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Black Collar Crime: IFB Pastor Albert Wharton Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Child Sex Crimes

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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.

In 2023, Albert Wharton, former pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Warsaw, Virginia, was accused of 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault. Victory Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation.

ABC-8 reported:

A former pastor of an independent Baptist church in the town of Warsaw in Richmond County is facing 30 felony charges relating to multiple incidents the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office alleges occurred at the church between 1981 and 1997.

Albert Benjamin Wharton, 86, of South Carolina, was arrested in South Carolina at 8:42 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 by investigators from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and South Carolina’s Pickens County Sheriff’s Department.

On the same day, Wharton was extradited to the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Richmond County.

Sheriff Steve Smith of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office said Wharton’s arrest was the culmination of a 15-month investigation into more than two dozen alleged incidents that occurred while he was a preacher at Berachah Academy between 1981 and 1997. The academy has since closed.

Wharton was charged with 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault.

“Wharton has lived and served seven churches in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida over the past four decades,” Sheriff Smith said.

Today, Wharton was sentenced to eight years in prison for his crimes.

ABC-8 reports:

 A former Warsaw pastor at Victory Baptist Church in Richmond County will spend eight years behind bars for child sex crimes committed between 1981 and 1996.

Dozens gathered inside of a Richmond County courthouse in the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 8 in the small town of Warsaw. The anticipated hearing was set to determine the sentence for 88-year-old Albert Wharton, a former pastor at Victory Baptist Church.

In 2023, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department arrested and charged Wharton with 22 felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under the age of 13 while in a custodial position and eight felony counts of aggravated sexual assault. 

According to deputies, the crimes were committed at the church’s former school, Berachah Academy, where Wharton was a pastor.

….

In June, Wharton entered an Alford plea for eight of those charges. Meaning he is maintaining his innocence while recognizing the Commonwealth’s evidence could find him guilty if this case were sent to trial. The remaining charges were nolle prosequi — meaning officials are declining to prosecute.

….

Four victims shared impact statements during the sentencing hearing. Many were brought to tears as they recounted the sexual acts. Some shared that Wharton abused his role as a pastor and say they were beaten and touched inappropriately. Every victim shared the emotional and mental toll this has taken on their lives and said they wish Wharton would take accountability.

Four of Wharton’s family and friends also spoke out during the hearing to share who they know Wharton to be. Many stated that the actions he was charged with was unlike the character they knew. Instead, they described Wharton as a caring, loving, man of God. Wharton’s daughter was among those to speak in Wharton’s character. She described Wharton as her hero and a great example for her kids.

Wharton’s defense attorney shared during his argument to the judge that Wharton does not deserve to die in prison. He cited the 88-year-old’s health as a reason for the judge to suspend his sentence or give him a shortened or at home incarceration.

The Richmond County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Elizabeth Trible, argued that Wharton’s age should not be a factor.

“Mr. Wharton used the girls ages in order to commit these crimes against them and attempted today to use his own age to avoid responsibility for these crimes. I am pleased that the judge didn’t accept that argument,” Trible 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.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Ryan Denzer-Johnson Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Child

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ryan denzer-johnson

The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.

Ryan Denzer-Johnson, a youth leader at an unnamed church (possibly the Evangelical Free Church) and a school teacher in Embarass, Minnesota, stands accused of sexually assaulting a child.

The Grand Forks Herald reports:

An Embarrass, Minnesota, man who has served as a teacher and church leader is accused of sexually assaulting a child.

Ryan Ross Denzer-Johnson, 43, was charged Monday, Aug. 18, with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child under the age of 14.

Denzer-Johnson has worked as a math teacher at Mesabi East Schools in Aurora and Northeast Range School in Babbitt in recent years, according to public records, but is no longer employed at either.

Prosecutors said he has also recently served in youth ministry and on the advisory board at an unspecified church.

The alleged victim is known to Denzer-Johnson, and the incidents are unrelated to either his work or volunteer roles.

A criminal complaint says the girl participated in a forensic interview last week. She recalled a period around March 2023 during which she said Denzer-Johnson would sexually touch her, sometimes multiple times a day.

The girl also recalled a similar incident at a later date, with the complaint alleging the conduct occurred at any point up until July 2024.

Denzer-Johnson also allegedly admitted to his wife earlier this month that he had sexually assaulted the girl “two years ago, and it ended one year ago,” the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office learned.

The complaint says Denzer-Johnson was interviewed Thursday and admitted to repeatedly touching the child. He allegedly recalled three specific incidents but stated, “I can’t tell you that that never happened other times.”

Denzer-Johnson additionally told law enforcement that he “can’t guarantee that there wasn’t like some grooming before (because) there probably was,” according to a memorandum from St. Louis County prosecutor Amber Pederson.

He allegedly described having prior concerns that he could sexually harm girls.

“Despite being aware for some time that he was prone to sexually assault minor females, (the) defendant put himself in positions with access to minor females,” Peterson told the court.

Judge Bhupesh Pattni granted the prosecutor’s request to set unconditional bail at $300,000, or $100,000 with several pretrial release conditions.

Denzer-Johnson has been a licensed math teacher for grades 5-12 in Minnesota since 2014, according to state records.

He resigned from Northeast Range in 2023 to join Mesabi East, and has also been involved in leading robotics programs at both Iron Range schools.

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 Thomas Pinkerton Accused of Sexually Abusing Six Teens

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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.

Thomas “Tommy” Pinkerton, a former youth pastor at Central Christian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, stands accused of abusing at least six teenagers from 2006-2010. Central Christian is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination.

NBC News reports:

Thomas Pinkerton Jr. used to tell children in his youth group in Maryland that it was normal for a pastor to kiss boys on the lips, because that’s how Jesus greeted his disciples, according to an arrest warrant made public last week.

Kissing was just the beginning, several men from Pinkerton’s former youth group told police.

Pinkerton, 52, a youth minister known as Pastor Tommy, is being held without bond following accusations that he sexually abused six teens from 2006 to 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County. He was extradited from his home state of Georgia to Maryland last Wednesday to face 24 felony and misdemeanor counts in Baltimore County. His attorney, Justin Hollimon, said he pleaded not guilty.

An arrest warrant said the alleged abuse included inappropriate touching and kissing of six teenagers in Maryland, who ranged in age from 13 to 19. The warrant said the alleged abuse happened at the church and at Pinkerton’s former home in Maryland. A seventh man reported abuse by Pinkerton in Georgia, according to the warrant, and that report was referred to authorities there, officials in Baltimore County said. 

Detectives believe there may be more victims and have asked anyone with information to come forward. 

Pinkerton, who has worked as a traveling evangelist in recent years, was “completely shocked” by the charges, his attorney said Monday.

“He is a pastor. He gave his life to the community, worked for the community,” Hollimon said, adding that he filed a motion Monday morning seeking another bond hearing for Pinkerton after a judge denied his release last week. “He’s anxiously waiting his day in court.”

Ministry Watch adds:

An online statement from Central Christian Church noted that Pinkerton left the congregation more than 15 years ago to start his own ministry. Lead Pastor Larry Kirk called the allegations “deeply heartbreaking” and said the church is “committed to walking alongside these young men with compassion and support.”

Assemblies of God officials pointed out that although Pinkerton served in the denomination, he was never a formally credentialed minister, NBC News reported.

Likewise, Savala was not a credentialed minister when he wielded influence in Chi Alpha.

Pinkerton, who currently lives in Winder, Georgia, and recently worked as a traveling evangelist, communicated through his attorney that he was “completely shocked” by the charges. His attorney has filed a motion for a second bond hearing after his first request for release was denied, NBC News reported.

Pinkerton’s preliminary court hearing is set for Sept. 5 while he remains at the Baltimore 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 Walter Masocha Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Sex Crimes

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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.

Walter Masocha, the pastor of Agape for All Nations Church in Scotland, was convicted of attempted rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault and sentenced to ten years in prison.

The Times reports:

A former Stirling University professor who founded a prominent church has been jailed for ten years for sexually abusing two female congregants.

Walter Masocha, 61, who led The Agape for All Nations Church in Scotland, was convicted of attempted rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. 

The High Court in Livingston previously heard testimony detailing Masocha’s predatory behaviour, with one married woman recounting how he groped her at his Stirling home, telling her she was a “gift to him from God”. 

She testified that Masocha justified putting his hand in her trousers and touching her private parts by claiming he was “removing demons” and bestowing blessings.

Another victim, who was just 20 when the abuse began described how Masocha — seen as a father figure by many in the church — told her: “God has given you to me to nurture you, look after you and provide for you. He told me to love you in any way you want to be loved. You don’t need a boyfriend.”

She recounted incidents of him grabbing her face and putting his tongue in her mouth, slapping her bottom and placing her hand on his genitals. She also described an attempted rape in his bedroom from which she managed to escape.

Advocate depute Michael McIntosh, for the prosecution, said: “She was looking for prayer and she found herself being preyed upon. Walter Masocha wasn’t just a pastor and a preacher, he was a predator who thought that his power and position rendered him immune from suspicion.”

The conviction follows a trial last month in which Masocha, of Bridge of Allan, denied all charges, asserting that both women had fabricated their stories. However, the jury found him guilty of the charges relating to incidents between January 1, 2006, and July 31, 2012, in the Stirling area.

Judge Susan Craig condemned Masocha’s actions as “appalling”, stating there was no alternative to a lengthy custodial sentence.

Upon his eventual release, he will remain under close social work supervision for four years and will be on the sex offenders register for life. Non-harassment orders have also been imposed, barring him from contacting his victims.

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 Stanley Jay Accused of Sexually Molesting Church Teenager

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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.

Stanley Jay, pastor of Worship Life Center Church in Mesa, Arizona, stands accused of sexually molesting a church teen.

ABC-15 reports:

Police are asking the public for more info after an East Valley pastor was arrested for multiple sex crimes against a teenage girl who is a member of his congregation.

Stanley Jay, 61, who is the pastor at Worship Life Center Church in Mesa, was arrested on multiple charges last week.

Jay is accused of the crimes against a 16-year-old girl. Police say the girl and her mother are active members of the church.

Among the charges Jay faces includes sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, luring a minor for sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse.

Police say they discovered text messages between Jay and the victim where he asked her for sexually explicit photographs.

Jay is also accused of making inappropriate remarks to the girl, along with sexual abusing and molesting her.

He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond.

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: 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: Southern Baptist Pastor Scott Haught Sentenced Up to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

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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.

Scott Haught, a former assistant pastor at Midland Baptist Church in Midland, Michigan, and a deacon at Coleman’s Grace Baptist Church in Coleman, Michigan, was recently convicted of ne count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct relationship; four counts of second-degree CSC with a person under 13; and four counts of second-degree CSC relationship. His victims were his daughters.

The Midland Daily News reports:

A former leader at Midland Baptist Church and Coleman’s Grace Baptist Church, Scott Haught, 54, was sentenced to serve up to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing two of his daughters. 

A jury found Haught, 54, of Saginaw, guilty of nine felony criminal sexual conduct charges after a two-and-a-half-day trial in March. He was sentenced Thursday, June 5 in Midland County’s 42nd Circuit Court. 

Haught was convicted of one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct relationship; four counts of second-degree CSC with a person under 13; and four counts of second-degree CSC relationship. He will serve 11 years to 25 years in prison for the first-degree charge and was sentenced to 4-15 years in prison for the additional charges. He will serve both sentences concurrently. 

Under state law, Circuit Court Judge Stephen Carras could have sentenced Haught to life in prison for the first-degree CSC charge.

Midland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Atea Duso, who tried the case, said Haught had the opportunity to plead guilty to two second-degree CSC charges and serve four years in prison, with the remaining charges dismissed.

Haught opted to go to trial and rejected the plea offer on Feb. 27.

Haught has been in the Midland County Jail since his July 16, 2024 arrest by Michigan State Police. Why he appeared in a wheelchair for trial and sentencing was not addressed by the court. He will get credit for 324 days served on his sentence, will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release and will spend the rest of his life on electronic monitoring.  

According to a 2006 Daily News story, Haught served as deacon of Coleman’s Grace Baptist Church, where he directed its summer Bible school. According to trial testimony, he also served as associate pastor at Midland Baptist Church until 2021.

Another Midland Daily News report adds:

Scott Haught led two lives: A public one as a leader in his church and a private one in which he used religion to control and abuse the women in his home. 

Fifteen friends, family and even some of his fellow Midland County Jail inmates wrote letters of support and praise for Haught that were shared with Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Carras before sentencing. 

“They see you as a man of God who would never do the things that you have been convicted of doing. They cannot reconcile (your crimes) with what they know of you,” Carras said to Haught as he appeared before him in a wheelchair Thursday, June 5 during sentencing. “The reason why is because they weren’t here and didn’t see and hear the evidence that was presented to the court.”

A jury found Haught, 54, of Saginaw, guilty of nine felony criminal sexual conduct charges after a two-and-a-half-day trial in March. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 11 to 25 years in prison.  

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from family members recounting how Haught, a former associate pastor at Midland Baptist Church and deacon at Coleman’s Grace Baptist Church, used his “religious authority” to gain control over his ex-wife and daughters. 

Two victims testified that Haught ordered them to nap with him in his bed, which created the opportunity for him to sexually abuse them.  

“The evidence showed us that in the home, you eroded your wife’s moral authority with your daughters to destroy her self confidence so that she would not stand up (against you),” Carras said. “All with the purpose of separating them from their mother – so that they would not look to her as a person for guidance and a person of authority. 

….

Members of Midland Baptist Church, including Pastor Jim Payne, listened as Midland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Atea Duso described how Haught used his background in theology to assert his dominance over the family. 

“He controlled and manipulated his family and used his religion to justify that – ‘This is my house and these are my rules and this (sexual abuse) is what you should expect,'” Duso told the court. “He took advantage of these girls and robbed them of the innocence and freedom that they should have had as children.”

….

“You molested your daughters. The evidence shows that you treated those girls like possessions,” Carras said. “By all accounts, it looks like you had a strong moral compass. [huh?] You did a lot of good things for other people. But somewhere along the line, you forgot to police yourself. Your compass strayed and allowed you to do the things you did to your daughters over all those (10) years.”

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 Bus Driver Tara Glan Accused of Sexually Assaulting Disabled Girl

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tara glan

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.

Tara Glan, a bus driver and youth leader for Ray of Hope Church in Taylor, Pennsylvania, stands accused of sexually assaulting a disabled girl.

The Times-Tribune reports:

Lackawanna County detectives charged a Scranton man Thursday with engaging in sexual activity with a mentally disabled woman while transporting her in a church van.

In April, the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office launched an investigation based on cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited children alleging Tara Glan had sex with a mentally disabled woman for about two years beginning when she was 16.

Glan was a van driver for the Ray of Hope Church in Taylor at the time of the alleged illegal sexual activity. He also ran church youth groups there, according to a criminal complaint.

The detectives say the woman was not capable of giving consent. The alleged abuse took place between July 2021 and July 2023, according to the criminal complaint.

Glan, 22, of 844 Madison Ave., is facing felony charges of rape of a disabled person, forcing a disabled person to perform oral sex and aggravated assault. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 21 before District Judge Paul Ware.

Investigators obtained a copy of the woman’s Independent Education Program plan, also known as an “IEP,” which indicated she had an intellectual disability rendering her incapable of consenting to sexual activity.

At 19, the woman still receives daily assistance and is under the supervision of others, officers said.

When interviewed, the woman said that, when she was 16, Glan was giving her a ride home in the church van when he pulled the vehicle over and told her to get in the backseat, and she complied.

When asked if she wanted to have sex, the victim told Glan “no,” according to the complaint.

The woman said Glan forced her to have sex even after she told him to stop. She also recalled Glan forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

The woman told police Glan had also assaulted her on New Year’s Eve at church, making her pull her pants down and forcing himself on her. When the woman told Glan he was hurting her, he stopped.

She said she had been alone with Glan at that event only because he had asked for her help in cleaning up the Sunday School classroom.

The woman estimated Glan had assaulted her about eight times.

She said she had stopped wanting to go to youth group but her mother forced her to go.

She told investigators Glan would give her a ride home from church in the van, dropping off all of the other riders before her and then sexually assaulting her.

On May 8, investigators interviewed Glan at Lackawanna County Prison. He admitted to having sex with the disabled woman at the church and in the church van.

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 Yyersson David Solarte Basto Accused of Sexually Assaulting Underage Girls

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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.

Yyersson David Solarte Basto, pastor of Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana Pentecostal Church in Sanford, Florida, stands accused of sexually assaulting two underage church girls.

MSN reports:

Yyersson David Solarte Basto, 33, a former pastor at Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Latinoamericana Pentecostal Church in Sanford, Florida, is being held without bond following his extradition from Virginia. 

He was arrested on May 7 while on a family trip to Prince William County, Virginia, and returned to Seminole County, where he is now booked at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility. 

Basto is facing charges of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation involving two underage girls, both of whom were members of his congregation.

….

The charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred at the Ipul Pentecostal Church, where Basto was a trusted community leader. Investigators believe Basto used his authority and position in the church to develop inappropriate relationships with the victims and commit the alleged abuse. Following the accusations, he was immediately removed from his pastoral role.

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.