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.
James Henry, pastor of Crossroads Assembly of God Church in Delight, Arkansas and a foster parent to over 70 children, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and was sentenced to 110 years in prison.
An Arkansas pastor has been sentenced to 110 years in prison after he plead guilty 11 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The pastor, James Vincent Henry, received 10 years per count, which he will serve consecutively for a total of 110 years.
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A warrant for Henry’s arrest was issued on October 14, 2024, after two cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were made regarding Henry’s activity on the social messaging platforms Snapchat and Kik.
The pastor, who worked at the Crossroads Assembly of God Church in Delight, Arkansas, originally faced 100 counts of Possession, Viewing, and Distribution of Child Pornography.
James Vincent Henry, pastor of Crossroads Assembly of God in Delight, Arkansas, has been charged with 100 counts of possessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material.
According to the church’s website, the 43-year-old pastor has been married to his wife Brittney for 12 years, and the couple has three children.
Henry’s wife is also listed as a pastor of Crossroads Assembly of God.
Before becoming pastor of Crossroads Assembly of God, Henry served as a youth pastor at four different churches: Lacey Assembly of God, McGehee First Assembly of God, Mountain Pine First Assembly of God, and Newsong Church in Centerton, Arkansas.
An Arkansas State Police (ASP) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigation led to the arrest yesterday (Oct. 15) of James Vincent Henry, 43, of Delight, for 100 counts of crimes related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM),” ASP said in a statement. “Henry is the pastor of [a] church in Delight.”
ASP reported that on Wednesday, Sept. 25, “Special Agents with the ASP ICAC Task Force executed a search warrant in Delight in reference to two cyber tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children made through the online messaging applications Snapchat and Kik.”
Agents then reviewed “digital evidence” before obtaining an arrest warrant on Monday (Oct. 14). Pike County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Henry less than 24 hours later.
Henry has been charged with “100 counts of Possession, Viewing, and Distribution of Child Pornography (CSAM).”
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.
Benjamin Felix Guerra, a youth pastor at an unnamed church in Outlook, Washington, stands accused of child rape.
Prosecutors charged an Outlook youth pastor with raping a teenage girl he knew.
In addition to five charges each of second-degree rape and third-degree child molestation, Benjamin Felix Guerra, 32, was also charged with three counts of third-degree child rape and a single count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, according to a six-page charging document filed in Yakima County Superior Court Monday.
Guerra, who is out of custody after posting $10,000 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges April 24.
A woman called the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office in late March saying that Guerra had inappropriately touched her 15-year-old daughter, who was part of a youth group Guerra was leading, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by a sheriff’s detective.
The Yakima Herald-Republic typically does not identify sexual assault victims without their consent.
Sheriff’s spokesman Casey Schilperoort said the report did not identify the church where Guerra served.
In an interview at the county’s Children Advocacy Center, the girl described several incidents where Guerra raped and molested her on multiple occasions, the affidavit said. While at a fast-food restaurant with Guerra and members of the youth group, Guerra, she said, wrote a note on his cellphone asking her to prepare for sex with him and telling her to be quiet about what they were doing.
Guerra was arrested at his home in the 2800 block of Gurley Road April 9 and booked into the Yakima County jail.
While a pretrial evaluation recommended releasing Guerra on court supervision, Judge Jeffery Swan ordered Guerra held in lieu of $10,000 bail and, if he posted bail, to maintain weekly phone contact with court staff and report in person twice a week, as well as receive text messages reminding him of further court dates.
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 Jones, pastor of Liberty Christian Fellowship in Mountain Home, Idaho, stands accused of sex trafficking.
New information is coming to light about a Mountain Home man who was arrested over the weekend on charges of sex trafficking.
Gregory Jones was arrested in Mountain Home on April 25 and charged with penetration with a foreign object and sex trafficking. Tips received from community members led CBS2 to uncover that Gregory Jones is the pastor of Liberty Christian Fellowship church in Mountain Home and was the operations director at NXT Dream Center Daycare. Jones can be seen preaching as recently as April 13 via Facebook live stream.
According to a 2013 article in the Mountain Home News, Gregory Jones, a Major in the Idaho Air National Guard at the time, was named Person of the Year during the 24th Annual Black History Banquet.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office noted in a public release that the arrest of Gregory Jones was largely made possible due to brave victims and witnesses who have come forward, providing crucial evidence in the case. The Sheriff’s office is concerned that there are more victims out there. Anyone with information related to this case, or who believes they may have been a victim, is encouraged to contact the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 587-2100.
Gregory Wayne Jones was well-respected in his community of Mountain Home, Idaho. His work as a director of operations at a daycare and as a pastor made Jones a trusted civilian in the area. That is until he was arrested on heinous accusations.
The investigation into Jones began on January 31, 2025, according to a statement by the Elmore County Sheriff. It was then that multiple alleged victims came forward and provided “critical evidence” for the case against Jones. It’s unclear exactly how many victims have come forward at this point in the investigation.
The pastor was taken into custody on Friday (April 25) and charged with Sexual penetration with a foreign object and Human sex trafficking, according to reports. He is being held at the Elmore County Detention Center in Idaho.
Jones previously worked at NXT Dream Center, which describes itself as “a non-profit 501(c)(3) Community Development Corporation (CDC)” providing community support for veterans, seniors and youth. Jones was listed as the Director of Operations for at NXT.
After news of Jones’ arrest broke, community members came forward to express their shock. “I am disgusted. I’m angry,” Kerstyn Tracy, a parent at NXT told Idaho News 6. “And [I’m] very distrusting of not only the sheriff’s department at this point but daycare facilities in general,” she continued.
According to Tracy, NXT never informed the parents or greater NXT community of Jones’ arrest. Instead, she had to find out through her Facebook friends. “They have yet to put out a statement or address any communication, email, text, phone call, in person,” Tracy said.
She went on to say she knew Jones, and he worked closely with the kids at the daycare facility. “They [NXT] were aware that he’s being investigated for sex crimes. And I feel like that is a possibility of a danger to our children. And I am very upset about that,” she added.
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.
Shane Wiggins, pastor of Baldwin Baptist Mission Church in Baldwin, Louisiana, stands accused of child rape and molestation.
Shane Wiggins, pastor of Baldwin Baptist Mission Church, Baldwin, Louisiana, was arrested April 9 on charges of rape and molestation.
Wiggins has been with the Baldwin congregation, a mission of Little Pass Baptist Church in Charenton, La., since March 2015.
According to the police department of Morgan City, La., Wiggins was arrested in Paris, Texas, and faces extradition.
The Morgan City Police Department (MCPD) reported via Facebook April 9 that Wiggins has been under investigation since December of last year when a mother filed a complaint accusing Wiggins of inappropriate behavior with her child. Recently, unable to contact Wiggins at his residence or by phone, MCPD detectives suspected he had left the state. Police did not report why they believed Wiggins was in Paris, Texas, but that was where they focused their search in collaboration with the Lamar County Sheriff’s and Paris Police departments. Wiggins was arrested while driving in Paris and is now detained in the Lamar County Jail in Paris.
In an email to the Baptist Message, Chris Holloway, senior pastor of Little Pass Baptist Church, said that Wiggins had abandoned the Baldwin congregation at least as early as the first Sunday in February.
Holloway also serves as the associational mission strategist for the Gulf Coast Baptist Association that includes both congregations.
Wiggins is being held in the Lamar County Jail in Texas while awaiting extradition to Morgan City.
Hollaway said Wiggins had previously served as pastor of the Baldwin Baptist Mission Church prior to 2011 and had returned in 2015 to again lead the small congregation (which averages 10 in worship services according to the Louisiana Baptist database).
“Shane left town around the first of February,” Holloway wrote. “My last conversation with him was on Jan. 28, 2025.”
Holloway also noted that Wiggins had been replaced as pastor on Feb. 12 by Warren Guidry, the associate pastor of Little Pass Baptist Church, and the Baldwin congregation merged with First Baptist Church of Franklin, La., on April 13.
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.
Benjamin Guerra, a youth pastor at an unnamed Evangelical church in Outlook, Washington, stands accused of raping a minor church member.
Prosecutors charged an Outlook youth pastor with raping a teenage girl he knew.
In addition to five charges each of second-degree rape and third-degree child molestation, Benjamin Felix Guerra, 32, was also charged with three counts of third-degree child rape and a single count of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, according to a six-page charging document filed in Yakima County Superior Court Monday.
Guerra, who is out of custody after posting $10,000 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges April 24.
A woman called the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office in late March saying that Guerra had inappropriately touched her 15-year-old daughter, who was part of a youth group Guerra was leading, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by a sheriff’s detective.
The Yakima Herald-Republic typically does not identify sexual assault victims without their consent.
Sheriff’s spokesman Casey Schilperoort said the report did not identify the church where Guerra served.
In an interview at the county’s Children Advocacy Center, the girl described several incidents where Guerra raped and molested her on multiple occasions, the affidavit said. While at a fast-food restaurant with Guerra and members of the youth group, Guerra, she said, wrote a note on his cellphone asking her to prepare for sex with him and telling her to be quiet about what they were doing.
Guerra was arrested at his home in the 2800 block of Gurley Road April 9 and booked into the Yakima County jail.
While a pretrial evaluation recommended releasing Guerra on court supervision, Judge Jeffery Swan ordered Guerra held in lieu of $10,000 bail and, if he posted bail, to maintain weekly phone contact with court staff and report in person twice a week, as well as receive text messages reminding him of further court dates.
Swan also barred Guerra from having any contact with the victim.
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.
A Palatka pastor has been arrested for having a “sexual relationship” with a child “between 12 and 18” years old, according to the Palatka Police Department.
Leo Alfonzo Parker, 42, was arrested Wednesday, PPD said. He was identified as a pastor at an East Palatka church. Neighbors tell First Coast News he works at Emerge Church — his picture is also on their social media.
Both sides of the street where Parker lives were cut off by police tape Wednesday night. Neighbors who were in the area said they were shocked and that Parker was well-liked.
It wasn’t until police taped off her street that she realized that pastor was her neighbor, Leo Alfonzo Parker.
“It’s kind of scary because I have two kids. Very scary actually,” Hansford said. “It’s pretty scary that, and there’s a school right across the street as well so that’s also really scary.”
Police say they responded to a call last Thursday where someone reported an “inappropriate relationship between a minor child and an adult male” who was later identified as Parker; they then discovered he was involved in a relationship for an “extended period of time.”
A warrant for Parker’s arrest on charges of sexual battery with a minor was issued Wednesday. He surrendered to detectives.
He is being held on bond for $100,000 at Putnam County Jail.
Police say the investigation is active. Parents are asked to contact the Palatka Police Department if they think there could have been inappropriate contact between Parker and their child.
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.
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.
William Johnson, worship pastor of 2|42 Community Church in Brighton, Michigan, recently pleaded guilty to one count of child sexually abusive activity, seven counts of using a computer to commit a crime, four counts of surveilling an unclothed person, two counts of possessing child sexually abusive material and one count of tampering with evidence.
A former pastor at a Livingston County church has pleaded guilty to 15 charges after he admitted to placing a hidden camera in a unisex bathroom at the church.
William Johnson, 38, pleaded guilty on April 14 to one count of child sexually abusive activity, seven counts of using a computer to commit a crime, four counts of surveilling an unclothed person, two counts of possessing child sexually abusive material and one count of tampering with evidence.
In September 2024, leaders from the 2|42 Community Church in Brighton alerted the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office after church staff found a video recording device in a church bathroom. Johnson, who was the church’s worship pastor director, admitted to church leaders in September 2024 that he placed the camera in the bathroom intending to record people without their knowledge. He was fired from his position with the church.
Johnson, who worked with the church for five years, was later arrested by the sheriff’s office at his home in Howell.
When he was interviewed by detectives, Johnson admitted to hiding a camera in a church bathroom periodically for the last two years and targeting specific people who were known to use that bathroom. Deputies say the bathroom was used by church staff and volunteers and was not typically accessible to the public.
Johnson will be sentenced on May 22.
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 focuses on criminal misconduct—primarily sex crimes—by clergy members. Started in 2017, the series has more than 1,000 stories as of today.
Today, a reader sent me the following email:
I have some questions for you. When you submit story of someone being arrested and having charges against them, do you believe it is your responsibility to later report if the charges were proven and what the sentence is or if the charges were dropped. Do you believe in innocent until proven guilty or do you feel charges are enough for guilt to shame someone whether or not the court finds them guilty? I’m very curious on your thoughts about that.
Here’s my response:
When you submit story of someone being arrested and having charges against them, do you believe it is your responsibility to later report if the charges were proven and what the sentence is or if the charges were dropped?
Charges are rarely dropped. When they are, they are typically dropped because victims refuse to testify. This does not mean the perpetrator is innocent. All it does mean is that victims do not want to relive the horrors of the crimes perpetrated against them. Often, papers do not report what happens after a clergy member is arrested. I use Google Alerts to track these cases. I receive 100-250 alerts per day, many of which are duplicates or fake news.
I should note that just because a clergy person is found not guilty does not mean he or she is innocent. All it means is that the judge (in a bench trial) or a jury found the evidence insufficient to convict the perpetrator.
Yes, clerics are, on rare occasions, accused of crimes they did not do. Our legal system generally does a good job of separating guilt from innocence. Not perfect, but it is the best system we have. Keep in mind, far more acts of sexual misconduct go unreported than are prosecuted. Clerics often wield a lot of power and control. Victims know this. Fearing retribution, they often suffer in silence. That’s why some victims wait until they are adults to report their attacks and assaults.
Do you believe in innocent until proven guilty or do you feel charges are enough for guilt to shame someone whether or not the court finds them guilty?
Of course I believe in innocent until proven guilty. Every Black Collar Crime post starts with this disclaimer:
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.
I only know of a handful of preachers who were found not guilty. Many of them plead guilty, angling for reduced sentences. Since most of these crimes are sex related, prosecutors tend to take their time building a case against the alleged perpetrator. On occasion, prosecutors make mistakes. Our legal system is not infallible.
I rarely make personal comments about Black Collar Crime stories. I just report what credible newspapers and other institutions write. If I make a mistake, I promptly fix it. If someone is found innocent, if the alleged perpetrator asks, I will remove the story or add an addendum that shows they were found not guilty. The perpetrator must show proof of the not-guilty verdict.
On occasion, lying preachers (and their supporters) will contact me, saying they are innocent or their charges have been dismissed. Not wanting anyone to be wrongly accused, I ask for evidence for their claim — news stories or court orders. More often than not, no evidence is forthcoming. Why? The offending preacher is a liar. hoping that I will remove the story about him so it will no longer show in search results.
It is impossible for me to keep up with the disposition of every case. If the disposition shows up in a Google Alert, I will update the relevant post. On occasion, readers such as Brocken will track down what happened to a specific preacher, and I update the post. The goal is to always report the most accurate information 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.
Revival “I Lie for Jesus” Fires is an Evangelical Christian who regularly tries to comment on this site. Most of his comments are so vulgar, vile, and disgusting that I refuse to approve them. What follows is my response to his latest comment. (All grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the original.)
Ok buddy you want to talk about pastors and clergymen that fall into sexual sin,rape?prison rape,etc. It actually amazes me if you struggle with pain and bad health as much as you put out that you’re able to take the time to research this every time a LIKELY false Christian pastor falls into this trap.
I am glad you find my herculean research skills amazing, but the Black Collar Crime Series doesn’t take me as much time as you might think. I have developed research and writing skills that help me quickly turn out these posts.
You seem to suggest that I am lying about my struggles with chronic pain and pervasive health problems. Why would I lie about these things? What do I gain from misleading readers?
I find it interesting that you think preachers who rape children, molest teenagers, and take sexual advantage of vulnerable adults have fallen into a “trap.” It’s as if you think these preachers were just humbly walking the road of life, suddenly tripped, and “fell” into sexual sin. This, of course, is untrue. Most of the preachers featured in the Black Collar Crime Series are not first-time offenders. Many of them were predators for years before they were caught. Proving how easy it is to fake being a Christian, these men Sunday after Sunday stand before their congregations preaching the wonders of Christ all the while committing crimes.
Sadly most are likely just a false as you were in your heart.
You do know the Bible says that liars will end up in the Lake of Fire, right? You have no evidence for your claim that I was a false Christian. The same goes for these offending preachers. Based on your comments on this site, I may be an atheist, but I am a better Christian than you are. In fact, most of the atheists on this site are better Christians than you are. Your behavior suggests that you are Christian in name only.
As far as the preachers featured in the Black Collar Crime Series are concerned, I am sure some of them were Christians in name only. However, what these stories suggest is that one can be a Christian and still commit crimes; that Jesus, salvation, and the Bible are no antidote for sexual sins. The Bible says that when a person is saved, their old life passes away and their new life, in Christ, begins. While I have met scores of loving, kind followers of Jesus over the years, they are the exception to the rule. I have concluded that the so-called “new life in Christ” is largely a myth; regardless of whether a person is saved, they are who they are. The real issue, in my humble opinion, is why so many preachers commit sexual sins. I have written over 1,000 posts for the Black Collar Crimes Series, with hundreds of other stories I have not yet posted. The sheer volume of these stories suggests that Evangelicalism has a big problem with predator preachers. Instead of attacking me for publishing these stories, Evangelicals might want to ask why sexual sin, along with infidelity, is so common among preachers. Why do churches continue to cover up such things, fearing loss of testimony more than doing right by victims?
Also sad that every time this happens it gives God and the church a black eye and a fat lip.
Just like when David committed adultery with bathseheba. As Nathan states in 1 Samuel it gave the enemies God a reason to blaspheme.
Yes, these preachers give the church a black eye. What you cannot or will not see is that your own behavior, as witnessed on this site, also gives the church a black eye. Again, the question that should be asked is: why is such behavior so common among Evangelicals; that despite being bought by the blood and filled with the Holy Ghost, Christians can and do commit crimes and have affairs. Why is that? I see nothing in American Evangelicalism that remotely suggests that it is superior to all other religions and that it is a preferred way to live.
So is the point trying to be proved here that these sick men “Christian pastors” who are being charged with child sexual crimes 😡😡 beyond unthinkable!! Or have had an affair with the church secretary,etc are they never truly saved?(likely) Or is the point that the church is no different than the cesspool of a lost world? Obviously if it is either or Or both the main point is to discredit Jesus Christ and disprove existence of God.
The Black Collar Crime series is in its seventh year, having published more than one thousand reports of clergy and church leader criminal misconduct. Most of the reports are about Evangelical pastors, evangelists, youth directors, and other church leaders who committed sex crimes. Using Google Alerts, I receive an immediate notice any time a news story about clerical malfeasance is posted on the Internet. It is important that these stories receive wide circulation. Victims need to know that there are people standing with them as they bring to light what God’s servants have done in secret.
I realize that these reports are often dark and depressing, but the only way to dispel darkness is to turn on the lights. Clergy who prey on congregants — especially children — must be exposed, prosecuted, convicted, and sent to prison. By leveraging this blog’s readership numbers and publishing these reports, I am serving notice to law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges: we are paying attention, and if you fail to provide justice for victims, we will hold you accountable.
Sometimes, these seemingly untouchable predators are brought to justice, but not before the public puts pressure on law enforcement and prosecutors, forcing them to act. The sordid story of abuse at Restoration Youth Academy is case in point. Decades of abuse reports were filed with local law enforcement, yet nothing was done. Yes, they finally acted and the perpetrators are now in prison, but what do we say to the hundreds of children and teenagers who were ritually abused before prosecutors got around to doing their job?
I am sure that this series will bring criticism from Evangelical zealots, reminding me that accused/charged clerics are innocent until proven guilty. While they are correct, all I am doing is sharing that which is widely reported in the news. In the sixteen years I’ve been writing about clergy misconduct, I can count on one hand the number of pastors/priests/religious leaders who were falsely accused — fewer than five, out of hundreds and hundreds of cases. The reason for so few false accusations is that no person in his or her right mind would mendaciously accuse a pastor of sexual misconduct. The social and personal cost is simply too high for someone to falsely accuse a religious leader of criminal conduct.
Secondary reasons for this series have to do with exposing the lie that Evangelicalism is immune to scandal and criminal behavior. I remember when the Catholic sex scandal came to light. With great glee and satisfaction, Evangelical preachers railed against predator priests and the Catholic Church who covered up their crimes. Now, of course, we know — with the recent Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) and Southern Baptist sex scandals — that Evangelicalism is just as rotten, having its own problems with sexual abuse and subsequent cover-ups. Evangelicals love to take the high moral ground, giving the perception that their shit doesn’t stink. Well, now we know better. Not only does Evangelicalism have a sexual abuse problem, it also has a big problem with pastors who can’t keep their pants zipped up. (Please see Is Clergy Sexual Infidelity Rare?)
I receive threats from people defending their religious heroes. Threats of legal action are common, even though all I am doing is republishing stories publicly reported by news agencies. A pastor featured in one of my reports contacted me and said that reporters had it all wrong. As I do with everyone who asserts they are being falsely accused, I told this preacher that he could give his version of the facts, sign his name to it, and I would gladly add it to the post. Usually, this puts an end to any further protestations. Most often, the accused want to bully me into taking down my post. In this preacher’s case, he provided me his version of events and I gladly added it to my post. After adding the information, I decided to investigate this pastor further. I found more information about his past indiscretions and crimes. I dutifully added them to the post. I have not heard anything further from the good pastor.
I am not immune from making mistakes, so if you spot a factual error in one of the stories, please let me know and I will gladly correct it. If you come across a story that you would like me to add to this series, please use the contact form to email me. Please keep in mind that I need links to actual news reports in order to add them to this series.
I primarily use Google Alerts for Black Collar Crime reports. I also rely on readers to alert me to new stories or updates of previous reports. I am one man with a limited amount of time each day to slog through the brackish Evangelical swamp, so I don’t see every report or know the outcome of every case I’ve featured in the Black Collar Crime Series. Keep in mind that I require EVIDENCE for me to update a story. Not gossip or personal opinion. Actual evidence such as reputable news stories (with links). Just because a reader or drive-by commenter says something doesn’t make it so. I appreciate your understanding.
I realize that nothing I say in this post will change the minds of preachers such as Dr. David Tee, whose real name is Derrick Thomas Thiessen. Thiessen has a sketchy background. He has been accused of abandoning his family, including an infant child, failing to pay child support, and fleeing to South Korea/Philippines to avoid being held accountable for his behavior.
Thiessen has been a vocal critic of me personally and of the Black Collar Crimes Series. Thiessen is known for defending clerics who commit sex crimes. Just this week he wrote two more posts defending Ravi Zacharias. He has also defended men such as Bill Cosby and Bill Gothard. Thiessen goes to great lengths to defend his support of offending preachers, but I find his defenses lacking in every way. Thiessen repeatedly rejects the substantial work done by law enforcement in investigating, prosecuting, and convicting pastors who commit sex crimes. Why? This is the judgment of the “world,” not God. Of course, God is unavailable for comment. All we have are our legal processes; albeit imperfect, they are the best we have to hold clergy and churches accountable.
Thiessen frequently blames victims for what happened to them. Thiessen is not alone in this approach to women (sometimes men) and children who have been sexually violated and taken advantage of by so-called men of God. Again, Thiessen claims that victims are following the ways of the “world” instead of God. Of course, God’s ways in Thiessen’s mind are his peculiar interpretation of the Protestant Christian Bible.
He [Bruce Gerencser] is right in one thing, we do not like his black collar series but not for the reasons he thinks. We [Derrick Thiessen] do not like it for many reasons and two of them are, it is not being fair or just. That owner [Bruce Gerencser] ignores all the unbelievers and atheists who are caught, tried, and convicted for the same crimes.
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[Speaking of being fair and just] Christians have to do both to be able to make an impact for Christ. But this is not the end of the hypocrisy and injustice carried out by the owners of the BG [The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser] and MM [Meerkat Musings] websites, as well as other unbelieving websites.
There have been other similar stories about drag shows in schools, and so on. Yet not one peep from either owner about how bad, immoral, or wrong these actions are. Instead, they would rather target Christians as that is the group of people, as well as Christ, that they hate.
This is another reason God told us to never follow in the counsel of the ungodly. They do not have fairness or just behavior in their thinking. Look at all the CRT, equity, BLM re-education going on today. None of those and anything similar is of God nor are they just and fair.
….
Another reason we do not like the black collar series over at that website [The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser] is that it is unneeded. It does nothing constructive for society nor does it help redeem those men who failed in their Christian lives, if they were Christians at all.
All it does, as we said earlier, is influence others to hate Christ, pastors, and the church, and turning people to hate is wrong. It is not fair to those men highlighted and the series does not have people being just or fair towards them. In fact, it helps stoke the misguided guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality that many unbelievers endorse.
It is also redundant as the local papers will carry the same stories and his series is just wasting everyone’s time. When the Christian sees those stories they need to ask God how to reach those men so that Christ can redeem them.
….
{we would link to the article we talked about but it is so filled with lies and eisegetical comments that it is nothing but trash [which I can’t rebut] }
I have explained my motivations for writing the Black Collar Crime Series several times. He knows exactly why I do what I do, so I can only conclude that Thiessen is a liar and his goal is to impugn my character and impair my coverage of clergy sex crimes.
Let’s suppose I operated a site whose mission was to cover the Cincinnati Reds. Every day I published news stories about the Reds and individual players on the team. One day, a man named Deirere TeeDee sent me an email, complaining about me not writing any posts about the NHL, particularly me not covering the Detroit Red Wings. Duh, I replied, I write about the Reds, and Major League Baseball, not the National Hockey League and the Detroit Red Wings. Your complaint has no merit.
Yet, this is exactly what Thiessen has done with his complaint about me not covering atheists and other unbelievers who commit sex crimes. He knows that this site focuses on four things:
Helping people who have questions and doubts about Christianity
Helping people who have left Christianity
Telling the story about my journey from Evangelical Christian to atheist
Critiquing Evangelical Christianity
I have been blogging since 2007 — sixteen years. I have stayed true to these four focus points, rarely veering off the path to talk about politics, sports, food, and travel. Why Thiessen cannot understand why I write the Black Collar Crime Series is beyond me. I know that all sorts of people commit sex crimes, but my focus is on Evangelical preachers who commit such crimes. This is NOT a sex crime blog. If it were, I would cover unbelievers and believers alike. And even if I did, it would still be true that the vast majority of people who commit sex crimes are Christian or religious. Why? Because most Americans are Christians.
I have repeatedly explained to Thiessen why the Black Collar Crime Series is needed. I assume, at this point, he is being obtuse. Most of the stories I write require numerous news stories to tell the complete story. They also require research on my part to find out what sect the offender was a part of and their background and beliefs. Sometimes, these reports take a lot of time to put together. Other times, a Google search quickly gives me everything I need to write the story.
These reports are based on news reports, court records, social media, and other verifiable sources. I rarely interject my personal opinion. My goal is to provide a one-stop website for people looking for information about a particular preacher/church and their crimes. Blog traffic numbers suggest that this is exactly what is happening.
It is not uncommon for news sites to either delete stories about clergy sex crimes or put them behind paywalls. That’s why it is important for me to make these stories available to the public free of charge. The public has a right to know what is going on in Evangelical churches. Surely it is important to cover criminal behavior by clerics. Surely it is important to say to victims that I hear them and I will make their story known far and wide. The bigger question, then, is this: why do Derrick Thiessen and other Christians of his ilk want to muzzle me and keep these stories from being known?
One answer to the questions above is that the Thiessens of the world don’t care about the victims of clergy sex crimes. I suspect many of them believe that the victimized women (and men) and children are not victims at all. Thus, they view sexual predators as the real victims; that the “world” is out to get them. Thiessen admits as much when he says “When the Christian sees those stories [about rape, sexual assault, child molestation, along with theft, fraud, and murder] they need to ask God how to reach those men so that Christ can redeem them.” Remember, Thiessen has called sex crimes “mistakes.” He has yet to write one positive post about the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. All that Thiessen cares about are the poor preachers who rape, assault, misuse, and abuse vulnerable people. In his mind, these preachers just made “mistakes.” If they will just shoot a 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness) to Heaven, Jesus will forgive them and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. With that, the offending preachers are forgiven and should get right back on the ministry horse. Thiessen seems oblivious to the fact that most pedophiles are incurable; that Jesus himself can’t fix them. He seems to be oblivious to the fact that preachers caught committing sex crimes, particularly child pornography, have likely been doing so for years. When a 60-something-year-old preacher is arrested for sexually assaulting a child, it is likely that he has committed this crime before. Most clergy sex crimes go unreported/unprosecuted (as is the case in the general population). What I cover with the Black Collar Crime Series is but a fraction of the crimes committed by Christian clergy. I read sites such as Ministry Watch, The Roys Report, Bishop Accountability, Baptist Accountability, and the Black Collar Crime listings published monthly for members by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I am astounded by how many stories about clergy sex crimes I actually miss.
It’s clear to all who are willing to see that Evangelicalism has a clergy sex crime problem of epic proportions. These reports are not a few bad apples. The sex scandal roiling through the Southern Baptist Convention certainly proves that the proverbial barrel is littered with rotten, stinking apples.
— end of quote
What it really does is show the extreme depravity of man.
No, what it shows is the extreme depravity of some born-again Christians. Why is this behavior so common? Why do so many preachers commit sex crimes, especially with children? Are you really saying that none of these offending preachers are saved; that they are still depraved?
Christ is Holy and Righteouss! God and man who died and rose again to pay the penalty for sin and purchase eternal life and change lives and hearts! Even the most depraved!
“Changes lives and hearts?” Surely, you jest. The Black Collar Crime Series is testimony to the fact that Jesus does not change lives and hearts. The real question is why do preachers commit sex crimes? It is evident that religion does not insulate them from such behavior. Why is that?
And any prison on the face of this earth will be a spa and beach compared to what awaits the unredeemed in hell.
There’s no evidence for the existence of Hell. The only hell is that which we cause and experience in this life. What I find interesting is that you never mention the victims. Why is that? You seem more concerned with justifying criminal behavior and defending Evangelicalism than you are speaking for the vulnerable. Why is that? Jesus said in Matthew 18:6: But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. This verse must be missing from your Bible.
You would think that every Evangelical would support the Black Collar Crime Series. If godliness and holiness are the goal, why would any Christian object to light being shined on evil works done in darkness, even if they are committed by so-called men of God?
Saved by Reason,
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.
Marvin Upton, pastor of Crofton Pentecostal Church in Crofton, Kentucky, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns
A former Christian County pastor was sentenced last week at U.S. District Court in Paducah to more than two years in federal prison for fraud and tax offenses, the U. S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Kentucky announced on Thursday.
According to court documents, Marvin Upton, 58, received two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. Until recently, Upton was the pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church in Crofton, Kentucky.
Prosecutors say the bank fraud charges arose from Upton’s scheme during the years 2013 to 2016 to defraud one of his elderly congregation members who suffered from dementia. During that same time frame, Upton also submitted multiple false tax returns which omitted the income he received from the fraud scheme.
Upton was also ordered by the Court to pay restitution in the amount of $500,000 to the victim’s estate and another $222,037 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There is no parole in the federal court system.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation office, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madison T. Sewell and Corinne E. Keel prosecuted the case.
This matter was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.
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.
