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Tag: Sexual Misconduct

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Worker Jackson Gatlin Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Sex Crimes

Bruce Gerencser 7 Comments
jackson gatlin

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.

Jackson Gatlin, a youth worker at The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to five counts of criminal sexual misconduct and was sentenced to thirteen years in prison. Gatlin’s parents were the church’s senior pastors. None of the Gatlins are currently affiliated with Duluth Vineyard.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports:

Jackson Gatlin was sentenced to 13 years in prison Monday, the first of back-to-back days of sentencings after the former youth leader from Duluth Vineyard pleaded guilty earlier this month to felony-level sexual misconduct.

In early 2023, a handful of women came forward with similar stories of sexual assault from when they were teens or younger at the hands of Gatlin — who held a position of authority at the church where his parents, Michael and Brenda Gatlin, were senior pastors. On Nov. 6, Jackson Gatlin, 36, pleaded guilty to five counts of criminal sexual conduct.

“I hope you conquer your demons,” Judge Dale Harris said to the defendant on Monday.

Gatlin, dressed in orange, did not comment in the courtroom. When he is out of prison, he will have to register as a sex offender.

The first day of sentencings were tied to two separate victims, numbered 4 and 5 in court documents: one who said she was 14 when Gatlin, then 21, snuck her into his parents’ basement and committed the first of several sexual assaults, according to the criminal complaint. It ended when she saw his flirtatious text messages with other girls from a youth group. The second woman was in middle school when she said Gatlin started sending her sexual text messages and later trapped her in a bus seat during the church’s annual retreat weekend in the Twin Cities. He assaulted her and threatened that if she told anyone, the police would get involved, according to the criminal complaint.

The courtroom was at capacity, with the victims sitting together in a row.

“We’re talking about something, for them, that is nearly 20 years in the making,” the victims’ attorney Paul McBride said after the sentencing. “Finding justice is a journey. This is one step toward that. Hopefully we can come to a meaningful end.”

….

Since Gatlin’s plea earlier this month, nine victims have filed civil charges against him — in addition to his parents, Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA, its governing body.

In the civil complaints filed Nov. 6, Gatlin is accused of extended hugs, touching teenage girls over and under their clothes, making them touch him, tackling them in the guise of playing games, and raping them. He is accused of tying a girl to his bedpost. In one case, Brenda Gatlin reportedly walked into her bedroom and found her son sexually assaulting a girl. Nothing came of it, according to the complaint.

Gatlin told several girls he was going to teach them and show them the love of God, according to court documents. A parent found sexual text messages from Jackson Gatlin to their daughter and notified at least one of his parents.

The Gatlins, Duluth Vineyard and Vineyard USA are accused of continuing to give Jackson Gatlin access to minors, even though leadership had been told of his actions, not providing proper training, covering up information and not going to the local Police Department, among other accusations.

Jackson Gatlin was fired from his position with the church in mid-February 2023 and was not allowed back on the church campus. Michael Gatlin resigned as senior pastor at Duluth Vineyard and from various positions and the board tied to the church in February 2023. He had been with the church for two years. Brenda Gatlin, who was a super regional leader for Vineyard USA, resigned soon after.

The church has the following blurb on its website:

As a church community, we face a heartbreaking and very serious situation. Our former pastoral assistant (Jackson Gatlin) has pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct. Five criminal complaints were filed against him. We have also received an independent investigation report from Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) finding extensive abuse by both Jackson Gatlin and our former senior pastors (Michael and Brenda Gatlin). These findings include sexual misconduct, cover up, abuse of pastoral or spiritual power, and emotional abuse. Civil lawsuits have also been filed against Jackson, Michael, Brenda, Duluth Vineyard, and Vineyard USA.

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 Youth Pastor Zachary Radcliff Accused of Preying on Church Teens for Years

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
Zach-Radcliff

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.

Zachary Radcliff, a youth pastor and music director at Oakwood Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, two counts of child sexually abusive activity and six counts of using a computer to commit a crime. Oakwood Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Radcliff is also a Christian rock singer, a supporter of Donald Trump, and has performed at several high-profile Trump events. His father, Frank, is the pastor of Oakwood Church. (Note the timeline of the alleged crimes. Radcliff has been preying on church teens since he was nineteen years old.)

NBC News reports:

A Michigan church youth pastor who moonlights as a Christian rock singer and has performed before high-profile conservative audiences has been accused of preying on teenagers in his father’s flock for more than 10 years.

Zachary Radcliff, 29, was fired Oct. 12 from his job as the music and youth director of Oakwood Church in Ypsilanti, an Ann Arbor suburb, 10 days after the Michigan State Police launched an investigation. His father, Frank Radcliff, is the church’s senior pastor.

“We realized while talking to him that there was more to the situation than was being expressed,” the church said in a statement posted on its website.

Zachary Radcliff was arrested over the weekend and charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, two counts of child sexually abusive activity and six counts of using a computer to commit crime, according to court records. He was being held on $3 million bond.

“The investigation shows the alleged offenses have been occurring since as early as 2011,” the Michigan State Police said on its official X account, which noted that the alleged victims ranged in age from 12 to 17.

The date of offense for the charges against Radcliff is June 27, 2014, according to court records. The state police said that is because the majority of the alleged offenses happened around that time. 

But the church, which is cooperating with the police investigation, shed more light on what Radcliff is accused of doing in its statement.

“The information that we received was shocking,” it said. “We were told that Zachary had been soliciting inappropriate photos and possibly videos from teens. We have also heard other stories. This information has ripped our hearts apart.”

Radcliff, who lives just south of Ann Arbor in the town of Saline, faces anywhere from 20 years to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charges against him, according to court records.

Oakwood Church released the following statement:

We received some very disturbing news about our music and youth director, Zachary Radcliff who is also the son of our senior pastor, Frank Radcliff. We realized while talking to him that there was more to the situation than was being expressed. He was suspended with pay on October 3rd, pending further investigation. More information was given to us on Saturday, October 12th, at 4:00 in the afternoon. Pastoral staff met with our church that evening and Sunday morning. Zach was terminated from his job, without pay effective Saturday, October 12th.

The State Police were notified by families that were involved and our church staff. We are not aware of the full extent of his crimes, and we are doing everything we can to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

The information that we received was shocking. We were told that Zachary had been soliciting inappropriate photos and possibly videos from teens. We have also heard other stories. This information has ripped our hearts apart. The safety and protection of the individuals in our church is what is paramount to us. We are devoted to doing what we can for the care of the victims of these crimes.

Every one of our staff members and individuals working with our children, teens, and adults go through background checks. We do our level best to make sure all are protected.

We have counseling that is being set up and provided for any youth or adults who have been impacted by this crime. What is being done will be provided to our church family in the next few days. Like you, our hearts are broken. We have a desire to serve our Master in this community, with the understanding that the church family should be one of the safest places we can be involved in. Part of that trust has been broken. Our commitment is to be completely transparent and do what we can to help with this investigation.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Trooper Ryan of the Michigan State Police Brighton Post at 517.899.6174

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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Update: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Karey Heyward Given Suspended Sentence for Sexual Misconduct with a Minor

Bruce Gerencser 2 Comments
karey heyward

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 2019, Karey Heyward, pastor of Eternity Church in North Charleston, South Carolina, was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. Heyward, a musician, also goes by the name Pastor Sage.

ABC-4 reported:

According to police reports, the female minor and her mother reported ongoing sexual misconduct to officers on March 20, and said it took place between 2012 and 2015.

She said the suspect touched her in sexually inappropriately ways, engaged in inappropriate conversations about sex, and asked her “what would happen if they did have sex,” reports say.

The Moncks Corner man was released on a $100,000 bond after being charged with 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Heyward’s Linkedin page listed the following information:

  • Senior Pastor at Eternity Ministries
  • Owner/creative director of Genesis 1 Media, LLC a film, video, music, and publication company
  • Law Enforcement with the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy
  • Founder of a youth organization known as Radical Revolution Ministries that hosts youth events and founded a youth pastors and leadership alliance known as the Holy City Alliance.
  • Specialties: Licensed Minister,Gospel Rapper, cinematographer/editor/director

In 2021, Heyward pleaded guilty to assault and was given a suspended sentence.

The Post and Courier reported:

Months after his arrest on child sex charges, a former North Charleston pastor has pleaded guilty to assault and avoided jail time.

Karey Montrel Heyward, originally charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 16, pleaded guilty Thursday to second degree assault and battery.

Judge Markley Dennis sentenced Heyward in North Charleston to the maximum penalty of three years in prison, but suspended the punishment to 18 months probation, according to court records.

It’s unclear whether Heyward, who lives in Monck’s Corner, still works in the ministry. He served at Eternity Church in North Charleston when he was arrested in July 2019.

Police records allege that Heyward had inappropriately touched and spoken to a child several times between 2012 and 2015.

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 Jarod Mills Sentenced to Six Months in Jail for Attempted Sexual Contact with Minor

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor jarod mills

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.

Jarod Mills, pastor of Clifton Flats Alliance Church in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and a part-time instructor at Butler County Community College was convicted of unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor and sentenced to six months in jail.

In 2020, the Cranberry Eagle reported:

Ohio prosecutors recently filed a bill of particulars in the case, showing more detailed accusations against Jarod Mills, including the age and sex of the minor the undercover law enforcement officer portrayed in the sting.

Mills, a New Castle resident, faces charges of fourth-degree felony attempted unlawful conduct with a minor as well as fifth-degree felonies importuning, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and possessing criminal tools.

The prosecutors accuse Mills of soliciting a law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old boy, and specifically accused him of soliciting the officer for oral sex.

He was arrested Oct. 22 and a Mahoning County grand jury indicted him Dec. 17.

Other documents filed in the case indicate Mills may have come in contact with the undercover officer on Grindr, which describes itself as a “social networking and online dating application for gay, bi, trans and queer people.”

That other filing, a response to Mills’ request for discovery, indicates prosecutors have as evidence screenshots of chats on Grindr, which include pornography. Another charge, disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, may relate to those screenshots, as prosecutors allege Mills sent a sexually explicit photograph to the officer posing as a 15-year-old.

In addition, on the charge of attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, prosecutors accuse Mills of attempting to engage in oral sex with the officer. For the final charge, of possessing criminal tools, the bill of particulars states Mills possessed a cell phone, condoms and lubrication, which prosecutors allege he intended to use in the commission of importuning and attempted unlawful sexual contact.

New Castle News later reported:

A New Castle man accused of child sex trafficking and corrupting children in Ohio has been found guilty by a jury in Mahoning County Court.

The Ohio jury’s verdict was delivered Wednesday against 35-year-old Jarod Mills of West Terrace Avenue of unlawful attempted sexual contact with a minor.

Mill was arrested in Mahoning County in May 2021 in a sex sting operation by the Operation for Child Trafficking and Sex With Children. His bond has been revoked and he’s remains in the Mahoning County jail, awaiting sentencing.

He was a pastor at the Clifton Flats Church at the time.

Mills was one of 14 people arrested in 2020 in what Ohio’s attorney general called the “largest anti-human trafficking operation in state history.”

Mills is charged with attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning or soliciting of an adolescent, possessing criminal tools and displaying matter harmful to juveniles.

….

Mills also had been a part-time instructor at Butler County Community College, which at the time of his arrest placed him on a leave of absence. He no longer is affiliated with the church or BC3.

WFMJ added:

A New Castle man caught in a statewide human trafficking sting will be spending some time in prison.

According to court employees, 36-year-old Jarod Mills was sentenced to six months in prison on one count of importuning.

The charge stems from a statewide sex sting, which led to Mills’ arrest in Mahoning County in October of 2020. Mills was one of 14 men arrested in Mahoning County during this sting.

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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Roy Moore’s Victims Are Just as Guilty as He is, says Evangelical Presbyterian Pastor Myron Mooney

Bruce Gerencser 19 Comments
myron mooney

Myron Mooney is the pastor of Trinity Free Presbyterian Church in Trinity, Alabama. Free Presbyterians are the Presbyterian version of Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB). Staunchly Evangelical, Calvinistic, and separatist, Free Presbyterians believe women should be silent in church and wear head coverings. In 2017, Mooney made the news with his unwavering support of Roy Moore. When asked about his name being on the letter of support for Moore, Mooney stated:

I’m proud to have my name on that letter.I don’t put any stock in (these accusations) because of the timing.

According to Mooney, his wife said the recent coverage and outrage over Moore’s scandalous behavior with underage girls is akin to being raped:

Here’s what my wife has to say about rape right now. My wife says the state of Alabama is being raped by Washington and being raped by the country with these allegations.

According to the Decatur Daily, Mooney believes that Moore’s opponents have been working for months to orchestrate an attack against Moore. Specifically, Mooney blames the Democrats. I am always amused when Evangelicals resort to wild conspiracy theories to explain reports of immoral or criminal behavior. Does Mooney really believe that there is some nefarious force behind nine women accusing Moore of creepy, criminal sexual misconduct? Imagine how many people it would take to pull off such a large-scale left-wing conspiracy. Occam’s razor applies here. The shortest answer is likely the truth; and the truth is that 30-year-old district attorney Moore had a perverse, stalker-like obsession with teenage girls; and that this obsession resulted in inappropriate sexual behavior.

According to Mooney, if the sexual misconduct claims are true, then the girls making them should be held accountable for not coming forward sooner. Ever the Fundamentalist, Mooney has a proof-text to justify his slut-shaming:

If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:23,24)

Mooney is quoted in the Decatur Daily as saying:

She is then as guilty as the person that is said to have done the molestation The guilt is shared.

Pause for a moment and let Mooney’s abhorrent viewpoint sink in. Are you angry? Sick to your stomach? I know, I am.

Deuteronomy 22:23,24 teaches that if a woman is walking down the street in a city and a man rapes her, and she doesn’t cry out for help — meaning she must have really “wanted” it, then she should be executed along with her rapist. In other words, God says the rape victim is just as guilty as her rapist. Why? Because she didn’t scream loudly enough for someone to hear and come and rescue her.

Deuteronomy 22 is the same chapter of God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible Word that commands:

  • Women who fail a virgin test on their wedding night shall be labeled whores and executed (vs 13-21)
  • Women who wear “men’s” clothing are abominations (vs 5)
  • If a man has sex with a woman who is not engaged and they are found out, he must pay the woman’s father fifty silver shekels and marry her (with no possibility of divorce) (vs 28,29)

Mooney should roundly be condemned for what he said, but that’s not going to happen. He quoted the Bible, and dammit, God said it, and that settles it!  I wonder, as I conclude this post, if, in the picture above, the tie, shirt, underwear, and suit Mooney is wearing is made of “mixed” cloth. The Bible also says in Deuteronomy 22:

Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. (vs 11)

How dare Pastor Mooney sin against the thrice holy God and wear mixed material clothing. Surely, his fellow Presbyterians will demand Mooney be defrocked for wearing clothing God condemns. After all, God said it, and that settles it, right? If Fundamentalists such as Mooney are going to use the Bible to justify their slut-shaming, the least they can do is obey all 635 laws in the Old Testament, and not just the ones that prop up, support, and provide cover for anti-woman views.

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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Update: Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Edward Williams Pleads Guilty to Having Inappropriate Relationship With a Student, Sentenced to Probation

Bruce Gerencser 1 Comment
pastor edward williams

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 May 2021, Edward Williams, pastor of Jesus People Full of Faith Ministries in Pembroke Pines, Florida, was accused of having a romantic relationship with a seventeen-year-old girl. Williams was also a teacher and football coach at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.

Channel 10 reported:

A high school football coach is under arrest after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Detectives said that 44-year-old Edward Malachi Williams of Miramar was romantically involved with a 17-year-old girl at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.

According to a police report, the victim told investigators that the two were not sexually active but were waiting for her to turn 18 before going public as a couple. One of the texts she showed police from Williams said: “Baby, give me one chance, baby, baby, baby, give me one chance. I can’t believe I lost my girl. Please what if we make love one last time, it won’t be the last time, but for awhile.”

Miami-Dade Schools Police officers said that they went to the home of the 17-year-old after receiving information through an anonymous source.

They said the girl stated that although they had not been sexually intimate, they are “in love, have held hands, and kissed.” Police said both the victim and Williams denied engaging in sex.

….

Williams was located at the school on Wednesday, according to investigators, and brought to Miami-Dade Public Schools Police Department headquarters for questioning, where he was subsequently arrested.

He was released from jail late Wednesday and walked out covering his head with a shirt. He did not speak to anyone.

According to Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Williams had been employed with the district from 1999 to 2017. He returned to the district in June of 2020. School officials said he had no history of disciplinary actions. Williams has been fired, according to the district.

….

He is facing a second-degree felony charge, Offenses Against Students By Authority Figures.

In August 2021, Williams pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation.

edward williams plea

Astoundingly, Williams is still the pastor of Jesus People Full of Faith Ministries. Evidently, having an inappropriate relationship with a teenager doesn’t disqualify Williams from the ministry.

Williams’ church bio states:

Edward is committed to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, so when the call came for ministry, it was no hard decision. Edward’s desire to see people live their lives to the fullest in Christ made the call and commitment to Pastor in the South Florida area an easy one. Edward’s strong belief is God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.

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 Donny Raney Accused of Having an Inappropriate Sexual Relationship with a Teen Girl

Bruce Gerencser 3 Comments
pastor donny raney

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.

Donny Raney, pastor of Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church in Okeechobee, Florida, stands accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teen girl at the school where he worked.

WPTV-5 reports:

A middle school coach and pastor from Okeechobee has been arrested on suspicion of a romantic relationship with an 18-year-old student at the high school, the county’s school district and sheriff’s office said Thursday.

Donny Raney, 36, was arrested Wednesday and faces a charge of offenses against a student by an authority figure. Raney was booked into the Okeechobee County jail. He has since posted bond and has been released.

The sheriff’s office said a detective received information on April 12 from a woman who said her daughter, a student at the high school, about concerns she was having a relationship with Raney, including video of him on her cellphone.

The school district said on Friday it was contacted by a detective regarding inappropriate conduct between an individual who has served as a baseball and basketball coach from Yearling Middle School and an 18-year-old student.

“Mr. Raney has been removed from all coaching activities and contact with students,” the school district said in a news release posted on Facebook. “The district has notified the Office of Professional Practices for further sanctions.”

During an interview with Raney on Wednesday, the detective “asked him how he knew (redacted), to which he replied through chaplaincy and seeing her around the last year. He explained that he helps with chapel services during sports at the High School. He has never been her actual coach.”

Raney is listed as a pastor at Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church on its Facebook page (which is currently inactive).

The detective said he questioned Raney about the cellphone video, which was located on the phone, sent by him. Raney explained he had a physical relationship with her.

Normally, the fact that the girl was eighteen would mean that this was a consensual adult relationship. However, Raney is an authority figure in this teenager’s life, thus he was charged with a sex crime.

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: Kent Hovind’s Dinosaur Adventure Land Buddy, Christopher Jones, Accused of Sex Crimes

Bruce Gerencser 3 Comments

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.

Christopher Link Jones, Kent Hovind’s bosom buddy at Dinosaur Adventure Land in Repton, Alabama, stands accused of criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 14. Jones was previously convicted of battery and lewd acts on children in California. Hovind, of course, is adamant that Jones is innocent.

The Daily Beast reports:

A conspiracy theorist at the center of controversy over a creationist theme park has been arrested for alleged sexual assault of a nine-year-old.

Christopher Link Jones, 55, was arrested late last month in Aiken, South Carolina, the Aiken Standard first reported. An arrest warrant shows Jones charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 14. Jones was previously convicted of battery and lewd acts on children in California.

Jones’ California criminal record created rifts at Dinosaur Adventure Land, a creationist theme park where Jones is friends with head preacher Kent Hovind, and where Jones has been accused of sexually abusing a boy. Hovind and Jones have blamed the previous conviction on a plot to silence Jones for what he claims was his work with Infowars founder Alex Jones.

Hovind told The Daily Beast that Jones is still welcome at Dinosaur Adventure Land (DAL) despite the new charges.

“I’ve known Chris for many years,” Hovind told The Daily Beast. “He gets accused of things all the time, but everybody gets their day in court. I don’t know the details on that [the charges].”

….

Former DAL residents previously told The Daily Beast they distanced themselves from Hovind after he allegedly arranged for Jones to share a bed with an 11-year-old boy whom Jones had brought to DAL in 2019. The boy, whom The Daily Beast is not naming, later told his mother that Jones had touched his genitals through a paper towel. Recordings from a 2021 meeting of DAL staff and residents, previously reported by The Daily Beast, show Hovind dismissing concerns about the incident.

“That’s Chris’s decision and the kid’s decision,” Hovind said during the 2021 meeting, when DAL residents raised concerns about Jones wrestling with the child, or sharing a bed with him. “How people here react to that is their decision. He’s got a right to wrestle with a kid if he wants and you’ve got a right to say ‘I’m not getting around Chris.’”

Reached for comment, the boy’s mother told The Daily Beast that Jones’ arrest in South Carolina last month was related to her son. The arrest warrant does not appear to relate directly to DAL (which is located in Alabama), but to an incident approximately two years before the DAL visit, when the boy was nine. The boy’s mother previously stated that Jones was her boss, and that he had sometimes looked after her son prior to the DAL trip.

Neither Jones nor his lawyer returned requests for comment on Jones’ arrest. Jones left jail last month on a $15,000 bond, court records show.

Jones was previously convicted on three charges of lewd acts on children, after he made three boys (ages nine, 11, and 12) play strip poker with him. He was also convicted of battery for spanking a naked seven-year-old boy.

He and Hovind have blamed the past cases on political persecution. Jones claims to have recorded undercover footage from Bohemian Grove, a campsite for the rich and powerful that has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. Jones claims he gave the footage to Infowars founder Alex Jones (no relation), prompting government forces to pursue sex crime charges against him.

….

“He got a job there and video taped a bunch of stuff and they wanted him in prison,” Hovind said in a voicemail to a DAL resident who called to ask about Jones’ criminal past.

Neither Infowars nor an Alex Jones spokesperson returned requests for comment.

Reached by phone about Jones’ latest arrest, Hovind said it was not feasible to perform background checks on all DAL visitors. Even so, he said. “I would doubt he’s guilty.”

But Hovind doesn’t need to perform a background check; he’s already aware of Jones’ past conviction.

“Well even that doesn’t mean you’re guilty,” Hovind said. “How many people, later, convictions get overturned? Thousands of them. Sometimes 20 years, 50 years later.”

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 School Teacher Jonathan Sauers Accused of Inappropriate Sexual Relationship with Minor Girl

Bruce Gerencser 3 Comments
jonathan sauers

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.

Jonathan Sauers, a science/Bible teacher and coach at Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama stands accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship 16-year-old girl. Faith Academy was started by Life Church in Mobile.

Al.com reports:

A teacher and coach at a Mobile County private school was arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with his 16-year-old student, authorities said Tuesday.

Mobile County sheriff’s deputies received a call Monday night from the parent of a 16-year-old girl about a possible sexual incident involving a teacher at a local private school, said Lt. Mark Bailey.

Deputies then spoke to the girl and her parents when the girl disclosed “she was currently in a sexual relationship with a teacher at her school,” Bailey said.

The lieutenant did not disclose the school because authorities were giving the principal time to notify students about the incident, but Fox 10 identified the teacher as Jonathan Sauers of Faith Academy in Mobile. He coaches boys soccer at Faith.

Mobile County jail records did not show Sauers’ arrest.

On Monday night, the girl drove to the Semmes Walmart to meet her teacher. The teacher then picked her up and drove not too far from where her vehicle was located, Bailey said.

They then engaged in sexual acts before the girl walked back to her vehicle, according to Bailey.

The girl had been away from her parents for about an hour to 1 1/2 hours.

“Her parents became concerned for her safety that she wasn’t back home by now. She told them she was going to Walmart to pickup school supplies,” Bailey said. “They went out, they found her car. Did not find their daughter in the car.”

The parents then went to the sheriff’s office to file a missing person’s report and deputies began searching for the girl.

They found her walking on Moffett Road, said Bailey.

Deputies brought her back to the Walmart when the girl disclosed the sexual relationship with her teacher.

Bailey said the teacher did not have a prior criminal history.

“Other than this, you would think that he is the model teacher,” he said, adding that the relationship was going on for several months. “He is a teacher and a coach.”

The teacher was charged with school employee engaging in a sex act with a student under 19 and school employee engaging in sexual contact with a student under 19 — both felonies. He faces between 10 to 20 years in prison on each count if convicted.

Fox-10 added:

Bond has been set for a former Faith Academy teacher who is accused of having sex with a student. Jonathan Sauers, 44, was arrested earlier this week.

He is facing two felony charges — one count of a school employee sex act and one count of a school employee sexual contact with a student under 19.

His total bond for both his charges was set at $45,000. That’s $30,000 for the first charge and $15,000 for the second.

Sauers is also ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 and have no contact with anyone at any school in Mobile County.

Sauers coached at Faith Academy, and investigators say he also taught science and the Bible at the school for several years.

The investigation started Monday when deputies say the 16-year-old student told them she had been having a sexual relationship with Sauers for months.

Faith Academy released the following statement:

It is with a heavy heart that I write this. As many of you know, Mr. Jonathan Sauers was arrested for inappropriate conduct with a student. Faith Academy is providing full cooperation to the investigating authorities, and Mr. Sauers is no longer an employee at Faith Academy. Due to the active nature of this investigation, no further details can be provided at this time.

“We would, however, like to state that we are devastated by this news. It is out ongoing commitment and our deepest desire to give your children a quality, Christian education surrounded by those who exemplify Christ in their actions. We want to assure you that we are doing everything within our power to provide that, including utilizing an extensive vetting process for our facility.

“We covet your prayers for the entire Faith Academy family for healing and for our leadership’s wisdom and discernment as we move 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 Jose Artero Charged with Sexual Exploitation by a Counselor

Bruce Gerencser 0 Comments
pastor jose artero

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.

Jose Artero, pastor of Palabra Viva Iowa in Des Moines, Iowa, stands accused of sexual exploitation by a counselor and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

The Des Moines Register reports:

Police arrested a Des Moines pastor on Wednesday for alleged sexual misconduct.

Jose Artero was charged with sexual exploitation by a counselor and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. In January, Artero allegedly exposed his genitals to a 20 year-old woman and made further unwanted communications, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesperson with the Des Moines Police Department.

Court documents made available Thursday showed Artero met the victim through his role as pastor for Palabra Viva Iowa, a Latino church in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines. Artero allegedly reached out to her over Facebook to discuss relationship problems she was having. He then offered to come to her house. When he arrived, he exposed his genitals, prompting the church member to ask him to leave, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint states Artero admitted he would have had sex with the woman if she would have allowed. Artero is now on pretrial release and is set to appear in court on March 27.

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.