested on charges of producing child porn and sexual assault.

News 4 reports:

An Orange Park man was arrested on Wednesday after being accused of soliciting and traveling to meet a minor for sex, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Joshua Dice, 34, a now-former teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg, was arrested around 12:40 p.m. after deputies found his car parked near a gym on Blanding Boulevard, according to his arrest report.

The arrest report states detectives asked Dice what had happened, but his response was redacted from the report.

News4JAX reached out to Calvary Christian Academy, and Pastor Ken Pledger responded with a statement saying in part that Dice was fired immediately after his arrest.

“We were informed that Mr. Josh Dice was arrested on June 11, 2025, on serious charges. These charges are unrelated to the activities of Calvary Baptist Church or Calvary Christian Academy. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement regarding this matter. Mr. Josh Dice’s role at Calvary Baptist Church and his position at Calvary Christian Academy were terminated immediately following his arrest. He no longer has any affiliation with these ministries. Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our members and students. Calvary Baptist Church and Calvary Christian Academy maintain a strict policy of zero tolerance for abuse.”

Pastor Ken Pledger

Dice is facing three charges, including traveling to meet a minor, using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, and soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices.

In 2022, a 26-year-old woman who also taught at Middleburg’s Calvary Christian Academy was arrested on charges of producing child porn and sexual assault.

Caitlin Rose Crum was accused of having a sexual relationship with a child, who was one of her students.

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 Shaun Hertlein Accused of Sex Crimes Involving Minors

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shaun hertlein

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.

Shaun Hertlein, a youth pastor at South Coast Church in Goleta, California and an assistant coach at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, stands accused of sending sexual images to a minor, communicating with a minor with the intent to commit specific crimes, and possession of obscene images of a child.

Channel 12 reports:

A Goleta pastor who also coached high school students has been arrested on felony sex crime charges involving minors.

Shaun Donald Hertlein, 42, was taken into custody Friday, May 9, after Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives served him with a warrant. Detectives began investigating Hertlein in April.

He faces charges including sending sexual images to a minor, communicating with a minor with the intent to commit specific crimes, and possession of obscene images of a child. His bail is set at $500,000.

Sheriff’s officials said Hertlein worked with children at a church in the 5800 block of Cathedral Oaks Road. Online videos list him as a pastor at South Coast Church at that same address. Social media posts also show his affiliation with the Santa Barbara Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Superintendent Hilda Maldonado confirmed Hertlein is an assistant coach at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta on Monday.

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.