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.
Ralph Britt, Jr., a long-time youth worker at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Dunwoody, Georgia stands accused of nine counts of sexual exploitation of children. Dunwoody Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
A church employee was arrested after Roswell police say they found child sexual abuse material at his home.
The investigation began on February 10, 2024, when Roswell detectives began looking into child sexual abuse material transmitted through peer-to-peer file-sharing networks.
This led detectives to Ralph Britt Jr., 59, Johns Creek home on April 24, where a search warrant was executed.
According to police, authorities found more child sexual abuse material at the home and took several electronic devices for processing.
Later that Wednesday, detectives met Britt at Dunwoody Baptist Church, where he was arrested.
At the time of his arrest, Britt was an employee of the church, where he reportedly worked closely with children and the youth in different capacities over the past 20 years.
RPD says the church has cooperated with the investigation, which remains active and ongoing.
Britt was booked into the Fulton County Jail on nine counts of sexual exploitation of children. Officials said more charges are forthcoming.
Channel 2′s Tom Regan was at the Dunwoody Baptist Church Tuesday, where church leaders said the news hit the congregation hard.
“We are shocked and devastated,” Pastor Allen Taliaferro said. “This is someone we have known for decades.”
Taliaferro said Britt was most recently involved in a drama production and was involved with several different ministry departments.
Church leaders broke the news to their 2,000 members in an email and conversations.
“This was tough to sit down and say to the church,” Taliaferro said.
Pastor Alan Jackson said there is no evidence that the crimes happened on church grounds.
“No evidence has been brought forward that any person-to-person contact took place, and no parent has brought any suspicious memories either,” Jackson said.
Church leaders said they did regular, rigorous background checks on Britt and have measures in place to protect children.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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