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Tag: Sexual Assault

Update: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Roy Shoop Found Guilty of Rape

pastor roy shoop

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 2020, Roy Shoop, pastor of Cowboy Gatherin’ Church in Inola, Oklahoma, was accused of sexually molesting three girls under the age of sixteen who were either working on his farm or taking horse riding lessons from him.

Channel 6 reported:

Rogers County deputies arrested an Inola pastor after he was accused of molesting three girls under the age of 16.

“It should be sickening to hear this from anyone who would commit those acts on children. They were placed in a position where they should have been able to trust a man. It takes it to another level to see this from a man who stands on a pulpit and leads a church,” Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said.

Deputies said they arrested Roy Shoop on May 20 at his house after they said he molested three girls that were either working on his farm or taking horse riding lessons from him.

Documents said a 12-year-old girl came forward in January to say Shoop sexually assaulted her. Deputies said that girl was receiving horse riding lessons from Shoop.

Documents also showed two other girls, ages 13 and 15, came forward with sexual assault accusations. The documents said the 15-year-old was sexually assaulted four times.

Shoop denied the charges leveled against him.

Channel 8 reported:

In his own words Roy Shoop is an innocent man.

“I can assure you I have done nothing inappropriate with these young ladies or in any manner,” said Pastor Roy Shoop.

The Inola pastor and well known figure in the community is facing sexual assault accusations involving three girls; accusations he says are false.

“All I can do is just continue to pray and to seek the Lord and follow him in this manner and that means praying for the young ladies as well,” said Shoop.

….

“I am heartbroken that these accusations could be made against him. My Dad is a man of God; my mentor,” said Daughter Shanelle Gray.

Through this week’s arrest Shoop has had his family behind him, especially his daughter Shanell Gray.

“He has raised up a church that serves the Lord fearlessly and we just pray that these accusations get stopped,” said Gray.

….

In the meantime Shoop’s family is staying by his side.

“He’s my daddy there’s no greater character of a man who would lay down his life for his friends and his family,” said Gray.

Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton says it’s possible more allegations could surface.

The Tulsa World reported:

One victim told authorities that Shoop would inappropriately touch her while he was instructing her on horse riding and while she was at his Inola, Oklahoma, residence, according to the affidavit.

“These events took place while (the victim) was staying at the Shoop’s residence where she was being instructed on barrel racing with her new horse her father had purchased from Roy and Diana Shoop,” investigators state in the affidavit.

The other two victims reported similar accounts. Each reported going to Shoop’s residence for horse riding or rodeo-related lessons when the alleged abuse occurred.

One victim reported the abuse occurred in October 2018. Another victim reported the abuse occurred between April 2018 and April 2019, and the third victim reported abuse occurring in January.

Investigators state in the affidavit that the victims were not related to one another.

Deputies arrested Shoop on Wednesday. He was booked into Rogers County jail on the charges and subsequently posted a $300,000 bond.

Four years later, Shoop is now facing his accusers in court.

News-6 reports:

The trial is underway for an Inola pastor who was charged more than four years ago with eight counts of lewd or indecent acts involving five girls.

Rogers County deputies arrested Roy Shoop at his home in 2020 after they say he molested girls who were either working on his farm or taking horse riding lessons from him.

The girls who were mentioned Wednesday were as young as 12 when they said Shoop assaulted them. 

Deputies said they interviewed Shoop at the beginning of the investigation, and he denied the allegations and he’s pleaded not guilty to the charges.

News On 6 was at the jury trial Wednesday, and a forensic interviewer, one of the girls, that girl’s sister and her mother testified.

There was a large group of Roy Shoop’s friends at court, supporting him and praying with him. 

The forensic interviewer showed three interviews from 2020, where three young girls testified Roy Shoop sexually assaulted them while at his home and horse ranch. 

In the first video, a girl said Shoop put his hand under her shirt and touched her leg while she was riding horses when she was 10 or 11.

Another one told the interviewer Shoop had touched her inappropriately while on a horse when she was 12. 

The third interview was with a girl who was 12 the time.

She’s now 17 and testified Shoop sexually assaulted her while at his home back in January 2020. 

She said her family was very close to the Shoop family and since it happened, she’s not been the same and it took her love of riding horses away from her. 

That girl’s older sister who is also one of her legal guardians testified about how the girl was upset and didn’t talk much after it happened.

Shoop’s attorney questioned why the sister didn’t take the girl to a hospital for a sexual assault exam.

The sister said the girl wasn’t ready to talk to authorities and it would have traumatized her.

That victim’s mother also took the stand today and said she confronted Shoop and his wife the day after the girl said she was assaulted, and he offered to have coffee and talk about it. 

After that, the family cut ties with the Shoops. 

Other girls are expected to testify about their allegations along with family members and a counselor this week. 

Roy Shoop and his wife Diana are also expected to take the stand.

Shoop finally had his day in court and was convicted of rape and two counts of lewd or indecent acts involving young girls. The jury recommended Shoop serve a thirty-five-year prison sentence.

Fox 23 reports:

A jury found an Inola pastor guilty of rape and two counts of lewd or indecent acts involving young girls Thursday morning.

FOX23 told you 4 years ago about Inola pastor Roy Shoop when he was arrested.

“I felt I was looking the devil right in the eye,” said Sheriff Scott Walton from the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office as he explained the moment he handcuffed Roy Shoop, “and I believe he was, and we put him right where he needs to be.”

Shoop was the pastor of the Cowboy Gatherin’ Church in Inola. The DA’s office said he and his wife have trained children to compete in rodeo events such as barrel racing and roping.

Walton said, “A situation came to an end last night that was four years in the making…and here’s my opinion, he was successful at playing courthouse lawyer games and buying himself 4 years of freedom, and last night it came to an end. We handcuffed him, walked him across and stuffed him in the jail where he belongs.”

The Rogers County District Attorney’s Office said during the trial multiple victims testified about suffering abuse from Roy Shoop.

His victims were as young as 5 years old. 

Shoop’s trial started on October 1st and he chose to take the stand in his own defense.

“He took the stand himself and did a decent job lying, but not enough to convince 12 jurors that he’s not guilty,” said Walton.

Shoop was found guilty of rape by instrumentation and two counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 14.

Walton explained, “There were 8 counts there, but three major counts—the three he was convicted on—should put a predator in a cage that will die in the penitentiary…You see lives wrecked, but the good feeling is that where he’s at, he will not victimize any more young girls.”

The jury recommended a 35-year prison sentence and $30,000 in fines. Under Oklahoma law, Shoop must serve at least 85% of his sentence. This means that if the sentencing sticks, Shoop would not be eligible for release until he’s 88 years old, but Walton wants him locked up for good.

“You can rip them out and prosecute them again once they’re in the DOC and you know, you look at his actions and his decisions. They ruined a lot of people’s lives…Hopefully, all we can offer these girls that had their lives change is the closure that we put the animal in jail that harmed them.”

Walton believes there are more victims of Roy Shoop who have yet to come forward.

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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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Rodney Locklear Accused of Sexually Assaulting Church Teenager

rodney locklear

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.

Rodney Locklear, pastor of now-closed Victory Church in Ruckersville, Virginia, stands accused of aggravated sexual battery of a minor, abduction with intent to defile a minor, indecent acts with a minor, and other charges alleged by a teenage victim. Locklear pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

The Green County Record reports:

A Ruckersville pastor charged with child sex crimes pleaded not guilty in Greene County Circuit Court Tuesday.

Rodney Martin Locklear, 48, was arrested Feb. 1 after a grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated sexual battery of a minor, abduction with intent to defile a minor, indecent acts with a minor, and other charges alleged by a teenage victim. The alleged sexual assaults occurred May 5 of last year at Locklear’s residence as well as the now-closed Victory Church, where he was pastor.

The assaults occurred over multiple hours during a Cinco de Mayo celebration held at Victory Church, the victim alleges. The party began at church near the intersection of state Routes 29 and 33 in Ruckersville. But Locklear and multiple teenagers later left the church for his residence, where the first alleged assault occurred.

Locklear reportedly approached the young girl in his house, pushed her against the kitchen counter and inappropriately touched her against her wishes. Even though she protested and told him to stop, Locklear continued touching her without her consent while she repeatedly told him to stop, according to court documents.

The assault continued until Locklear heard someone coming up the stairs, the victim alleges.

The youth group and Locklear returned to the church later in the day to continue the Cinco de Mayo party. The alleged victim and others from the group planned to go together to a Wendy’s fast food restaurant, across the parking lot from the church.

“She [the victim] went back inside to get her wallet. While alone in the church, she went to the bathroom and she heard someone’s keys lock the door,” according to court documents.

Alone together again, Locklear proceeded to assault the young girl again a second time, she alleges.

“Locklear pushed her against the wall and began touching her. She refused again and told him to stop,” according to court documents.

Locklear had been ministering in the Greene County area for more than a decade prior to his February arrest. He served as pastor at Victory Church for six years before his arrest and the church’s closure. Before that, he attended and preached at Solid Rock Full Gospel Church in Barboursville, 5 miles away from Victory Church. He and his wife, Becky Morris Locklear, also founded Abundant Life Pentecostal Outreach Church in Ruckersville in 2012.

Solid Rock and Victory churches both still have sermons and material credited to Rodney Locklear on their social media.  

Locklear and his wife also served in the gospel singing group Restoration, which toured in the 2000s throughout Central Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia.

Restoration won Group of the Year 2008 at the Music City Gospel Showcase Convention and Awards Show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Larry Morris, pastor of Solid Rock Full Gospel Church, was also in the Southern gospel group.

Locklear’s trial begins March 17 of next year in Greene County Circuit Court.

If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

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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Black Collar Crime: Youth Pastor and Registered Sex Offender Marvin Scales Sentenced to Fifty Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

marvin scales

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 Scales, a youth pastor at an unreported church in Waxahachie, Texas, was recently sentenced to fifty years in prison without parole after pleading guilty to four felonies including two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count of sexual assault of a child. He is also accused of impregnating a fourteen-year-old child.

Astoundingly, Scales was a registered sex offender, stemming from a 1998 conviction of sexually assaulting an eleven-year-old girl and sexual indecency with a thirteen-year-old girl. Oh, the grace of God and unconditional forgiveness, right? Scales spent ten years in prison for his crimes. How in the hell, did a church, any church hire him as a youth pastor? It took me all of TEN SECONDS to find Scales in Texas’ registered sex offenders database. The church in question is culpable in Scales’ crimes. Absolutely NO EXCUSE.

Fox-4 reports:

A Waxahachie youth pastor who impregnated a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing four minors.

Marvin Scales, 53, received a 50-year sentence on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a young child, one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count of sexual assault of a child.

An investigation into Scales began in August 2023 when a 14-year-old girl gave birth at Baylor Scott & White – Waxahachie.

Hospital staff tipped off police when Scales went to the hospital with the young girl and was “overly involved” in the delivery process. 

Waxahachie police then obtained a warrant for the newborn’s DNA and confirmed Scales was the biological father.

Scales was the youth pastor of a local church. However, authorities did not specify the name or location of the church.

Once church members learned about the first victim, several more came forward.

The DA’s office says Scales would regularly have children from the church on overnight trips and would have them sleep over at his house.

Victims told investigators Scales would have sex with them on the trips and overnight stays.

Investigators say Scale had an extensive security system at home that caught several of the sexual assaults. They say he even recorded several of the assaults himself and kept them at home.

The security footage helped authorities find even more child sex abuse victims.

According to the Texas Public Sex Offender website, Scales first became a registered sex offender in 2006. He verified his registration with the Waxahachie Police Department on June 5, 2023.

Online records show Scales was convicted of three child sex abuse crimes in 1998 and was released from jail after 10 years.

It’s unclear when the local church hired Scales or if they knew about his sex offender status before hiring him.

Scales is not eligible for parole.

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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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Bertheophilus Bailey Accused of Sexually Assaulting His Daughter

pastor bertheophilus bailey

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.

Bertheophilus Maurice Bailey, pastor of St. Andrew Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stands accused of sexually assaulting his daughter for years.

The Herald Sun reports:

A pastor’s daughter was in sixth grade when he prayed over her, then started to touch her inappropriately, Oklahoma police said. Bertheophilus Maurice Bailey, of Tulsa, then sexually assaulted her and continued to do so for years, police said. “For too long, I suffered in silence, afraid of the repercussions of speaking out against someone with such influence and power,” the daughter, Harmony Bailey Oates, said in a Sept. 17 Facebook post, coming forward about a decade of mental and sexual abuse by her father.

….

Tulsa police said the victim filed a report about the abuse in August 2023, but they said she was not ready to press charges until this month. On Sept. 25, 45-year-old Bailey was arrested and charged with rape, child sexual abuse, incest, forcible sodomy and burglary, according to jail records.

The abuse that started when Oates was a child continued into her adulthood, police and Oates said. Bailey raped the victim when she was 16, and he later broke into her home and sodomized her after she moved out as an adult, police said. “The damage he has done is immeasurable. It has poisoned my relationships, poisoned my mind,” she said. “It has filled me with doubts, with fears, with a sense of worthlessness that I struggle to overcome.”

Her father was a pastor at St. Andrew Christian Church until Sept. 21, according to the church’s website. He had been there since 2018. McClatchy News reached out to St. Andrew Christian Church for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“He took away my innocence, my sense of self, my ability to trust,” Oates said. “He left me broken, shattered, a shell of the person I could have been. And yet, I refuse to let him define me.” Family members said they learned about the abuse on the same day Oates made her Facebook post, according to a statement posted on Sept. 18. “No one should ever have their trust and safety violated in such a horrific way, especially by their own father. We are all so deeply sorry that this happened to you,” the statement said.

The Roys Report reported:

In a recorded telephone phone call sent to the police by Harmony Oates’ mother, Oates confronts Bailey about the abuse, and Bailey begs Oates not to tell her husband saying, “the secret getting out would be a total catastrophe to the whole kingdom of God,” the affidavit states. “

In a series of text messages between Bailey and his wife, where she confronts Bailey about the alleged sexual abuse and his alleged lying, Bailey confesses to lying and saying, “He had planned on taking the secret to his grave.” 

In another text message Bailey says he “feels ashamed and humiliated from the exposure of the abuse.” After confessing his guilt, Bailey texts that “jumping from touching to sex is not a big deal for me,” court documents show.

The affidavit states Bailey admitted to watching pornography with his daughter saying, “seeds of sin grow” and acting out the scenes because that’s “what people do.”

Oates told police the alleged sexual abuse started when she was in sixth grade and her father would pray over her body and touching her inappropriately. Oats said the abuse eventually escalated to rape when she was 16 or 17 years old.

After Oats married and had a child, she accused Bailey of coming to her home and sexually assaulting her there and also peeping through her windows.

Bailey reportedly told a therapist in emails of the alleged crimes, who then reported it to authorities. The minister reportedly “he felt tricked and thought he was safe to disclose in therapy,” the affidavit states.

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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Black Collar Crime: IFB Pastor David Baker Kills Himself Instead of Facing Sexual Battery Charge

pastor david baker

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.

David Baker, pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia, Tennessee, allegedly killed himself after facing charges that he sexually assaulted a minor.

Yesterday, The Daily Herald reported:

A Columbia pastor was charged with aggravated sexual battery Tuesday and booked at the Maury County Jail.

David Mark Baker Sr., lead pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia, served as a candidate for Maury County mayor in the 2022 election, entering the race after now U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles dropped out to run for the 5th District Congressional seat.

Baker, a Santa Fe native, started Independent Baptist Online Bible College, a ministry of Family Baptist Church, has led a life coaching business, and is an author of several books.

He also runs a ministry Fallen in Grace, with Indiana pastor David Hyles, who has faced much controversy.

Baker previously served as chaplain of the Maury County Jail for 28 years.

Bond set at $200,000.

Baker’s court date is 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 9 in Maury County.

Today, The Daily Herald reported:

Just a day after Columbia Pastor David Baker, Sr. was charged with aggravated sexual battery by Maury County Sheriff’s Office, he has died of apparent suicide, according to Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsup.

Baker served as lead pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia and ran as a candidate for Maury County mayor in the 2022 election.

According to Alsup, Baker “walked into the ER at Maury Regional Medical Center, went straight to the bathroom and was soon found deceased in the bathroom.”

Alsup shared that video captured Baker walking into the hospital emergency room.

Bond was posted at $200,000 Tuesday, and a court date was previously set for Oct. 9.

The charge against Baker involves a minor, Sheriff Bucky Rowland confirmed Wednesday.

During the 2022 election, Baker filed a defamation lawsuit in Maury County court against then-opponent Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt, which was later dropped. He was also criticized during the election by a former member of Lighthouse Baptist Church, (which filed bankruptcy in 2017) regarding his handling of the member’s sexual assault by a fellow church member.

Baker, a Santa Fe native, started Independent Baptist Online Bible College, a ministry of Family Baptist Church, led a life coaching business and penned several books.

He also ran a ministry Fallen in Grace, with Indiana pastor David Hyles. Hyles has faced much controversy, including allegations of rape, according to multiple media reports by the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, though he was not charged.

Baker previously served as chaplain of the Maury County Jail for 28 years.

Fox-17 reports:

Authorities say the family member he molested was under the age of 12.

There was nothing Godly about him. He was, he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Aimee Spires.

Spires told FOX 17 News she went to Baker’s church when he was a preacher at Lighthouse Baptist Church. He was a pastor at Family Baptist church when he was arrested.

“I was angry because all the victims that there is, there’s no telling how many victims, how many girl victims that are out there that he may have done this to,” said Spires.

Another former church member and activist Tiffany Boyd is upset at what he is accused of doing considering what he preached.

“A hypocrite. There are a lot of words, but many of those, I can’t say on camera, it’s infuriating. I mean, it really, it’s infuriating.” she said.

The Columbia Police Department confirmed Baker shot himself today at Maury Regional Medical Center.

The hospital’s spokesperson tells FOX 17 News, a man went into their restroom and shot himself twice in the chest. They said they tried to save him and placed the hospital on lockdown.

As noted in the news articles, Baker ran a ministry for “fallen” ministers with disgraced miscreant David Hyles — the son of the late Jack Hyles. Called Fallen in Grace, this ministry helped restore preachers to the ministry after they fell (or headlong ran) into sin –especially sexual sins, including rape, adultery, and molesting children. Hyles has a long history of sexual misconduct, but has, so far, evaded accountability for his behavior. Birds of a feather flock together, and that is certainly the case of Hyles, Baker, and other fallen Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) preachers. Both Hyles and Baker provided a smokescreen for other “fallen” preachers, helping them return to the ministry. Dr. David Tee (who blogs at TheologyArcheology: A Site for the Glory of God), a notorious defender of preachers who commit sex crimes, would be proud of these men and the “service” they provide to God’s people.

While I am saddened by Baker’s alleged suicide — after all, he had a wife and eleven children — I hope that his death puts an end to Fallen in Grace and its pernicious enabling of sexual predators and other offenders. Interestingly, less than a day after Baker was arrested, he and the Fallen in Grace ministry have been scrubbed from Family Baptist Church’s website. Nothing to see here! David Baker? David Baker who? David Hyles? Never heard of him. Fallen in Grace? Not ministry we are familiar with. In the IFB church movement, the modus operandi is to deny, cover-up, and move on. There are souls to save, sermons to preach, and offerings to collect.

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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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Randy Saylor Accused of Sex Crimes Against Children

randy saylor

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.

Randy Saylor, an associate pastor at Living Word International Church in Midland, Michigan, stands accused of numerous sex crimes against children.

The Midland Daily News reports:

Additional testimony from an alleged criminal sexual conduct victim Monday led to nine felony charges being added to Living Word Church Associate Pastor Randy Saylor’s list of crimes.

Originally charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, Saylor, 71, is now charged with four first-degree counts of CSC with a relative and two charges of CSC with victims under 13 and a defendant over 17.

Saylor is also charged with four counts of second-degree CSC with a relative and one count of second-degree CSC with a child under 13 and a defendant over 17. All of the listed charges pertain to one victim who was between 11 and 15 at the time of the alleged assaults. First-degree CSC involves penetration and second-degree CSC is touching.

….

Saylor remains free on a $50,000 cash surety bond, but Driscoll asked for it be amended to no contact with minors. Midland County District Court Judge Michael Carpenter granted the request.

Saylor also had a probable cause hearing before Judge Carpenter Monday, involving another two children. He is charged with two counts of second-degree CSC with a child under 13 and with a defendant over 17 along with one count of second-degree CSC with a relative.

Two other people affiliated with Living Word have been arrested for sex crimes, including Saylor’s son:

Saylor is the second pastor and the third person involved with the church to be charged with such crimes. Randy Saylor’s son, Brandon Saylor, a church volunteer, admitted to sexually assaulting four children under the age of 13 for a decade and was sentenced in April to five to 15 years in prison for three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Living Word Church Rev. James Randolph, 58, was arrested Nov. 28 and is charged with seven felonies for crimes that allegedly occurred in 2011. He is charged with two counts of first-degree CSC involving a relationship; one count of second-degree CSC with a child under 13 while Randolph was older than 17; two counts of second-degree CSC involving a relationship; one count of second-degree CSC or subsequent offense; and one count of accosting children for immoral purposes.

Randolph remains out of jail on a $5 million surety bond. He is set for a Cobbs hearing on Aug. 27. A Cobbs hearing is closed to the public and the judge uses at-hand information to let the defendant know their likely sentence. The defendant can enter a plea at that time or at a plea hearing.

Living Word Church Administrator William Bailey said Living Word International Church is deeply saddened and concerned about the CSC charges involving its ministers.

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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Black Collar Crime: Baptist Pastor Kenneth Flowers Accused of Sexually Assaulting Minor

pastor kenneth flowers

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.

Kenneth Flowers, pastor of Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, stands accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

The Detroit Free Press reports:

A prominent Detroit pastor has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor in Farmington Hills for an incident that allegedly occurred in December.

The Rev. Kenneth Flowers, 63, pastor of Greater New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Detroit, was arraigned Friday in Farmington Hills District Court on one count of criminal sexual conduct with force or coercion and one count of criminal sexual assault with intent to commit sexual penetration. Court records show Flowers stood mute and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf. He was released on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond, which means he did not have to post cash or a bond, but would owe the court $25,000 if he fails to appear for future proceedings in the case.

The maximum penalty on the criminal sexual conduct charge is 15 years in prison and the maximum penalty on the sexual assault charge is 10 years.

When I reached Flowers on Monday evening, his only comment was: “I deny all those charges, and that is all I have to say.”

Maurice Davis, listed in court records as Flowers’ attorney, did not return messages Monday seeking comment.

According to police, Flowers committed the alleged assault on Dec. 20, 2023. Court records and a source knowledgeable about the case indicate the matter involved a 17-year-old man who lived in Flowers’ Farmington Hills neighborhood.

The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office declined comment on the case and few other details were available in public records on Monday. More information on what Flowers is alleged to have done will emerge on Aug. 7 at a scheduled preliminary examination, unless Flowers opts to waive the proceeding. A preliminary examination is when prosecutors generally present some of their strongest evidence, which sometimes includes witness testimony, against someone accused of a crime. If a judge determines there is enough evidence to go to trial, the case is bound over to circuit court.

Flowers has been pastor at Greater New Mount Mariah since 1995, when he succeeded the legendary Benjamin Hooks, the longtime executive director of the NAACP. The church’s website says it has 1,000 members and describes Flowers as “a community/social activist for human rights issues” with an international reputation.

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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Black Collar Crime: Southern Baptist Student Pastor Luke Cunningham Accused of Sexually Assaulting Church Girl

luke cunningham

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

Luke Cunningham, a student pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, and former student pastor at Turning Point Church in Lubbock from 2010 to 2016, stands accused of sexually assaulting a church girl while working at Turning Point.

Fox-4 reports:

A Granbury youth pastor has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

The Justice Department confirmed to FOX 4 that 41-year-old Luke Cunningham was arrested on June 19 near Lubbock.

Cunningham was the student minister at Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury.

In a public statement sent to members of the church, Lakeside said that it learned Cunningham was accused of inappropriate conduct with a minor in another church on June 2.

Lakeside Baptist said they immediately suspended Cunningham and conducted an investigation.

The church said within days they found enough evidence to fire Cunningham and reported what was discovered to law enforcement.

Before coming to Granbury, Cunningham served as a student pastor at Turning Point Church in Lubbock from 2010 to 2016.

The church in Lubbock asked anyone who has been a victim or has information about incidents involving Cunningham to contact police.

They say they received no complaints, no allegations, nor any suspicion of wrongdoing.

Details about the abuse have not been released.

Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury says they are taking a closer look at ways to safeguard members.

“We believe that, if the Southern Baptist Convention had a working database for offenders, we would likely have never been exposed to Mr. Cunningham. We plan to do everything possible to encourage national leaders to exercise their spiritual responsibility, identify perpetrators in the churches, and stop this from happening again,” said the church in a statement.

Lakeside Baptist says they plan to institute their own more rigorous process for hiring.

Turning Point released the following statement:

On Monday, June 3, Turning Point was contacted by Senior Pastor Mark Forrest of Lakeside Baptist Church of Granbury, Texas to inform us that a recent staff member at Lakeside, and a former staff member at Turning Point, Luke Cunningham, was being reported to local police and Child Protective Services regarding accusations of inappropriate conduct and alleged sexual abuse with minors. During Lakeside Baptist Church’s own investigation of allegations, they learned of potential victims during Luke’s time of service at Turning Point. They have properly reported those allegations to the Lubbock Police Department. Turning Point has been in contact with the Lubbock Police since Thursday, June 6 and is in full cooperation with their investigation. As requested by LPD, Turning Point has not made any public statements so as not to hinder or disrupt the investigation.

From 2016-2020, Luke Cunningham served as Student Pastor at Turning Point. While Luke served on our staff, we received no complaints, no allegations, nor had any suspicion of wrongdoing. All allegations that are surfacing have been brought to our attention after Luke’s employment, not during or before. Currently, we have no information about these alleged incidents, no names, no descriptions of these events. We are awaiting further details from LPD.

To be clear, Turning Point’s leadership had no awareness of these alleged abuses during Luke’s time of service nor had any knowledge of allegations of previous misconduct in other churches prior to serving at Turning Point. We are devastated by these allegations and feel enormous grief for anyone who is a potential victim. Our hope is to provide any assistance we can offer to any victims of sexual abuse to find the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual peace needed to heal and move forward. We condemn any actions of sexual misconduct and certainly assault of any person, especially those under our care.

If you have been a victim or have any information that would prove help to LPD in their investigation, please contact and report what you know.

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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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Bobby Hawk Accused of Sexually Abusing Twelve-Year-Old Church Girl

pastor bobby hawk

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.

Bobby Hawk, (founding) pastor of Epic Church KC in Independence, Missouri, stands accused of sexually assaulting a twelve-year-old girl. Other women have come forward, accusing Hawk of similar behavior. Law enforcement is investigating these allegations. As of the writing of this post, no charges have been filed.

The Kansas City Star reports:

The Blue Springs Police Department is investigating former school board president and local pastor Bobby Hawk after allegations of inappropriate behavior from roughly 10 years ago with a then-12-year-old recently surfaced online. “We have opened an investigation and are seeking information regarding these allegations,” Jennifer Brady, the department’s public information officer, told The Star in an email.

….

Hawk resigned from the Blue Springs Board of Education on Wednesday. His abrupt departure came shortly after 23-year-old Isabelle “Izzy” Davis shared a blog post detailing Hawk’s “grooming” behavior, which she alleges began after her family started attending EPIC Church KC in Independence, where Hawk is a founding pastor. In her post, Davis recalled an encounter with Hawk during a youth group sleepover at his house. She said Hawk grasped her hand and placed it underneath his thigh while the two were watching a movie. During a phone interview with The Star, Davis — who grew up in Blue Springs and has since moved away — said she decided to go public with her story when other people who wished to remain anonymous told her about similar experiences with Hawk. Since Davis posted her story, others with ties to the church have posted on social media about Hawk, including allegations that he harassed church staff members. “I would encourage people to keep supporting everyone else who comes out as much as they’ve been supporting me,” Davis said. “Because all his victims deserve to have a platform and find healing through this time.” EPIC’s board of directors placed Hawk, its founding pastor, on leave Thursday “pending further review.” In a statement, the board said Sunday services would be canceled this weekend. “We ask that you take time this Sunday to pray for our church family and for wisdom as our board of directors considers the next steps for all involved,” the board of directors said in its statement. The Blue Springs school board on Wednesday said Hawk’s resignation was accepted unanimously

Epic Church KC released the following statement:

epic church statement

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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What Are We to Make of an Evangelical Preacher Who Defends a Pastor Who Sexually Assaulted a Twelve-Year-Old Girl?

dr david tee

Recently, it became known that Robert Morris, an Evangelical megachurch pastor, repeatedly sexually assaulted a twelve-year-old girl. Morris was twenty-one when he began abusing the girl. The abuse continued for several years. Morris admitted sexually assaulting the pre-teen girl.

No criminal charges were filed against Morris, or the church — who knew about Morris’ crimes and swept them under the proverbial rug. The girl’s father did the same, thinking the church would properly and sufficiently deal with the matter. After a short hiatus from preaching, Morris returned to preaching.

Dr. David Tee, who has never met an Evangelical sexual predator he didn’t like or couldn’t defend, had this to say about Morris’ crimes:

It seems this sinful ideology and activity has raised its head once again. Since BG [Bruce Gerencser] mentioned he was expecting us to write about this situation, we decided to take another look at it. Originally we weren’t going to but before we get too far into this topic, we will state that the only side we are taking is the side of Justice.

We have no dog in this fight but we are concerned that people are going over the top in their revenge for things that happened far too long ago. What is happening is not justice but more vigilantism and a kangaroo court style of justice that permeates the @MeToo and @MeChurch totalitarian activities.

….

As we have read the articles, no mention of any real evidence has been discussed. We have another man attacked merely on the word of a woman on an event that took place over 40 years ago. memories can be good but memories are not evidence.

And you need real, credible, and verifiable evidence as well as the truth before justice can be done. The Bible talks about this on several occasions where the king demanded the truth not someone’s word. If women want their word to be believed, then produce real, credible, and verifiable evidence.

….

Here is the other problem. if this sin was dealt with, and it does not matter about the age of the victim, then the woman has no legal or spiritual ground to stand on. Since she was a minor her father acted on her behalf and the matter was settled.

She does not have the right to dredge up this old act as it was dealt with 40 years ago. The Pastor accepted the conditions and fulfilled them so there is no case here. It sounds like someone has been talking to the woman to get her to repudiate the earlier agreement and go after deep pockets.

We have been told this pastor is worth millions, thus, a money grab by the woman is not out of the question. if we are going to take the woman’s word at face value, then to avoid hypocrisy and other negative aspects, we must take the Pastor’s word at face value and accept that he has not committed these or other crimes again.

If she does not present real evidence, then neither does he, although his claim is easier to find evidence to support it than hers.

….

Here is another problem with this situation. Defining the term ‘abuse’ and ‘abusing’ is difficult as most definitions are subjective and are heavily influenced by emotion as well as the age of the alleged victim.

What is considered abuse and abusing someone varies and the application of those terms is distorted in hopes of producing the desired result. Honesty has long disappeared from cases where ‘sexual abuse’ and children are involved.

Plus, time has a way olf affecting people’s perceptions of these situations. What was once considered not abuse by either party is often changed over time to reflect a more modern perspective. But justice does not depend on how actions are viewed today for crimes committed in another era or century.

Justice has to determine if the alleged actions were truly abuse or not. Since neither party provides private and intimate details of the encounters but wraps them up in a generalized category labeled abuse, we cannot determine the truth of the matter.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the Pastor admitted to this activity, this would merely be a he said, she said case. Without proper evidence, no one will know the truth. if one wants to apply double jeopardy laws to this case, the woman is demanding that the PAstor pay twice for the same alleged crime.

That is neither right nor justice.

Got all that?

Worse, Tee, whose real name is Derrick Thomas Thiessen, went on to say:

The age of the woman at the time of the alleged crime does not matter. Nor should it influence how people view this sin. Since the Pastor did not engage in this activity continuously, it is unfair and unjust to label him a pedophile.

The issue that influences this case is the concept of when childhood ends and adulthood begins. Society in general has added another 7 years to ‘childhood’ and called them teen years. While technically correct, there is no biblical support for this extension of childhood.

It is a disservice to our young people by forcing them to remain children delaying their ability to grow up properly and become responsible adults. This faulty extension does not mean a crime was not committed, it just means that justice will be distorted as people are wrongfully influenced.

If we had better views of life and let our children become adults at the right time, justice would be better served.

That’s right, Thiessen said the age of the girl was immaterial. According to Thiessen, just because Morris repeatedly assaulted the girl doesn’t mean he’s a pedophile. He was what, then, a poor misguided man who couldn’t keep himself from putting his hands on the girl’s private parts? In Thiessen’s addled mind, if only this girl had been older — no harm, no foul.

Thiessen seems to think that the matter has been dealt with; that the church and her father acted on her behalf — end of discussion. Thiessen thinks clergy sex crimes should be handled in-house instead of being reported to law enforcement. Let “God” clean up the crimes of preachers, right?

In the end, Thiessen blames the victim, accusing her of being an opportunist:

We have been told this pastor is worth millions, thus, a money grab by the woman is not out of the question.

….

If this situation continued for 4 1/2 years why did she let it go on for so long? The pastor held no power to harm her or her family so why did she participate for this length of time?

If everyone wants justice, then her thoughts and actions must be considered and examined. She can’t willingly participate for 4 1/2 years then 40 years later call it a crime and abuse. Why did she not tell her parents for this length of time?

Explain to me how an alleged follower of Jesus can think this way? Thiessen will say I misquoted him or took his words out of context, I will leave it to you to decide if I have misrepresented him in any way. (Please see Dr. David Tee Says It is Wrong for Me to Write the Black Collar Crime Series and Christians Say the Darnedest Things: “Dr.” David Tee Continues to Whine About the Black Collar Crime Series.)

Thiessen says a lot of crazy shit, but his defense of sexual predators is beyond the pale. I have a few ideas about why this is so, but it is best if I leave them unstated.

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.

Connect with me on social media:

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.