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.
Steve Sumner, former pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Anderson, Indiana (an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist congregation), and a former Madison County Councilman was charged in 2022 with rape and other sex crimes.
The trial of former Madison County councilman Steve Sumner has been continued until Oct. 3.
Sumner, 52, is facing a total of 13 criminal charges for alleged sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.
If convicted Sumner is facing a possible sentence ranging from 10 to 57 years and maximum fines of up to $120,000.
The most serious charge is rape, a Level 3 felony.
Sumner is currently free after posting a $5,000 bond.
Special Judge Jeffrey Todd of Grant County granted a continuance of the trial that had been set for May 16.
The charging information for the rape charge states that between July 1, 2020 and Aug. 4, 2020, Sumner did knowingly or intentionally have sexual contact with a girl under the age of 16 when the person was compelled by force or the imminent threat of force.
Following his arrest in December, Sumner said he was innocent of the charges.
He was arrested initially on criminal charges of child solicitation and possession of child pornography, both Level 6 felonies.
Sumner was elected to the Madison County Council from District 2 in 2018 and resigned from his seat on the council in 2021.
He also served as a pastor with the Lighthouse Church in Anderson.
The probable cause also states that on multiple occasions, Sumner would open the shower curtain when the girl was taking a shower and at one point he climbed into the shower and asked the girl to wash the soap off of him.
Investigators obtained forensic information off of both Sumner’s and the girl’s cell phone. On Sumner’s cell phone investigators found numerous images and videos of a young nude female.
The girl said all but two of the photographs were of her taken in 2019 or the beginning of 2020, according to the charging information.
The girl told investigators Sumner indicated to her he looked at the images and it “turned him on.”
She also said that in August 2020 Sumner entered her bedroom, asked her to get on the bed and touched her upper thigh with a vibrator while everyone else was in the house was sleeping.
Facing an upcoming court date and trial, Sumner decided to flee the state of Indiana.
It is believed that former Madison County Councilman Steve Sumner has fled the state of Indiana.
An informed source that didn’t want to be identified said Monday that Sumner has left Indiana after failing to appear at a court hearing last week.
The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office charged Sumner with a felony count of failing to appear.
Once he is apprehended, Madison County officials will seek to return Sumner to Indiana.
Sumner, 52, was supposed to appear Thursday in Madison Circuit Court Division and did not appear.
A warrant for his arrest was issued by Special Judge Jeffrey Todd of Grant County.
“I have no idea why my client did not show up,” Sumner’s attorney Cody Cogswell said.
Cogswell was recently appointed to represent Sumner after attorney Bob Summerfield withdrew from the case.
“That Counsel has not made contact with the Defendant since being appointed on the case and has tried every avenue to do so,” Cogswell’s motion for the continuance states.
Sumner is facing a total of 13 criminal charges for alleged sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.
If convicted Sumner is facing a possible sentence ranging from 10 to 57 years and maximum fines of up to $120,000.
The most serious charge is a rape as a Level 3 felony.
The charging information for the rape charge states that between July, 1, 2020 and Aug. 4, 2020, Sumner did knowingly or intentionally have sexual contact with a girl under the age of 16 when the person was compelled by force or the imminent threat of force.
Following his arrest in December, Sumner said he was innocent of the charges.
Sumner was elected to the Madison County Council from District 2 in 2018 and resigned from his seat on the council in 2021.
He also served as a pastor with the Lighthouse Church in Anderson.
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.
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 Lazzell, a former school principal and deacon at First Baptist Church in Danville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to the Blue Shirt Coalition — a group of school alumni and friends:
Lazzell is the third prominent former staff member to be charged with sexual crimes against minors since the late 90s.
Former First Baptist Church of Danville School Principal and Church Deacon Robert Lazzell has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Criminal Sexual Assault against former student Michael Young.
The sentence was handed down by Associate Judge Derek J. Girton Tuesday (Aug 1st) morning, after a sentencing hearing in front of a standing room crowd in courtroom 3B. The speakers included Michael Young, and his mother and grandmother; all calling for the maximum sentence of 15 years. The defense asked for the minimum of four years.
Young, now 26, stated that the grooming, abuse, and sexual assault, and threats and bribery and efforts to isolate him from his family all began when he was an 8th grader; and that the harassment of him by Lazzell continued when he went away to college in Florida, with Lazzell trying to convince him to come to Maranatha Baptist in Wisconsin where he had gone to work.
Although the defense claimed a psychosexual examination of Lazzell claimed he was low risk for recidivism, Judge Girton looked at Lazzell prior to sentencing him and said that based on the evidence heard, the testimony given, and the pattern of his behavior towards Young for many years, he did not trust him.
The fourth person who spoke at the hearing for the prosecution was a long time friend of Young’s, as well as also a former First Baptist Church member and school student, Kate Gibson. She said after the sentencing that for students like Young and herself; that church was their entire world.
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The 50-year-old Lazzell will be required to serve 85% of his 12 year sentence.
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.
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.
Gregory Neal, the executive pastor of Journey Baptist Church in Barrington, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to stealing $130,000 from the church to pay his gambling debts and was sentenced to eighteen months in prison.
A New Hampshire executive pastor has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing about $130,000 from his church to pay off gambling debts and make purchases.
Gregory Neal, of Barrington, 45, was sentenced in federal court Wednesday and ordered to pay back the Journey Baptist Church and the insurance company that covered a portion of the losses.
He pleaded guilty in April to one count of wire fraud.
“A man who abused his position of trust — as a leader of his church — and stole from his congregation to support his gambling habit has been brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Jane Young said in a statement.
Prosecutors said that between January 2017 and March 2020, Neal made unauthorized withdrawals of the church’s funds to pay off his debts and made unauthorized purchases with church credit cards.
His lawyer asked for a sentence of five years of probation to allow Neal to continue running his carpentry business so he can pay back the church and support his family.
“When the theft was uncovered, Mr. Neal confessed and tried to make amends,” his sentencing memorandum said. “He repaid several thousand dollars and, after being confronted by law enforcement, saved additional money to repay. He attended Gambler’s Anonymous meetings and started a new business, building kitchen islands, to support his family.”
Included were letters of support from Neal’s wife and church parishioners.
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.
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.
Ferrell Kissiar, an assistant pastor at the United Pentecostal Church in Patoka, Illinois, pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Kissiar was also a teacher’s aide at Cornerstone Academy in Nokomis, Illinois.
Ferrell Kissiar, a former assistant pastor at the Pentecostal Church in Patoka was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison after various consecutive sentences were handed down in the plea agreement. He was given credit for 871 days served in the Fayette County Jail, will have to register for life as a sexual predator and was ordered to have no contact with the victims.
The Attorney General’s Office charged Kissiar with 3 counts of Disseminating Child Pornography, 2 counts of Possessing Child Pornography, 1 count of Reproducing Child Pornography, 1 count of Indecent Solicitation of an Adult and 1 count of Conspiracy to commit Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.
He was arrested in 2021 along with a Vandalia husband and wife, Amber and Andrew Wehrle in connection with the pornography ring and abuse charges. Amber Wehrle was sentenced earlier this year to 13 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges in her case, while her husband was sentenced to 26 years in prison for his guilty plea.
The three cases were initially joined together and were slated to be tried together by a Fayette County jury in June. However, the Wehrles pleaded guilty and Kissiar pushed forward toward a jury trial.
Then earlier this month he agreed to the terms of a negotiated plea and waived his right to a jury trial.
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.
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.
Barry Fike, a pastor at Fillmore Church of Christ in Fillmore, California, stands accused of four felony counts of sending material to seduce a minor, one felony count of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, and one misdemeanor count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purpose.
A Ventura County minister and former teacher was charged Wednesday with multiple felonies related to communicating with a minor in order to have sex.
Barry Fike, a pastor at Fillmore Church of Christ, allegedly thought he was messaging with a 15-year-old girl and even sent this person “explicit photos of himself,” the Ventura County district attorney’s office said in a news release.
The suspect, Fike, was actually communicating with an undercover police officer, the D.A.’s office said. The district attorney’s office didn’t provide specifics but said “the conversations were sexual in nature” and the “chatroom Fike was allegedly communicating in did not have any safety features in place to verify a person’s age or to monitor the communication.”
Fike was arrested Monday.
“There are many chatrooms online that are not moderated or do not take any steps to limit adult contact with minors,” Terrance Dobrosky, the supervising district attorney investigator, wrote in a news release. “All too often, this exposes children to potential exploitation as predators take advantage of the limited oversight.”
Fike has been charged with four felony counts of sending material to seduce a minor, one felony count of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, and one misdemeanor count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purpose. The 67-year-old pleaded not guilty Wednesday and was being held in custody with bail set at $150,000, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office.
A public defender who represented him in court didn’t respond to a request for comment. Fike is due back in court July 27.
The Fillmore resident previously taught at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village for nearly 11 years until 2014, according to his LinkedIn page. Cozette Darby, senior administrative officer at Oaks Christian High School, said Fike taught high school English but hasn’t worked at the institution since 2014.
“Many years have passed since Mr. Fike was employed by our school,” Darby wrote in an email.
Barry Fike, who has served the congregation on an interim basis for three years is now serving as the permanent senior pulpit minister. He has also served congregations in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Illinois, and Simi Valley. He received his education from Freed-Hardeman University, Harding Graduate School of Religion, Valdosta State University, Logos Christian University, and Pepperdine University, Malibu. He recently authored a book on the relationship of Christians and Jewish baptisms, which is currently being published. He comes from a family of ministers with his father, Don Fike, having been a minister for over 50 years. His brothers, Dr. Paul Fike and Byron Fike are ministers in Canton and Houston Texas.
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.
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.
Luke Bese, a youth leader at Hope Kingsburg [Mennonite] Church in Kingsburg, California, was sentenced to one year in prison for arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd or lascivious behavior and a misdemeanor charge of annoying, molesting any child under 18 years of age.
A former youth pastor in Kingsburg was sentenced Tuesday to serve one year in prison for having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old church member.
Luke Michael Bese, 30, was convicted in May on one felony charge of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd or lascivious behavior and a misdemeanor charge of annoying, molesting any child under 18 years of age.
Bese, who worked as a youth leader at Hope Kingsburg Church, began a secret relationship with the 16-year-old that included sending her lingerie from Victoria’s Secret, a sex toy, and condoms. Bese, who is married, also requested that the teenager send him photos of herself in the lingerie.
The relationship lasted nearly eight months, beginning July 29, 2018 and ending March 28, 2019. Bese was arrested on June 8, 2020.
During Bese’s sentencing hearing, Judge Alvin Harrell III admitted to being torn over how to punish the former youth pastor for his crimes. Harrell noted that he received many “glowing” letters in support of Bese.
Nearly a dozen family members and friends sat in the audience in support of Bese. Family members described him as a selfless person who studied for years to become a pastor.
Bese spoke briefly, offering an apology to his family and to the teenager who was also in the courtroom.
“I am sorry for the mistakes that I have made, this has been a trying time for me and my family,” Bese said. “I made decisions I should not have made. I am so sorry.”
The teenager had tears in her eyes as Bese spoke. She chose not to speak, but others did on her behalf.
Prosecutor Adam Christopherson said Bese’s actions violated the trust placed in him by the church, the young people he worked with and the person he preyed on. Christopherson urged the judge to give Bese prison time, not probation.
“This kind of conduct can not be tolerated,” Christopherson said.
A friend of the victim said many people in the church’s youth community felt let down by Bese. But hurt worst of all was her friend.
“It has left her broken,” she said.
The judge acknowledged the good work Bese has done, while also recognizing the emotional trauma he has inflicted.
“I am not here to stay what a monster he is,” Harrell said. “He is a good man, he is a bright man. But he is also a man who knew better than to engage in the actions that he did.”
Harrell said Bese was careful to conceal what he was doing because he knew it was criminal.
“You asked her to take pictures of herself in the lingerie,” Harrell said. “That is completely inappropriate.”
Bese was sentenced to one year in prison and must register as a sex offender, Harrell said.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
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, Kenneth “Kenny” Glasgow, a well-known preacher in the Dothan, Alabama area and the half-brother of Al Sharpton, was accused of capital murder.
A well-known community activist has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with a fatal shooting Sunday night on Allen Road.
Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish said police believe the Rev. Kenneth Glasgow, 52, was the driver of a vehicle involved in the shooting of 23-year-old Breunia Jennings of Dothan. Also charged is 26-year-old Jamie Townes of Dothan, whom police believe to be the trigger man.
Police believe Townes was angry at Jennings because he believed she stole his car. The two men are being held at the Houston County Jail without bail.
Under Alabama law, a person believed to have aided or abetted a criminal act is equally liable for the underlying act.
“Patrol units were responding to a suspicious vehicle call near Stringer Street AME Church,” Parrish said during a press conference Monday at the Dothan Police Department. “When the units approached the area, they noticed a situation that appeared to be an automobile accident. However, when officers approached the area they knew the scene was a homicide.”
Parrish stated the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests may occur since additional passengers are believed to have been in the vehicle police say was driven by Glasgow. ….
Glasgow has been involved in several community movements since being released from prison. He was convicted on drug charges in the late 1980s. Upon his release, he founded The Ordinary People Society, a community and homeless ministry in Dothan. He has advocated for the restoration of voting rights for ex-felons and helped start Moma Tina’s Mission House in Dothan, along with his mother.
Glasgow has referred to himself as Kenny Sharpton Glasgow on several occasions and is believed to be the half brother of the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network.
Under Alabama law, murder committed by or through the use of a deadly weapon while the victim is in a vehicle is considered a capital crime. A person convicted of a capital crime is eligible for life in prison without parole or death.
In February 2021, the Houston County Grand Jury dropped the murder charge against Glasgow.
The Houston County Grand Jury has dropped capital murder charges against Kenneth Glasgow stemming from his March 2018 arrest for the involvement in the shooting of 23 year old, Breunia Jennings.
The Grand Jury ruled there is insufficient evidence to establish enough probable cause to take Reverend Kenneth Glasgow to trial for the capital murder charge.
Dothan Police Department told WDHN three years ago that the murder victim, Breunia Jennings, was found dead in a stolen car belonging to Jamie Townes, the assailant who allegedly shot and killed Jennings.
Townes then rode around Dothan with human rights activist, Rev. Kenneth Glasgow looking for his stolen car. Police determined that multiple rounds had been fired into the stolen car Jennings body was later found in.
In the state of Alabama, when a person fires shots into an occupied vehicle it becomes a capital murder case.
Although Glasgow no longer has a capital murder charge, he still currently has pending charges; drug possession, assault on a police officer, and tampering with physical evidence that he is awaiting trial on.
Earlier this year, Glasgow pleaded guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug conspiracy charges.
Dothan pastor Kenneth Glasgow, 57, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug conspiracy charges on Friday, according to United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.
Glasgow founded The Ordinary Peoples Society (TOPS) and the Prodigal Child Project, nonprofit organizations.
He claimed that nearly half a million dollars he took would be used for charitable purposes.
Instead, Glasgow admitted during the 2018 calendar year alone, he withdrew $407,450.00 in cash from the bank that was used for personal benefit.
He failed to report those funds as income on his tax return, not even filing a report for that year.
As a part of the plea agreement, Glasgow agreed to pay the IRS $376,720.00 in restitution for tax years 2016 through 2019.
He also pleaded guilty to mailing falsified forms in order to collect Social Security disability benefits.
To collect those payments, Glasgow told the Social Security Administration that he struggled with mobility, dressing himself, and preparing meals. But he failed to answer questions about his ability to handle money.
In his plea agreement, Glasgow admitted that he also rented a car using funds from one of his nonprofits and listed himself as the sole authorized driver.
Glasgow also pleaded guilty to previous drug charges.
“Kenny’s plea today is what he felt was in his best interest. He’s happy to finally get this matter behind him,” defense attorney Derek Yarbrough told News4.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months.
At that hearing, Glasgow will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution.
Yesterday, Glasgow was sentenced to 30 months in prison for drug conspiracy, social security and mail fraud.
Kenneth Glasgow, pastor and founder of The Ordinary People’s Society and Prodigal Child Project, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for drug conspiracy, social security and mail fraud, according to his attorney Derek Yorbrough.
According to documents filed by the Department of Justice, Glasgow was accused of stealing $407,450 from one of his tax-exempt organizations and sending false information to the Social Security Administration to obtain disability payments and related health benefits under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Glasgow reported in 2019 that he worked at The Ordinary People’s Society (TOPS) for 60 hours a week with no income and at his other charity, Prodigal Child Project (PCP), for 50 hours a week. They also claim Glasgow used the money to rent a vehicle each month from a dealership, even though he said others drove him around, according to past reports.
From 2016 to 2019, Glasgow withdrew a total of $1,300,848.54 in cash from TOPS and PCP, never accounting for that money on the nonprofits’ IRS forms or on any tax returns of his own, according to documents.
Glasgow’s sentence includes charges for conspiring with codefendant Willie Frank Peterson, 50, of Dothan, to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. Documents show that Peterson pleaded guilty to his involvement in the drug conspiracy on March 14, and in his plea stated that Glasgow agreed to purchase cocaine from Peterson in 2018 and 2019.
In addition, reports show Glasgow received traffic citations relating to 27 different traffic stops between February 5, 2015, and August 11, 2020. All citations indicated that Glasgow was the driver of the vehicle.
Glasgow changed his plea four different times until eventually pleading guilty to all charges on February 24, 2023. The judge also ordered that Glasgow serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and pay the IRS $376,720.00 in restitution, according to the DOJ.
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.
The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
In 2022, Jordan Huffman, a former youth pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, Wisconsin, was accused of sexually assaulting a church teenager. The sexual assaults began when the boy was twelve. Huffman also worked for Forest Lakes District Evangelical Free Church of America in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Jordan Ross Huffman, 51, who is living in Satellite Beach, Florida, faces charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child, three counts of child enticement, one count of causing a child to view sexual activity and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.
The Portage County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges against Huffman on Aug. 5, and Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr. issued a warrant for him on Monday.
The Brevard County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office online records state officers arrested Huffman Tuesday. On Wednesday, Attorney Andrea Winder, of Madison, notified the court that she is Huffman’s lawyer.
According to the criminal complaint, in 2017, a couple approached Huffman, who at the time was a pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, and asked him to mentor their 12-year-old son. The boy had started drinking and getting into trouble.
The boy told police instead of helping him, Huffman did just the opposite, according to the complaint. Huffman gave the boy alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, according to the complaint. The boy said Huffman would drive him to a remote location at the end of a dirt road, after the boy was drunk or under the influence of marijuana, and inappropriately touch the boy with his mouth or hands, according to the complaint.
The boy said the encounters happened multiple times. He said nothing happened at Woodlands Church, other than Huffman telling the boy he had alcohol, marijuana or nicotine cartridges for him, according to the complaint. He said Huffman had sexual intercourse with him one time at Huffman’s home while his wife and children were gone.
When Huffman left Woodlands Church and took a job with Forest Lakes District Evangelical Free Church of America in Stevens Point, several encounters occurred in Huffman’s office there, according to the complaint.
The boy told police he let Huffman do these things because Huffman was his mentor and because he was drunk or high, according to the complaint. When the boy got older, he told Huffman he didn’t want to have sexual contact with him anymore, and Huffman respected the request. About six months later, Huffman told the boy he no longer wanted to hang out with him, according to the complaint.
If convicted of the charges, Huffman faces a maximum of 221 years and 9 months in prison.
Huffman is now facing new accusations of sexual assault.
Jordan Huffman, 52, of Oshkosh, faces charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13, child enticement for sexual contact, and three counts of felony bail jumping.
Shortly after 1 a.m. May 19, a 12-year-old boy called 911 and told Winnebago County dispatch he had been kidnapped from an address in Appleton, was in a vehicle and the man who took him was “coming back,” according to a criminal complaint.
Dispatchers tracked GPS location from the juvenile’s cellphone and sent officers to the Econo Lodge Hotel at 2000 Holly Road in Fox Crossing, according to police.
Police conducted a traffic stop on Huffman’s vehicle, and the boy ran out of the vehicle “screaming and crying,” according to the complaint. Police took Huffman into custody.
In an interview with investigators at the Fox Valley Child Advocacy Center, the boy said he received and accepted a Snapchat friend request sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight May 18. He engaged in conversation with the other Snapchat user, during which he informed the person he was 12 years old. The person sent a nude photo, and the boy said he sent one back that he found online.
The boy said the Snapchat user stopped sending messages for a bit, then asked if the boy wanted to talk on the phone. The boy said no, and within minutes, he received a message saying “I’m here,” according to the complaint. The man was in a vehicle outside the boy’s house.
The boy said he “was confused and didn’t know how the male knew where he lived,” then realized his Snapchat location settings were on, the complaint says. He told investigators he went into the man’s vehicle, thinking they were only going to talk, then the man began driving and told the boy they were going to a hotel.
When they arrived at the hotel, the man took the car keys and checked in, leaving the boy in the car. The boy said this was when he called the police.
When the man returned, the boy said, they went into the hotel and sexual contact occurred. The boy said he faked a phone call from his mother, and told the man his mom was calling to tell him to come home. He said he called police again, pretending it was his mom, according to the complaint.
The boy said the man was beginning to take the boy back to his house when the police arrived. The boy said Huffman asked if he had “set him up,” according to the complaint.
Huffman has an open case in Portage County for which he faces one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of repeated sexual assault of the same child, three counts of child enticement for sexual contact, one count of causing a child to view sexual activity and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.
In that case, Huffman is accused of engaging in sexual activity with an adolescent boy he met through church over the course of multiple years.
According to a criminal complaint for the Portage County case, in 2017 a couple approached Huffman, then a pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, and asked him to mentor their 12-year-old son who had been drinking and getting in trouble. The boy told police Huffman did not help him, but instead gave him alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, and engaged in sexual contact with the boy.
The boy told police that Huffman on multiple occasions gave him alcohol, marijuana or pills, and while the boy was under the influence, Huffman would drive him to a remote location and inappropriately touch him with his mouth or hands. In one instance, the boy said Huffman sexually assaulted him in Huffman’s house while his wife and children were gone.
The first incident occurred when the boy was 12, and continued for a couple years, the boy said. When the boy was 15, he said he told Huffman he no longer wanted to engage in sexual contact. He said he and Huffman continued to hang out for about six months before Huffman told the boy he no longer wanted to spend time with him, the complaint says.
The Portage County charges were filed in August, after the victim came forward with information.
On June 23, 2023, Huffman pleaded guilty to two felony counts of repeated sexual assault of the same child.
A former Plover youth minister pleaded guilty Friday morning in Portage County Circuit Court to two felony counts of repeated sexual assault of the same child.
Portage County Circuit Court Judge Michael Zell ordered a pre-sentence investigation for Jordan R. Huffman, 52, who currently is in the Winnebago County Jail on a $1 million bail for unrelated charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child, child enticement and three counts of felony bail jumping.
Zell scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 3.
As part of a plea agreement in the Portage County case, a charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 was dismissed. Three charges of child enticement, a charge of causing a child age 13 to 18 to view sexual activity and a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a child were dismissed but read into the record.
According to the criminal complaint, in 2017 a couple approached Huffman, who at the time was a pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover, and asked him to mentor their 12-year-old son. The boy had started drinking and getting into trouble.
The boy told police instead of helping him, Huffman did the opposite. Huffman gave the boy alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, according to the complaint. The child said Huffman would drive him to a remote location at the end of a dirt road after the boy was drunk or under the influence of marijuana and inappropriately touched him with his mouth or hands.
The boy said the encounters happened multiple times but no incident happened at Woodlands Church, other than Huffman telling the child he had alcohol, marijuana or nicotine cartridges for him, according to the complaint. He said Huffman had sexual intercourse with him one time at Huffman’s home while his wife and children were gone.
When Huffman left Woodlands Church and took a job with Forest Lakes District Evangelical Free Church of America in Stevens Point, several encounters occurred in Huffman’s office there, according to the complaint. The assaults lasted about five years.
The boy told police he let Huffman do these things because the pastor was his mentor and because he was drunk or high. When the boy was 17, he told Huffman he didn’t want to have sexual contact with him anymore, and Huffman respected the request, according to the complaint. About six months later, Huffman told the boy he no longer wanted to hang out with him.
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.
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 November 2022, Robert Auxter, former pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Monroe, Michigan, was charged with two felony counts of gross sexual imposition. Grace Lutheran is affiliated with the Missouri Synod.
Robert Auxter, 75, of Monroe, who had been a pastor and a deacon at Monroe’s Grace Lutheran Church, is charged with two felony counts of gross sexual imposition by the Ottawa Common Pleas Court of Ottawa County in Port Clinton, Ohio.
Auxter was charged Nov. 21 and had an initial arraignment Nov. 28. According to court documents, he is charged with having sexual contact with a person younger than age 13 between March 1 and 31, 2022, in Ottawa County, Ohio. The second charge of gross sexual imposition is for sexual contact with a person less than age 13 between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2022, in Ottawa County.
Auxter’s pretrial hearings have been set for Dec. 28 and Jan. 18. A jury trial is set for Jan. 31.
According to Monroe News archives, Auxter was a deacon at the church in 2018. Most recently, he was identified as a pastor at Grace. He left church leadership a couple of months ago.
Auxter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Judge Bruce Winters of Ottawa County sentenced Robert Auxter to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Gross Sexual Imposition, which are third-degree felonies, in April. Auxter is required to register as a tier 2 sex offender.
Court records show the charges stem from sexual contact with a person under the age of 13. Auxter was charged in November of 2022. He was serving as a pastor in Monroe until he resigned in October.
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.
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.
Danny Prenell, Jr., pastor of Bright Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Pineville, Mississippi, shot his wife in the presence of his children at a Hampton Hotel and then tried to kill himself.
The Enterprise-Journal reports:
A Louisiana pastor and his wife have been identified in a shooting that took place on the first floor of the Hampton Inn and Suites in McComb Wednesday afternoon.
According to WJTV, police identified the couple as 25-year-old Danny Prenell, Jr., and 27-year-old Gabrielle Prenell. Both are in a Jackson hospital with gunshot wounds.
A Jackson TV station quoted McComb police as saying Danny Prenell, who is the pastor of Bright Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Pineville, allegedly shot his wife two times and then shot himself around 3: 30 p.m
Both were airlifted from Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Further information was not available.
After the shooting, McComb police blocked off the hallway on the first floor, where what looks like blood, towels, and a pillow could be seen on the floor by the elevators.
The couple’s children have been placed in state custody.
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.
