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Category: Black Collar Crime

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Daniel Harris Sentenced to Eighteen Years in Prison for Sex Crimes Against Children

Bruce Gerencser 3 Comments
pastor Daniel Harris

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 Harris, pastor of Olive Branch Christian Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi, recently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for sex crimes against children.

DeSoto County News reports:

DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton has announced that former Mississippi pastor and educator Daniel Harris has pleaded guilty to charges relating to sex crimes against children as far back as 2015.

He was ordered to serve 18 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole or early release. In addition to his probation and jail sentence, Harris will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his adult life and no longer serve as an educator.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, the investigation revealed that between 2015 and 2018, Harris continuously molested teenagers while under his care as a tutor, pastor, and authority figure.

A victim of Harris’ actions came forward after revealing the incident that took place during his childhood to another family member. The initial victim’s testimony then helped other victims come forward. Harris was arrested on May 4, 2023.

“Instead of being a pastor and educator, Harris used his position of trust to violate the innocence of children to fulfill his reprehensible desires,” Barton said. “The plea will ensure that other children will be shielded from this child predator while sparing a lengthy court process for the victims who endured horrendous abuse at the hands of Daniel Harris. People like this have no place in society and my office will continue to partner with federal, local, and state law enforcement to ensure nefarious individuals like this are behind bars and their victims receive justice.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of child abuse, please call your local law enforcement agency to report the incident.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ben Weathers, with investigative assistance from Lt. Ashley Holladay of the Olive Branch Police Department and criminal investigators from the District Attorney’s Office.

At the time of his arrest, Harris was listed as a pastor at Olive Branch Christian Church. The church’s website at the time said he founded the Kaimen Center, teaching arts, athletics and academics to children and adults with disabilities.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Monte Chitty Accused of Sexually Assaulting Church Teen

Bruce Gerencser 1 Comment
pastor monte chitty

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.

Monte Chitty, pastor of First Baptist Church of Marathon, Florida, was recently charged with sexual battery of a minor, lewd and lascivious conduct and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. First Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Channel 10 reports:

A newly-released arrest report details explicit text messages that deputies say a Marathon pastor sent a 15-year-old girl after plying her with alcohol and sexually battering her while she was passed out on a couch in his church’s library.

Monte Lavelle Chitty, 62, was arrested Monday on multiple charges, including sexual battery of a minor. Jail records show he was released on a $75,000 bond just before 10 p.m.

Chitty is the pastor of First Baptist Marathon, located at 200 62nd St. The arrest report states he also lives on the church property.

The alleged assault happened on Sunday. Deputies said they were first alerted to it after someone overheard the victim telling her grandmother what happened.

Chitty, deputies said, called the sheriff’s office about an hour later because he believed the girl “was going to make allegations against him.”

He claimed, according to the report, that he “intended to take (the girl) home to her grandmother while delivering meals to the homeless” and, seeing she was drunk, had allowed her to sleep on the couch.

The report states he told deputies the girl left while he was taking a phone call that afternoon and said that “while doing deliveries at the Marathon City Marina, he observed (the victim) with her grandmother and walked towards them, at which point (the girl) began to scream, and (he) left.”

The girl, however, would tell deputies that Chitty had given her what she believed was a “spiked” drink, the report states.

“She stated that after drinking what she thought to be vodka, she felt weak, could not walk and eventually lost consciousness while at the church,” deputies wrote.

Authorities said she woke up to Chitty performing oral sex on her.

“She stated after he was done and left, she got up and ran out and contacted her grandmother to pick her up,” deputies wrote in the report.

The report states she then showed text messages from Chitty. They came from the same number he used to call the Monroe County Sheriff’s office, deputies said.

According to the report, in the text messages, using a cat emoji, Chitty first complimented the girl’s genitals.

“I prefer you pass out after I play not before,” deputies say the pastor then texted her. “You can’t even remember what I did.”

He later probed her on what she recollected and described what he did to her, deputies said.

After telling the girl how he abused her, Chitty told her, “Straighten up (woman’s name) is here,” the report states.

Online publications and social media posts indicate that Chitty is married to a woman with the same name.

The report states Chitty then complimented her genitals again. After she replied “ig,” short for “I guess,” deputies said Chitty replied, “Just say thank you.”

According to the report, he went on to compliment the teen’s breasts and encouraged her to sit on the couch in a way to make it “easier” to perform oral sex on her.

Deputies said Chitty later provided them consent to search his phone. They said his text messages matched those on the victim’s phone and said the messages also showed him admitting to giving her vodka.

“Mr. Chitty admitted to sending the text messages but later invoked his right to an attorney and denied the sexual contact,” deputies wrote in the report.

Deputies would take Chitty into custody early Monday morning.

The report states the victim was given a sexual assault examination, the results of which will be sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for processing.

In addition to the sexual battery charge, Chitty faces counts of lewd and lascivious behavior and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Frank Johnson Arrested for Soliciting Prostitution

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
pastor frank johnson

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.

Frank Johnson, pastor of Hands and Feet Fellowship in Gastonia, North Carolina, and a middle school teacher at Community Christian Academy in Dallas, North Carolina, was recently arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution.

The Gaston Gazette reports:

A Gaston County teacher and pastor was arrested during a human trafficking investigation and accused of trying to pay for sex, according to the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.

Frank Mark Johnson, 65, was charged Monday with soliciting prostitution, according to the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.

“On March 11, 2024, during an ongoing sex offender / human trafficking investigation, deputies from the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office arrested Frank Mark Johnson. He was charged with solicitation of prostitution and received a $1,500 unsecured bond,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a brief statement.

Johnson, who lives in the Crowders Mountain area, until recently was a middle school science teacher at Community Christian Academy in Bessemer City.

“I have tutored kids in various subjects over many years, including math, science, Bible, music and chess,” Johnson said in a statement on the school’s website.

A spokesman for Community Christian Academy said Wednesday that Johnson was no longer employed. He declined to comment further.

Johnson serves as the pastor of Hands and Feet Fellowship in Gastonia.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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: Baptist Pastor Nathan Legault Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

Bruce Gerencser 4 Comments
pastor nathan legault

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.

Nathan Legault, a Canadian Baptist pastor, pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced to two years in prison.

The Northern View reports:

A Prince Rupert man who was a pastor has been given a conditional sentence of two years less a day followed by three years of probation for possessing child pornography.

Nathan Legault pleaded guilty to two charges in May 2022 — one for creating child pornography and one for possessing child pornography. He was sentenced by provincial court judge David Patterson in January, with the written decision only recently released.

The court learned that Legault began contacting minors he had met as a pastoral intern at baptist churches in Saskatchewan and Windsor, Ontario. Legault sent nude photos and videos of himself masturbating to two early teens — referred to as A.A.A. and B.B.B. in court documents — and their friends. He used fake social media accounts pretending to be a boy their age.

Legault also sent deepfake photos with A.A.A. and B.B.B.’s faces cropped onto nude images to the victims and their friends. A Windsor police investigation found that Legault had been sending the photos from Prince Rupert, where he was an associate pastor after moving to the area in 2018.

Crown and defence made a joint submission for the conditional sentence, which Patterson “reluctantly” accepted, fearing that the decision could “bring the administration of justice into disrepute and be contrary to the public interest.”

It took three sentencing hearings throughout 2023 during which the defence, then the Crown defended the sentencing recommendation to convince Patterson to accept it.

Patterson read a powerful victim impact statement from B.B.B., who detailed how Legault’s actions led her to consider suicide. B.B.B. also said Legault’s crimes led her to believe he would kidnap her.

“This has destroyed my physical and mental well-being. I am disgusted by the actions. I constantly ask myself, why me? This is something that can’t be erased and it will and has hurt me forever,” the young victim said.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Russell Tusing II Charged with Child Molestation

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor russell tusing

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.

Russell Tusing II, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, Georgia, stands accused of sexual battery and child molestation. Tusing has been scrubbed from the church’s website.

The LaGrange Daily News reports:

LaGrange police have arrested the pastor of a local church who is facing allegations of child molestation. Russell Jon Tusing II, 44, was arrested and charged with sexual battery (FVA) and child molestation (FVA). According to Troup County Jail records, Tusing was booked into the jail on Friday. According to LaGrange Police Public Information Officer Lt. Chris Pritchett, the charges stem back to a report made in February with allegations dating back to 2022 in regard to a 13-year-old female victim.

Pritchett confirmed that Tusing was the pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of LaGrange, though his name appears to have been removed from the staff leadership on the church’s website. Multiple calls to the church went directly to voicemail. Tusing was named pastor of the church in August 2011, according to the church’s Facebook page.

Multiple calls to the church went directly to voicemail. Tusing was named pastor of the church in August 2011, according to the church’s Facebook page.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Update: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Kevin Madden Facing Trial for Sex Crimes

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
pastor kevin madden

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 2021, Kevin Madden, a youth pastor at Discover Church in Rogers, Arkansas, was accused of two counts of sexual indecency with a child and engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for visual and print medium.

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported:

A former youth pastor was released Saturday from the Benton County Jail after posting a $50,000 bond following his arrest in connection with sex crimes involving two teen girls.

Kevin James Madden, 31, of Rogers was arrested in connection with two counts of sexual indecency with a child and engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for visual and print medium. Prosecutors haven’t filed formal charges against him.

….

Madden was the youth pastor at Discover Church in Rogers, according to a probable cause affidavit. The church said in a statement that Madden was placed on administrative leave when church authorities were made aware of the allegations. The church then contacted the girls and their parents, according to the statement.

“On Monday, May 3, we were told that the allegations seemed to be valid, but the detective could not give us a definitive answer at that time,” according to the statement. “On Friday, we were officially made aware that all allegations were true.”

….

Cassandra Brewer, the wife of the church’s pastor, reported to police that a church member told her Madden had sent photographs of his “private parts to a 17-year-old girl,” according to the affidavit. Brewer told police he started sending the images when the girl was 16.

Brewer reported Madden also may have been sending photographs to another girl, according to the affidavit.

….

One girl told police Madden started paying close attention to her when she turned 16, and he grabbed her and attempted to kiss her in the game room at the church, according to the affidavit. She told police Madden sent her a photograph of him in the shower.

The teen said she stopped going to the church because Madden was making her feel uncomfortable, according to the affidavit.

The second teen, a 15-year-old girl, told police Madden asked her to send him a nude photograph, according to the affidavit.

Madden told police he sent a photograph of himself to the older girl, according to the affidavit.

Channel 5 reported:

On April 30, 2021, a member of the Discover Church in Rogers reported a crime involving a minor. The tipster told police that a juvenile female from the church had come forward saying that the youth pastor, Kevin Madden, had sent sexual pictures to her and that he had sent inappropriate text messages to another minor in the church. 

During the course of their investigation, detectives learned that Madden had allegedly tried to kiss one of the girls at a church event and that he harassed her while she was at work. The girl also accused Madden of sending pictures of his penis and photos of himself showering to her over Snapchat. That other girl stated that Madden asked her to send him nude photos. 

A detective spoke with Madden at his home, where he initially denied the allegations against him. He said he had made mistakes with the juveniles but that he had not touched them. Madden went on to say what started as talks about one of the girl’s relationships and boyfriends had turned into inappropriate conversations. He then admitted to sending a picture of his penis to the girl and photos of him in the shower. 

Madden denied asking the other female to send him nude photos, according to a court affidavit. 

The detective requested a warrant for Madden’s arrest for engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print media and two counts of sexual indecency with a child. 

Three years later, Madden’s case is finally headed to trial.

KNWA reports:

The trial for a former Rogers youth pastor accused of sending nude pictures of himself to a minor has been set, according to court documents.

Kevin Madden, 34, was arrested on May 7, 2021, for engaging children in sexually explicit conduct and two counts of sexual indecency with a child charges.

Madden will have a pretrial hearing on Aug. 28. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 17.

On April 30, 2021, a member of Discover Church in Rogers reported to Rogers police that a pastor at the church, identified as Madden, had sent sexual pictures to a minor. The member told police that a girl from the church came forward saying the youth pastor sent sexually explicit pictures to her and sent inappropriate text messages to another in the church.

During the investigation, police found that Madden allegedly attempted to kiss one of the girls at an event at the church and harassed her while she was at work. She also accused Madden of sending sexual photos over Snapchat of him showering.

The other girl said to police that Madden had asked her to send him nude photos.

Madden spoke to detectives at his home and he initially denied the allegations and said he made mistakes with juveniles but didn’t touch them. He said what started as talks about relationships and boyfriends turned into conversations that became inappropriate.

He then admitted that he sent nude photos of him in the shower.

After his arrest, Discover Church released a statement saying, “We do not take the safety of our members, our students, and our children lightly. We acted swiftly to contact authorities and ensure a path to finding the truth in the situation.”

Madden pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2021.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 David Helbling Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Minor

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor david helbling

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.

David Helbling, a pastor at The Blessing Center First Assembly of God in Moreno Valley, California, stands accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

Audacy reports:

A 78-year-old pastor accused of sexually assaulting a young girl pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple felony charges.

David Lee Helbling of Moreno Valley was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.

Helbling is charged with oral copulation of a child under 10 years old, abduction of a minor, forcible lewd acts on a child, perpetrating three or more sexual acts on a minor and a sentence-enhancing allegation of bodily injury during a sexual assault.

The defendant was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for April 9 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

Helbling is being held on $2 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Martinez, deputies were informed at the end of January of an alleged attack on the victim, identified in court documents only as “E.A.,” in the 23000 block of Hemlock Avenue, near Pigeon Pass Road.

The ensuing investigation led to the identification of Helbling, a local minister, as the alleged perpetrator.

Martinez said a search warrant was obtained and served at the defendant’s residence, where “evidence related to the crime was collected, and Helbling was taken into custody without incident.”

Court papers indicated the defendant committed the alleged offenses all on the same day — Jan. 30.

“It is alleged that in connection with the commission of the offenses, Helbling … kidnapped the victim, and the movement of the victim substantially increased the risk of harm,” according to the criminal complaint. “The defendant resided in the same home, and (he) had recurring access (to her) with the intent of arousing, appealing to and gratifying (his) lust, passions and sexual desires.”

No other details were disclosed, including the house of worship where Helbling has presided.

The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Larry Mullins Sentenced to 15-45 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
pastor larry mullins

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, I posted a story about Larry Mullins, pastor of Apostolic Christian Ministries in Nebraska City, Nebraska being arrested and charged with sexually abusing a minor.  A year later, Mullins was found guilty of two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and six other charges.

The Sandhills Express reported:

In closing arguments, Defense Attorney Robert Schaefer said the 70-year-old Mullins has been afflicted with hip and back problems leading to surgery and said he suffers from long-term troubles in balance and personal mobility.

He said Mullins was physically incapable of performing the acts as alleged by an 11-year-old girl, who was in the courtroom as the verdict was read.

Deputy Otoe County Attorney John Palmtag told the jury that “disability is a weak defense.”

Palmtag: “The claim that he was not able of performing these ‘not rigorous’ sex acts, I think holds no water. The jury should find it holds no water.”

At trial, the prosecution showed a two-hour video of the girl’s interview at the Child Advocacy Center. Palmtag said the girl was truthful in the video, in a deposition with lawyers and on the stand during trial.

Palmtag: “There’s not anyone in her extended family that would tell her to do this stuff, would sit down with her and concoct this incredibly intricate story to take down Larry Mullins. There’s just no reason. There’s no motive.”

Palmtag also offered an explanation for why the girl did not come forward earlier, over the four-year period. She did not alert her parents until March of last year, when she said Mullins hit her after she resisted his attempt to put his hand under her shirt.

Pamtag: “She was confused, she was scared. Larry Mullins was telling her she would be hurt. He was telling her that she would lose her family. He was telling her not tell anyone. He’s a trusted adult.

In August 2019, Mullins was sentenced to 15 to 45 years in prison for sexual assault of a child.

Nebraska River Country reported:

Nebraska City preacher Larry Mullins was sentenced in Otoe County District Court Wednesday to 15 to 45 years in prison for sexual assault of a child.

Mullins’ attorney Robert Schaefer said any lengthy time in prison will be a life sentence for the 70-year-old preacher, who had established the Apostolic Christian Ministries in Nebraska City.

Mullins: “But as far as some of these accusations, I’m sorry, but they are not true. There was no penetration there was no of this other and I’m sorry. I don’t know where it went, but I am sorry for what it has done to my family.”

District Judge Julie Smith noted pre-sentence evaluations describing Mullins’ attempt to minimize his responsibility and claims that he was set up.

Smith: “The evaluator wrote that you are attempting to portray yourself as the victim of your grandaughters’ lies.”

The judge read a statement from one of the victims.

Smith: “You’ve caused so much pain and nightmares and I barely have any more tears to shed because of the pain you have caused me physically and emotionally, so let me say this to you, God have mercy on you Grandpa Larry and I also forgive you.”

Deputy Otoe County Attorney John Palmtag asked the court to pass sentence for the maximum prison term of 50 years.

Palmtag: “Mr. Mullins took advantage of his position in the community as a minister. He took advantage of his position in his family as a grandfather. He committed some of the most horrific criminal acts someone can commit.”

At trial, Schaefer noted that one of the victims wrote a statement when she was about six years old recanting allegations against Mullins. Prosecutors never brought charges regarding the first girl.

Smith: “I understand that you have support of family. I understand that there are people in the community who simply cannot believe that you did this, but I was at the jury trial and the jury convicted you of all nine counts.”

Judge Smith told Mullins that he has credit for 415 days already served and could be released from prison in 22 years with good time.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

Update: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Chad Pindell Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Seducing Teen Girl

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
chad pindell

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, Chad Pindell, minister of discipleship at Batesville Christian Church in Batesville, Indiana, was accused of sexually seducing a girl while working as an assistant coach with the Jac-Cen-Del High School girls basketball team.

The Herald Tribune reported:

Indiana State Police detectives arrested a Ripley County man March 25 at about 12:30 p.m. on charges stemming from a two-month investigation into allegations of child seduction that occurred while he was an assistant coach with the Jac-Cen-Del High School girls basketball program in Osgood, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, ISP Versailles District public information officer.

Detectives were contacted after Jac-Cen-Del Community School Corp. officials became aware of allegations of improper behavior between Chad Pindell, 36, Napoleon, and a 17-year-old JCDHS female student. According to Wheeles, “At the time the incident occurred, Pindell was a volunteer assistant coach” for the girls basketball team. When the report was made, Pindell was removed from his position with the school district.

Pindell was an assistant coach “for the past 10 years or so” and was a teacher for JCDCSC during that period, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Ripley Superior Court March 26. ISP Detective Peter Tressler “learned that Pindell had left (the) teaching position this last August 2017 to become the pastor of discipleship at the Batesville Christian Church” while he continued to be involved as an assistant coach with the girls basketball program.

“Chad Pindell resigned his position of minister of discipleship effective Feb. 15, 2018,” the Rev. Mark Bond, Batesville Christian Church lead minister, reported March 26 when contacted by The Herald-Tribune.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Pindell contacted a female student through social media in early 2018. His communication with the student included sending nude photos of himself to the juvenile, the officer reported.

The teen also sent a couple of inappropriate photographs of herself using her phone to the coach, the affidavit stated.

At some point during their relationship, Pindell and the student allegedly engaged in sexual activity while at Jac-Cen-Del High School.

As a result of the investigation, Pindell was arrested without incident on one count of child seduction, a Level 5 felony; and one count of dissemination of harmful material to a minor, a Level 6 felony.

Pindell later pleaded guilty to child seduction and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Eagle Country reported:

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the sentence of a former Ripley County Councilman and Jac-Cen-Del High School assistant girl’s basketball coach.

Chad Pindell, 36, of Napoleon, pleaded guilty to Child Seduction (level 5 felony) last January after he committed sex acts at the school with a 17-year-old player he coached in 2018. He had also sent sexual images to the teen.

“The testimony further revealed that (the victim) had been a good student and athlete in high school. After Pindell was charged with the two offenses, the small community had ostracized (the victim) and blamed her for Pindell’s plight,” the appellate court’s decision stated.

Following the plea agreement, a special judge assigned to the case, Dearborn County’s Judge Jonathan Cleary, initially rejected a plea agreement that did not include jail time.

Under a new agreement reached between Pindell and prosecutors which left the sentence up to the judge’s discretion, Pindell was sentenced in February to three years in prison – that being the advisory sentence for a level 5 felony crime. Cleary declared that Pindell must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Pindell appealed his sentence, arguing that the sentence was inappropriate given his character.

The court of appeals ruled Friday, August 23 to uphold Pindell’s sentence, stating that he failed to meet to burden to persuade the court.

“Turning to Pindell’s character, we note that Pindell, a former teacher, and a coach, pastor, and county councilman, violated his position of trust by engaging in oral sex in, as the trial court pointed out, ‘the home of that trust,’ his office in the high school locker room,” the judges wrote in the six-page decision.

Not only that, but the panel stated that the evidence would have supported an even longer prison sentence for Pindell.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Basketball Coaches David and Rachel Wakefield Accused of Sexually Abusing Student

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
david and rachel wakefield

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.

David and Rachel Wakefield, basketball coaches at Damascus Christian School in Damascus, Oregon, were recently accused of sexually assaulting a minor student. The school is owned and operated by Damascus Community Church, an Evangelical congregation.

The Clackamas County Sheriff reports:

Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office detectives are seeking possible additional victims following the indictments of a husband and wife on sex-abuse charges.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, David Alan Wakefield, 60, was indicted by a Clackamas County grand jury on 20 counts of Sex Abuse 2, and his wife, Rachel Jean Wakefield, 54, was indicted on 11 counts of Sex Abuse 2. They turned themselves in at Clackamas County Jail on Wednesday, Feb. 28, and were each released on $100,000 bail. Booking photos are attached.

The victim, now an adult, was a 14-year-old student at Damascus Christian School at the time the reported abuse began; the alleged abuse spanned a period of approximately four years. David and Rachel Wakefield were employed at Damascus Christian at the time of the abuse. David Wakefield had worked at Damascus Christian as principal, and then athletic director until 2020. Rachel Wakefield worked at the school as a substitute teacher and coach.

Detectives believe there may be additional victims and are asking for tips.

The Outlook adds:

A husband and wife who coached Damascus Christian girls basketball are accused of sexually abusing a student-athlete over the course of four years.

David Wakefield, 60, and Rachel Wakefield, 54, were taken into custody Wednesday, Feb. 28, for allegedly abusing an underage girl on the basketball team between January 2013 and June 2017. Both are being held in the Clackamas County Jail after being taken into custody from their home in Mulino.

David Wakefield faces 20 counts of second-degree sexual abuse; while Rachel Wakefield faces 11 counts of second-degree sexual abuse. The former is being represented by Attorney Barry Engle, while the latter is represented by Attorney Zach Stern.

In a joint statement released by the defense attorneys, the couple denies the charges and “(looks) forward to the day when the truth comes out.” According to court documents they have been aware of the allegations since 2021. David Wakefield turned himself into authorities when the charges were filed. Neither were employed by the school at that time.

David Wakefield was a prominent local coach, leading the small 1A Damascus Christian for 16 seasons (more than 600 games), including a pair of championships in 2013 and 2015, while the alleged abuse was occurring. In addition to his coaching duties, he was a teacher and athletic director for the Eagles.

Rachel Wakefield was his co-coach, and was also heavily involved with fundraising activities for the school and community events.

The jury trial is scheduled to begin in April.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.

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