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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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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.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Ryan McElrath Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

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ryan mcelrath

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.

Earler this year, Ryan McElrath, a youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, Tennessee, was accused of raping a seventeen-year-old church girl. McElrath pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct charges and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Channel 7 reported:

A Jackson youth pastor has been arrested on rape charges.

According to booking information from the Madison County jail, 39-year-old Ryan McElrath was booked into the jail around 5:48 p.m. on Tuesday.

Jackson Police Department’s online Police To Citizen resource shows that McElrath was arrested at a residence on Willow Green Drive, with charges listed as sexual battery by an authority figure, statutory rape, and statutory rape by an authority figure – forcible rape.

In a social media post made by Fellowship Bible Church prior to his arrest — which is no longer accessible — McElrath is described as a “high school pastor.” At the time of this report, the church also has several videos on their website where McElrath can be seen as a featured speaker.

McElrath also hosted a religion-based podcast with episodes ranging from October 2021 – November 2023. The podcast’s description states: “Here, at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, TN, we are starting our very first Family Podcast in which we are going to create space for families to have great conversations with their kids and have fun at the same time!”

A June 14, 2024 update stated:

A warrant has revealed additional details in the arrest of youth pastor Ryan McElrath. According to the warrant, on the morning of June 11, a man visited the Jackson Police Department to report a sexual assault against his daughter. The warrant states on May 31, 2024, McElrath engaged in sexual contact with a 17-year-old female victim at Fellowship Bible Church, located at 141 Pleasant Plains Road in Jackson. According to the warrant, McElrath met the victim in the high school area of the church for approximately 30 minutes. McElrath is expected to appear in Jackson City Court on June 26th at 9:30 a.m.

Fellowship Bible released the following statement:

Ryan McElrath is no longer employed at Fellowship due to criminal charges filed June 11. Within hours of the allegations, the matter was investigated, Ryan admitted to the violation, and was terminated. The church immediately supported the victim in reporting the allegations to local law enforcement, and notified parents and students. The church is cooperating fully with local authorities, and is engaging an external agency to audit church policies and procedures as well as provide guidance on continued care for the victim and the church. Our priority continues to be the privacy and well-being of the victim, the victim’s family, our students and their parents.

“As a church community we are absolutely devastated by this. And, as a parent, I share in our God’s outrage and grief when the innocent are harmed. We are acting in cooperation with law enforcement in caring for the victim and the victim’s family.”

Eugene Brandt, Lead Pastor Fellowship

After his sentencing, Channel 7 reported:

A former youth pastor in Jackson has been sentenced to prison for sex crimes involving a minor.

In June 2024, then 39-year-old Ryan McElrath, a former youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Jackson, was booked into the Madison County jail on charges involving inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor.

A warrant revealed that the arrest stemmed from an alleged incident that took place at the church between McElrath and a 17-year-old female victim.

In February 2025, McElrath pled guilty to “use of a facility and means of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual acts.” The plea agreement includes that McElrath will be placed on the national sex offender registry.

On June 6, 2025, McElrath was sentenced at the U.S. District Court in Jackson to 252 months (21 years) in federal custody and five years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution.

The court also recommended that McElrath be housed at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility as close to Phoenix, Arizona as possible.

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 Allan Jones Sentenced for Child Porn Possession

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pastor allan 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.

Allan Jones, pastor of Lifeway Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty to child pornogpraphy possession and will spend the next six months in jail.

WKRG-5 reports:

A former Baptist church pastor will spend six months in jail after pleading guilty to child pornography possession.

Allan Kyle Jones, 50, was arrested in August 2023 on multiple charges after explicit images of minors were found on his phone, according to officials. 

Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a cyber tip from a company that monitors illegal online activity, prompting the investigation.

None of the children in the images seemed to be from the area, officials said at the time.

Jones pleaded guilty to one of the charges and received a 10-year sentence, split to serve six months in jail and three years of probation, plus various fines and court costs.

Jones was the pastor of Lifeway Community Church on Thompson Road.

Lagniappe adds:

The pastor of a Loxley church, which routinely hosted homeschool and youth fine arts activities, is being accused of possessing pornographic videos and photographs of young girls.

Allan Kyle Jones, 48, pastor of Lifeway Community Church in Loxley, is facing four criminal charges for possessing sexually explicit images. He was arrested Tuesday morning by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and released several hours later on a $60,000 bond.

Cpt. Andre Reid with the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit stated his office has been investigatingJones for several weeks after receiving a tip. He said detectives collected enough details to establish probable cause and obtained a warrant to search Jones’ cell phone.

“Mr. Jones has been charged with four counts of possession of obscene material containing the visual depiction of a person under 17 years of age. This investigation is still ongoing, and evidence is being analyzed,” he said.

Additional charges may be added once BCSO completes its investigation, Reid said.

A criminal complaint detailing Jones’ accusations was made public Thursday afternoon, Aug. 31. That document states Jones was arrested and charged after law enforcement officers confirmed the presence of images and video of “prepubescent” girls on his Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra cell phone.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission states prepubescent children are generally 13 years old or younger and lists sexual attraction to this age group among the criteria for pedophilia.

According to court filings, Jones had numerous explicit images of female minors and a 4-second video of a girl pulling down her pants. Those materials were reportedly downloaded on Aug. 25 and depict the girls showing their anus, vagina and breasts while they pose.

The state’s online court database lists Jones’ wife and mother as witnesses, in addition to a confidential source. It does not specify who made a report or how the witnesses are involved in the case. Fairhope attorney Patrick Prendergast is representing Jones.

“[Mr. Jones] maintains his innocence and looks forward to the facts coming out in court,” Prendergast said in a statement.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 5.

According to state license records, Lifeway Community Church was formed in 2001. The church’s website states Jones has been the pastor since 2015. A home address on Jones’ booking sheet is identical to the church’s address; he reportedly lives in a residence on church property.

The church is listed as a member of the Baldwin Baptist Association, which serves area Southern Baptist churches. It’s the denomination’s policy for affiliated churches to autonomously govern themselves.

….

A review of Lifeway church’s online profiles and other pages suggests homeschool students would have been commonly present at the church building through various fine arts programs. A source who has attended homeschool events at Lifeway described the church as a hub for homeschool activities and said Jones had “entrenched” himself in the homeschool community. Authorities have given no indication Jones had inappropriate behavior with children at the church.

Various social media pages for Baldwin County homeschool families and events indicate workshops and events for homeschooled students were regularly hosted at Lifeway church.

One post promoting a homeschool expo stated, “The Jones family is always there to help anyone in need, especially our local homeschool community! Pastor Allen Jones is the pastor of Lifeway Community Church in Loxley. They have hosted many homeschool events at their church and have been so welcoming.”

Additionally, the church regularly hosted the Impact Youth Theater group and accommodated other homeschool-oriented fine arts organizations, such as choir and orchestra. Jones’ LinkedIn profile indicates he has professional acting experience and has participated in community theater productions.

It is currently unclear if Jones plans to continue to act as Lifeway’s pastor or if the conditions of his bond will prevent the church from holding youth events while his charges are pending.

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: Methodist Pastor Myron Chorbajian and His Wife Face Numerous Sex Crime Charges

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myron and kathleen chorbajian

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.

Myron Chorbajian, pastor of First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville, South Carolina and his wife, Kathleen, face ninety criminal charges, including child sexual abuse and attempted murder.

WRDW reports:

New warrants released in the investigation into a Greenville County pastor and his wife reveal more allegations of disturbing abuse.

In May, Myron Chorbajian and Kathleen Chorbajian were arrested after a victim came forward about abuse that reportedly started in the 1980s. Initial reports from investigators detailed extensive child sexual abuse and animal killings.

Myron is the pastor of First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville. He and his wife reportedly adopted numerous children over the years.

The Chorbajians now face a combined 90 charges, including two attempted murder charges against Myron.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office released the new warrants in the case on Thursday, which contain graphic details. Some of the allegations are too disturbing to report.

The attempted murder charges stem from alleged incidents in the 1990s where, according to his arrest warrants, Myron cut off oxygen to victims by holding them underwater or placing his arms around the victim’s neck.

The  warrant says Kathleen “allowed her husband to force their children to smoke until they vomited.” A related warrant against Myron says it was “several packs of cigarettes.”

Myron also forced children to eat trash and feces, other warrants state.

A warrant says Myron killed a 6-year-old girl’s pet rabbit in front of her with an axe and forced the child to eat the rabbit.

To “prove the consequence of disobedience,” a warrant says Myron threw a child’s pet kitten into the running engine of a van.

Myron sexually abused a child on the victim’s 12th birthday, according to a warrant. He’s accused of committing child sex crimes both on his home couch and an office couch of his place of work at the time. During one of the sexual assaults, Myron is accused of restricting a child’s breathing until she passed out.

Kathleen is accused of handcuffing a child to the bed for days during one instance of abuse detailed in a warrant. She also reportedly slapped and struck children in the face with items causing bleeding.

A warrant says Myron took a victim to the woods, stripped her naked, and beat her with a stick “leaving long lasting bruises.” Kathleen knew about it, the warrant against her states.

The Chorbajians were denied bond again during a hearing on Tuesday and remain in the Greenville 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 Dominic Foor Accused of Sexually Abusing Teenagers

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dominic foor

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.

Dominic Foor, the former pastor of Pathway Apostolic Church, current pastor of New Direction Church, both in Columbus, Ohio and the operator Foor U Construction, stands accused of sexually abusing two teenagers.

WBNS-10 reports:

A 23-count indictment was filed against a central Ohio pastor who is accused of sexually abusing a teenager.

The indictment filed in the Pickaway County Court of Common Pleas states that 39-year-old Dominic Foor faces the following charges:

11 counts of sexual battery

Six counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor

Six counts of importuning

According to the indictment, the first incident reportedly happened at a home on Lockbourne Eastern Road in Ashville on Nov. 3, 2022, when the victim was 15 years old. The indictment also states that the incidents lasted through Nov. 26, 2024.

Captain Johnathan Strawser with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office said the original complaint was brought forward on Nov. 28, 2024, and it has been under investigation since.

Strawser added at the time of the incidents, Foor was a pastor at Pathway Apostolic Church in Columbus.

10TV reached out to the church, which stated that Foor had left his position in March. The church said he is currently serving as the pastor of New Direction Church on Parsons Avenue.

A judge set a $250,000 bond for Foor when he appeared in court on Tuesday.

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: Baptist Pastor Douglas Jones Accused of Criminal Sexual Conduct

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pastor douglas 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.

Douglas Jones, the pastor of Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan, stands accused of one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The Royal Oak Tribune reports:

A prominent 82-year-old pastor of a Pontiac church accused of a sex crime in Rochester Hills will face an Oakland County Circuit Judge next week.

The case against Reverend Douglas Jones of West Bloomfield was advanced following a preliminary exam in 52-3 District Court.

Jones, senior pastor of Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac since 1989, is charged with one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct — a high court misdemeanor — that allegedly occurred Aug. 26, 2024.

At the conclusion of the preliminary exam on May 20, Judge Laura Polizzi determined there was enough evidence to bind the case over to the higher court for possible trial.

Jones is well-known for his ministries and other community involvement throughout Pontiac — including board member of the Oakland County Health Network, founder of the Greater Pontiac Community Coalition, and more. In February, the Detroit Red Wings recognized him as a “Black History Month Game Changers honoree.”

Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involves unwanted sexual contact but does not include penetration. High court misdemeanor penalties are typically more severe than misdemeanor penalties; fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of $500.

Jones is out of custody on a $10,000 personal bond, which requires no cash or surety to be posted.

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.