Former Boy Scout Troop Leader Arrested

PUEBLO - A Pueblo man who used to be a Boy Scout group leader and is currently a mentor with religious groups is being accused of sexually abusing two children. Jeffery Bartleson, 51, has been arrested and charged with sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust. Court documents suggest he is free on $150,000 bond though that could not be confirmed Friday evening.

According to an arrest affidavit, Bartleson touched at least two boys inappropriately in separate incidents. Police say he caused severe bodily harm to one boy, causing the boy to urinate blood. Bartleson also reportedly threatened one victim allegedly saying that if he told people about the incident he would kill them.

In the first case, documents suggest Bartleson allegedly masturbated and rubbed his penis on the child. On another occasion, the victim was forced to undress in the same bed with the 51-year-old. Bartleson then allegedly tried to cover up the incident when confronted with questions about why the boy may be acting strange. He reportedly told the concerned adult "just let me talk to him."

In the second case, Bartleson also allegedly "rubbed his penis on the child at least two different times." According to a sexual assault investigator in Denver, the victim told her that Bartleson did this while the boy was clothed. He also reportedly insisted on drying the boy's privates off with a towel after the boy showered, even though he was forcibly told no.

The arrest affidavit also details other accusations and similar charges that were brought against Bartleson in the past. It suggests he may have videotaped some boys who showered at his home, though it's not clear when that allegedly happened, and routinely stayed in the bathroom with boys and watched them as they "went #1 or #2." Another time, Bartleson was allegedly told by police to stay away from a mobile home park after trying to pay kids $200 to help him find a lost dog. The court documents suggest at least one victim may be as young as 8 years old.

The arrest affidavit does not suggest that these two victims were tied to Bartleson's involvement with the Boy Scouts or church.

Former Bedford County minister faces child sex abuse charges

A former Bedford County minister is facing child sexual abuse charges, according to Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Krantz.

Krantz said Charles Langley, 72, former pastor of Forest United Methodist Church, is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery against a child under the age of 13.

The charges, Krantz said, are related to incidents said to have taken place between April and December of 2007.

United Methodist Church District Superintendent Larry Davies said Langley was removed as pastor in late 2007, when authorities began investigating the complaints.

Krantz said that the child was not affiliated with Langley through the church.

Davies said though the church removed Langley from authority, that action did not reflect any judgment on the charges.

“We did what churches just have to do nowadays,” Davies said. “We’re doing the best we can to do the right thing, but frankly when a whole church is involved you can’t take risks,” he added. “Hard as it was, we had to do it.”

Krantz said that shortly before the family of the child came forward, another family had also accused Langley of sexual abuse of a child, but was unwilling to pursue charges because of the strain it would put on the child.

“I’m hopeful that as the first family sees this (case) move forward,” Krantz said, “that they may reconsider.”

Davies said Langley had served as pastor of Forest United Methodist Church for a few years prior to his removal, though he wasn’t sure how many.

“We just felt like we couldn’t ignore that kind of charge,” Davies said.

Langley was arrested in North Carolina, according to Krantz, where he had been living after being relieved of his position.

Krantz said charges have been certified to a grand jury after Langley’s preliminary hearing last week.

Former Pastor Accused of Soliciting Teen for Sex Heads to Court

A man who once pondered his next sermon has something else on his mind tonight. His attorney says Paul Marmon admits to soliciting a 15-year-old girl for sex. And he says, Marmon is sorry. WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito has more.

Paul Marmon's attorney tells me that his client is extremely remorseful for his actions.. so remorseful that he's actually had a heart attack since his arrest. And that's why he waived his right to a preliminary hearing today. 62-year-old Paul Marmon had no comment for our cameras today as walked out of a Montgomery County District Court. With a Bible tucked under his arm, Marmon headed back to his prison cell. He waived the preliminary hearing because he's willing to accept responsibility for what he did.

REPORTER: The Whitehall township resident and former Pastor at St. James United Church of Christ in Allentown was charged with sexually propositioning a 15 year old girl in Montgomery County between April and September of last year.

Tom Telling her you're so much more mature than people think. I wish I could be in your bedroom tonight and I want to make love to you right now.

REPORTER: The 62-year-old reportedly posed as a 19-year-old online under the screen name "Allentownhotguy". The girl eventually suspected something was off and told her parents who then contacted police.

his attitude right now is one that he's realized he's done wrong.
REPORTER: Police say Marmon left the teen presents like lingerie in a park near her Lower Providence Township house.

Tom Asked her if he could purchase special underwear for her and requested nude photos belonging to the girl.

REPORTER: Marmon was arrested and charged in September. The former pastor faces two counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer. His attorney says he's getting the mental help that he needs. >> He's never tried to get out of jail we've never had a bail motion or reduction motion.

There is a formal arraignment scheduled for March. Marmon wasn't allowed to enter a guilty plea today....but his attorney says he's accepting responsibility for his actions. We'll have to wait until March to find out if Marmon will plead guilty. Live in the Newsroom, Stephanie Esposito 69 News.

Former pastor gets 10 years

The wishes of a teenager and her family were considered at sentencing after their former minister pleaded guilty to unlawfully touching the girl at a Wiggins church, said Assistant District Attorney Mark Ward.

Circuit Judge Roger Clark sentenced 47-year-old Raymond D. Collins Sr. to 10 years in prison with three years’ probation and suspended the prison time. Collins pleaded guilty to unlawful touching for sexual gratification while in a position of trust as the girl’s minister.

“The most important concern of the victim and the family was that he be marked as a sex offender so he is never in a position to do this to anyone else,” Ward said.

Collins is a former Wiggins alderman-at-large. He was pastor of Wiggins Church of God in Christ when he was arrested in connection with the case in May 2006.

The victim was 15 and 16 when Collins touched her inappropriately in 2005 and 2006. Ward said Collins touched her vagina or breasts before and after church-related activities.

Wiggins police initially charged Collins with statutory rape. He was set for trial in a change of venue to Harrison County Circuit Court. Once Collins changed his plea, he was sentenced in Stone County Circuit Court in Wiggins.

Court officials said Collins came to the hearing dressed in a sweatshirt and blue jeans.

He was stoic, devoid of outward emotion, Ward said.

Collins’ information could not be found Thursday on the Mississippi Sex Offender Registry, which is available for public viewing on the Internet.

Some Boys

Bonds set for pastor, daughter

BELLE CHASSE, La. - Bonds have been set for Pastor Martin Denesse and his daughter India Marshall who were arrested Friday after police found several pounds of marijuana in their SUV and crack cocaine on Denesse.

Denesse has bonds of $75,000 for marijuana possession with intent to distribute, $25,000 for possession of crack cocaine, $5,000 for possession of drug paraphernalia and $500 for traffic violations, totaling $105,000, Major John F. Marie from Plaquemines Parish Police said in a statement.

Denesse was also ordered by authorities to provide the District Attorney's Office information on all of his banking accounts, personal, business or otherwise, police said, adding, for the time being, the pastor cannot withdraw any money larger than $1,000 a week without permission of the court or write any check larger than $1,000 without the court's permission.

Denesse’s daughter India Marshall faces has bonds of $75,000 for marijuana with intent to distribute and $5,000 for possession of drug paraphernalia, totaling $80,000, police said. In addition, Marshall was advised by Judge Joy Lobrano to take care of her outstanding two warrants from Jefferson Parish, police said.

Denesse was represented by attorney Willie Zanders, while, police said, Marshall will be represented by the Indigent Defenders Office. The next hearing for Denesse and Marshall is scheduled for April 6.

Also arraigned in Plaquemines court was Martin Bartholomew on second-degree murder charges. Police said his bond was set by Judge Lobrano at $250,000. He will be represented by the Indigent Defenders Office.

Pastor arrested for raping 15-year-old girl

THE trail of scandal surrounding some of the country’s most prominent pastors and clergymen, who are tasked to uphold the highest moral standards in society, continues unabated with the latest incident involving a pastor raping a 15-year-old girl.

Residents of the small town of Usakos, 140 kilometres northeast of Swakopmund, last week woke to yet another scandal when a prominent local pastor was arrested for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old schoolchild. Namibian Police at Usakos confirmed that Pastor Shimbike Lusati, one of the high-ranking clergymen of the Lutheran Church of the Republic of Namibia in Usakos, was arrested on suspicion of raping a young girl.

The youthful Lusati (35) was finally nabbed by police last week over the alleged rape of a schoolgirl, who happens to be a member of his church.

According to court documents obtained by Informanté, Lusati appeared before magistrate L.N. Hangalo at the Usakos Magistrate’s court last week on charges of rape. He was released on bail of N$2,000. His case number, CR21/2009, is still pending for further police investigations.

Lusati’s arrest follows closely that of Pastor Willem Pieters, also of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN), who was caught for drunken driving along the B1 Highway between Windhoek to Rehoboth.

Pieters, who is the Director of ELCRN Social Diaconal Services and Tabitha Old Age Home in Khomasdal, Windhoek, had a blood alcohol level of 0.55mg, according to an on-the-spot breathalyser test taken by police. The legal limit is 0.35mg.

Former pastor sentenced to 8 years

MACHESNEY PARK —

A pastor who pleaded guilty to sex charges involving two female minors has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Jonathon Christopher Powell, 40, former senior pastor at New Hope Baptist Church, pleaded guilty Monday to criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, for which he received a five-year and three-year sentence, respectively.

The sentences will be served consecutively, said Winnebago County State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato.

The charges stem from his sexual relationships with the 15- and 13-year-old girls. Powell was arrested in May and has been held in the Winnebago County Jail since. He will be credited with more than 200 days served.

Bruscato said the sentences were fair.

“We believe justice was done, and the sentences the court issued were appropriate,” he said.

Upon his release, Powell will be required to register as a sex offender.

Youth group leader pleads not guilty to indecent assault

NORRISTOWN — A New Hanover church youth group leader has pleaded not guilty to charges he allegedly had indecent contact with a teenage girl who attended the church.

David Benson Lewis, 23, of the 2900 block of Reifsnyder Road, waived his arraignment in Montgomery County Court and entered not guilty pleas to charges of aggravated indecent assault, corruption of a minor and indecent assault in connection with alleged incidents that occurred in August 2008.

By waiving his arraignment, Lewis did not have to appear before a judge for a formal reading of the charges lodged against him. Lewis' case will now be scheduled for trial.

Lewis remains free on $20,000 unsecured bail, pending his next court hearing. A trial date has not yet been set.

Lewis, according to a criminal complaint filed by New Hanover police, is the son of David M. Lewis, pastor of New Hanover United Methodist Church. The elder Lewis, according to the arrest affidavit, reported his son's alleged conduct to child social service officials when he learned about the conduct on Sept. 1. That call then started the police investigation, court documents indicate.

At the time of his arrest, David Benson Lewis was listed on the church Web site as being a member of the leadership team of the church youth group.

Lewis was 23 at the time of the alleged incidents and the girl was 15, according to the arrest affidavit. The alleged indecent contact involved inappropriate touching, according to court documents.

On Sept. 1, according to a criminal complaint, the younger Lewis confessed his conduct to his father, claiming he had had an "improper relationship" with the teenage girl.

"The defendant decided to confess to his father because he had been contacted earlier in the day by the juvenile's mother who had called to speak to the defendant's father about the incidents," New Hanover Police Officer Dekkar Dyas wrote in the criminal complaint.

Father and son then met with the girl's parents. During that meeting, the younger Lewis admitted to touching the girl inappropriately, the arrest affidavit alleged.

The following day, the elder Lewis reported the incident to a child abuse hot line, according to the arrest affidavit.

When he was interviewed by police, the younger Lewis allegedly said he touched the girl inappropriately on several occasions when the girl was in his company after church functions. The incidents allegedly occurred at various locations in the township but not at the church, court documents indicate.

"During the interview, the defendant acknowledged that he knew the juvenile was only 15 years of age," Dyas wrote in the arrest affidavit.

If convicted of all the charges at trial, Lewis faces a possible maximum sentence of 9 ½ to 19 years in prison.

Ex-Montreal pastor gets five years in prison for sex with 10-year-old 'wife'

MONTREAL — A self-described pastor who hoped his "marriage" to a 10-year-old girl he took to bed would convince a judge to acquit him on a sexual assault charge was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday.

Daniel Cormier, who was convicted last October following a lengthy trial, has a maximum of 49 months left behind bars because of time already served.

"I would say that there's no remorse," Crown prosecutor Anne-Andree Charette said outside the courtroom. "He just tried to find justifications."

The Crown wanted the maximum prison term of 10 years, while a lawyer Cormier hired for sentencing arguments recommended between 30 months and four years behind bars, given Canadian jurisprudence..

The 57-year-old head of the now defunct Church of Downtown Montreal, who also once ran for mayor, has maintained he is not a pedophile and that he did nothing wrong as the pair were married during a ceremony at his obscure evangelical church in 1999.

Court heard he was lovestruck for the youngster.

During the trial, Quebec court Judge Sylvie Durand announced she would not hear testimony supporting his marriage defence.

The victim, who is now 19, testified she was too young to grasp the idea of marriage. She denied ever entering a union with him, but said she remembered the sexual abuse in vivid detail.

During the proceedings, court heard that Cormier's church catered to the marginalized. Starting in 1993, he took the girl's mother, a recovering junkie and prostitute, and her two daughters under his wing.

Relatives described Cormier as a father figure to the girls who were often invited to stay with him or go on vacation with him and other church members.

It was during such holidays that fellow parishioners became suspicious of Cormier's relationship with the victim.

He was arrested in 2003 after a social worker notified police but the case progressed slowly through the courts as numerous motions were filed by both the Crown and Cormier, who represented himself at the trial.

When it came time for the victim to testify, she agreed to do so only via video link from an adjacent room and Cormier was barred from cross-examining her or her mother.

He declined to submit to the court an approved list of questions and rested his case without calling further witnesses or taking the stand himself.

At the time of his conviction, two additional charges of sexual touching and invitation to touching were dropped.

Cormier is currently on trial in another case involving a 16-year-old girl and could face additional jail time if convicted.

The alleged crimes, which Cormier denies committing, also date back to his time as a pastor.

Ex-Mobile pastor Marshall Seymour pleads guilty in Florida molestation case

A pastor who once worked in both Mobile and Biloxi pleaded guilty or no contest last week to five felony charges in a child molestation case in Florida, according to news reports.

Marshall Seymour faces as many as 65 years in prison at his March 12 sentencing hearing.

Seymour worked as a youth pastor at the Parkway Assembly of God church in Mobile from 1995 to 1999.

He was arrested and charged with sexual abuse in Mobile in 1999, but that was plea-bargained to a lesser assault charge, and he moved to Florida.

Three years later, Parkway's insurance company settled a lawsuit with the boy's family.

Police in Lakeland, Fla., arrested Seymour in 2007. A jury trial was supposed to start in Florida's 10th Circuit Court on Wednesday, but Seymour instead entered his pleas.

According to Lakeland's newspaper, The Ledger, Seymour pleaded guilty to two counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child and one count of tampering with a witness.

Seymour also pleaded no contest to one charge of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and to a third charge of promoting the sexual performance of a child, according to the report.

Phone calls to the number listed for Parkway Assembly of God on Dauphin Island Parkway were not answered Monday afternoon.

While the amount of the 2002 settlement was undisclosed, papers filed in Mobile County Circuit Court revealed claims that Seymour molested a B.C. Rain High School student nine times.

Louisiana Pastor, Daughter Arrested On Narcotics Charges

BURAS, La. -- A Buras pastor and his 22-year-old daughter were arrested and charged with several counts of narcotics possession, among other things.

Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle announced the arrests of Pastor Martin Denesse, pastor of Grace Harbor Christian Ministries, and his daughter, India Marshall.

Both were charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic violations.

Denesse, 49, of Homeplace, and Marshall, 22 of Empire, were arrested at 9:15 p.m. Friday after members of the Plaquemines Parish Narcotics Unit were conducting the High-Visibility Drug Interdiction Initiative along Highway 23 in Belle Chasse.

Narcotics agents said they observed a black Ford Expedition -- which they said was being driven by Denesse and was traveling southbound on Highway 23 -- make a sudden and illegal u-turn as other PPSO narcotics agents had stopped another southbound vehicle.

As the narcotics agents stopped Denesse’s vehicle for the traffic violation, Denesse immediately exited the vehicle and attempted to distance himself from the vehicle, approaching the agents in a nervous and excited manner, they said.

The agents then told the pastor about his violations and asked if he was in possession of any weapons or drugs.

Agents discovered about 4.5 grams of crack cocaine on the pastor when they frisked him. Marshall was then ordered to exit the vehicle. Police said that's when they discovered that she had a crack pipe.

A narcotics K-9 alerted the agents to contraband in the vehicle inside a backpack. Agents recovered the backpack and discovered about 7.5 pounds of marijuana inside of it, along with measuring scales. A second scale was also found in another backpack inside the vehicle.

Denesse and Marshall were then taken into custody, arrested and booked into Belle Chasse Lockup. The vehicle was impounded for further investigation.

Muncie pastor accused of child molesting

Muncie - Police say that a pastor sexually abused at least three former male members of his church. They arrested 52-year-old Pastor Matthew Kidd on several felony counts. Another family with the same claims cannot take Kidd to criminal court, however.

Investigators call allegation against Pastor Matthew Kidd the ultimate betrayal of trust. The 52-year-old minister of Muncie's Freedom Point Apostolic Church was arrested this week after a three-year investigation that led to three felony charges including child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor. Police say the victims, three brothers, were members of the church.
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"They were members of a church and taught all their lives that this was a man of God and he'd do nothing to hurt them. That's what they were taught and that's what they believed," said Cpl. Nancy Marvin, Delaware County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators say that the alleged misconduct by Pastor Kidd began in 2000 and ended three years ago when the boys' parents, also members of the church, came to police. Parents of two other children also came forward but investigators say that the statue of limitations expired in that case preventing them from filing additional charges.

The boys' parents, who no longer are members of the church, filed a civil suit in August against Kidd, the United Pentecostal Church, no longer affiliated with the Muncie church, and Ontario Systems where Kidd formerly worked and where police say that some of the alleged acts occurred.

Kidd, who lives in a home adjacent to the church, is free on bond. His attorney, who declined an on-camera interview, says that the pastor categorically denies the allegations.

Investigators are looking for other potential victims while Pastor Kidd remains in his position with the church. A position of trust that investigators say he used in the worst possible way.

Indian Head Pastor Charged with Multiple Counts of Sexual Child Abuse

LA PLATA, Md. (Jan. 20, 2009) -- The Charles County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit arrested Tony Ray Malbrough, 44, of Indian Head, on Sunday and charged him with multiple counts of sexual child abuse and sex offenses in connection with incidents that allegedly occurred at his residence. At the time of the alleged abuse, Malbrough was a pastor at a church in Charles County. As of Dec. 2008, various websites indicate Malbrough was affiliated with Safe Haven Ministries, Church of God in Christ (COGIC), in Indian Head.

On Jan. 18, at 10:20 a.m., Charles County Sheriff's officers received a call in which a 14-year-old male reported he had been sexually abused by the suspect while receiving music lessons at the suspect's residence. Detectives learned the abuse occurred on multiple occasions over a period of years and involved other children known to the victim. Those victims were contacted and confirmed they, too, had been abused, say police.

Malbrough was charged with second-degree child abuse, third-degree sex offense, fourth-degree sex offense, and possession of child pornography. He was remanded to the Charles County Detention Center with a $500,000 bond.

Based on this information and other leads in the case, detectives believe there may be additional victims. Investigators are encouraging parents to speak with their children about this matter and to contact the Sheriff's Office at 301-609-6558 if they have additional information. The investigations are conducted in a discreet manor and the identity of the victims or potential victims will not be disclosed.

President Obama

Happy inauguration day everyone! What a great day it is, Bush is gone and now we can get back to being Americans again. No more torture, and civil rights for all Americans.

I wish the Obamas well I cannot wait for the change that surely is to come.

Cheers everyone.
Onanite

Arkansas Pastor Accused Of Sexual Assault

Leroy Spears Jr., 56, was arrested after the 17-year-old told police Spears called her into his study Dec. 30 at Union Baptist Church, locked the door and tried to kiss her. Police said the girl also reported that Spears grabbed her breast and tried to put his hand down her pants.

The girl said she was able to send a text message to a friend, telling her to come to the room, and Spears walked away and unlocked the door. The girl told police Spears later came to her house at her mother's request and he apologized.

A judge Friday set a $2,500 bond for Spears and ordered him to have no contact with the teenager. Spears posted bond and was released.

Pastor arrested on molestation charge

A pastor in Weleetka is accused of molesting young girls at his church.

Police arrested 51-year-old Marvin Lowe on a complaint of lewd molestation.

OSBI officials said they had been investigating claims against Lowe since December.

Lowe preaches at the Arbecka Indian Baptist Church of Weleetka. It is located just a half mile from where Skyla Whitaker and Taylor Paschal-Placker were found dead.

Right now, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says it does not believe Lowe is connected to their deaths.

Former Youth Pastor Arrested in California

William David Webb, 35, of Murrieta, California, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity. He was arrested on these charges in California on January 14, 2009 and given a bond on the federal charges. He remains in custody pending extradition from California to Alabama on outstanding state warrants. United States Attorney Alice H. Martin of the Northern District of Alabama, Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Mike Hale, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department announce that Webb was charged in the one-count indictment filed December 30, 2008 and unsealed today at U. S. District Court in Birmingham.

Count One of the indictment charges that in 2004 Webb took a minor from the State of Alabama to the State of Oklahoma with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity. At the time of the offense, Webb was the youth pastor for Word of Life Church in Jefferson County, Alabama.

The minimum sentence for this charge is not less than ten years up to life and a $250,000 fine.

“A minister is placed in a position of trust by his congregants. This position of trust is magnified when the minister is tasked with leading the youth of the church, and when that trust is violated and betrayed, it leaves deep scars. My office is proud to bring to justice those who violate such trust and commit criminal acts against a child. We will vigorously prosecute this case and others like it so that justice is served,” stated United States Attorney Alice H. Martin.

“This case is an outstanding example of local and federal law enforcement working successfully together towards a common goal. Any child who is the victim of sexual abuse, as alleged in this case, is urged come forward and report it to the FBI or your local police department,” stated Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Special Agents of the FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department worked together in the investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Laura D. Hodge is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Hayes Pleads Guilty To Child Porn

A Watertown pastor has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Sixty-eight-year-old Dennis Hayes was arrested in July, accused of inappropriately touching a young boy in Minnesota. But after police searched the pastor's home in Watertown they found five pictures on his computer containing child porn.

Hayes will be sentenced on February 25 on the possession of child pornography charge and faces up to ten years in prison.

Prosecutors in Rock County, Minnesota, say they are holding off on following through with the charges against the 68-year-old pastor until the case in South Dakota is settled.

Pastor Arrested, Charged with Sex Crimes

(Weleetka, OK) -- A sex crime case in Okfuskee County stirs suspicions about another unsolved crime. Marvin Lowe, a pastor, was arrested on 15 counts of lewd molestation. The reported victims are children ages 8 to 14 years old. The nature of the alleged crimes and the proximity of the church to a notorious murder scene are raising questions for some people. Last June, Taylor Placker and Skla Whitaker was shot dead along a dirt road. There murders have never been solved. The OSBI doesn't believe Lowe is connected to the double murder, but they are investigating all leads.

Former church music leader pleads guilty in sex case

LEBANON — A former Hamilton church music leader plead guilty today, Jan. 15, to charges related to an undercover online sex investigation in Hamilton Twp.

Charles Andy Garitson, 24, of Monroe pleaded guilty in Warren County Common Pleas Court to importuning, a fifth-degree felony, in exchange for prosecutors dropping a charge of attempted unlawful sex with a minor.

Garitson was arrested on Sept. 29 after allegedly arranging a meeting with Hamilton Twp. Police Department Lt. Jeff Braley, who posed as a 15-year-old male as part of an undercover investigation. According to the police report, Garitson contacted Braley via the Internet and asked to meet for sexual conduct.

Judge James Heath did not sentence Garitson today, but he faces up to one year in prison and a fine of $2,500. Garitson will have to register as a tier-one sex offender anywhere he lives, works or attends school for the next 15 years.

Garitson was a music director at the Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Hamilton when apprehended by police. Pastor Barbara Dafler said she would not talk about Garitson's arrest.

According to the Bible the “End Times” Should Have ALREADY Occurred!

Jesus and his apostles made MANY prophecies concerning the Armageddon. Christians would have you believe that it shall come as “a thief in the night”. Yet, the Bible is rather clear concerning when it would happen. Matter of fact, the Bible consistently said it would follow soon after Jesus’ death. When you point out such verses to Christians they will try to weasel it out of it by saying Christ was talking about his “future” apostles versus the ones he was directly speaking to. All it takes is a close examinations of the pronouns used in order to see that Christ truly did believe the end times would have happened nearly 2,000 years ago. Keep in mind that the Bible claims it is “fit for reproof’ and Christianity “lives and dies on the resurrection and end times”. If we are to believe these verses and accept that the end time prophecies failed then surely the whole book is invalid.

False Prophecies About the Armageddon:

Jesus’ Predictions:

1) Jesus falsely prophesies DIRECTLY to the high priest (Caiphas) that he would live to see his second coming. Jesus uses the term “coming on the clouds of heaven”. This clearly negates the “coming” as the resurrection but as a return to the earth on CLOUDS, not his return in human form from the dead. Matthew 26:64 & Mark 14:62.

"But I tell you: From now on you will see 'the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and 'coming on the clouds of heaven.'" (Matthew 26:64 NAB)
Then Jesus answered, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.'" (Mark 14:62 NAB)

2) Jesus mistakenly tells his followers that he will return and establish his kingdom within their lifetime. Matthew 23:36 & 24:34

Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:36 NAB)

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, know that he is near, at the gates. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:29-35 NAB)

3) YET AGAIN, Jesus claims those standing RIGHT BEFORE HIM shall see the Armageddon. Matthew 16:28 “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Don’t let Christians lie to you and claim Jesus was referring to his modern day believers. The words “some standing HERE will not taste death” clearly refutes such nonsense. Obviously the people he was speaking to died, and curiously Jesus STILL isn’t here to claim his kingdom.

4) Jesus falsely prophesies that the end of the world will come within his listeners’ lifetimes.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:30-31 NAB)

He also said to them, "Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come in power." (Mark 9:1 NAB)

5) Jesus falsely predicts that some of his listeners would live to see him return and establish the kingdom of God.

"Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:27 NAB)

6) Jesus implies that he will return to earth during the lifetime of John. (John 21:22)

7) Jesus says that all that he describes (his return, signs in the sun, moon, wars, stars, etc.) will occur within the lifetime of his listeners. He purposely defines their generation and NOT a future one. Considering that NONE of those signs took place during the resurrection and that he uses the term of “Heaven and earth shall pass away”, Clearly Jesus is prophesizing that nearly 2,000 years ago Armageddon SHOULD have occurred. Luke 21:25-33

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand." He taught them a lesson. "Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Luke 21:25-33 NAB)

[Editor's note: Matthew 10:23 also has Jesus telling his disciples that the second coming will occur before the disciples finish preaching in Israel: "When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." (Matthew 10:23 NAB)]

John’s Predictions

8) John believes “the time is at hand,” and that the things that he writes about in Revelation will “shortly come to pass.” Revelations 1:1-3

9) John quotes Jesus (1900 years ago) as saying he will come “quickly.” Revelations 22:7, 12 & 20

10) John thinks he is living in “the last times.” He “knows” this because he sees so many antichrists around. 1 John 2:18

11) John says that the antichrist was already present at the time 1 John was written. 1 John 4:3

12) John quotes Jesus (1900 years ago) as saying he will come “quickly.” Revelations 3:11, 22:7, 12 & 20

Paul’s Predictions

13) Paul thought that the end was near and that Jesus would return soon after he wrote these words. Philippians 4:5

14) Paul believes he is living in the “last days.” Hebrews 1:2

15) Paul believed that Jesus would come “in a little while, and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37

16) In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul stated: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: And the dead Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Paul shared the delusion, taught by Jesus, in that he expected to be snatched up bodily into heaven with other saints then living, who would, thus, never taste death. The use of “we” clearly proves as much. It is difficult to deny that Paul was certain that the end of the world was coming in the lifetime of his contemporaries.

Other Prophecies About Armageddon:

17) James thought that Jesus would return soon. James 5:8

18) Peter wrongly believed that he was living in the “last times” and that “the end of all things is at hand.” 1 Peter 1:20 & 4:7

Waynesburg pastor arrested on sex charge

WAYNESBURG — A local pastor was arrested Monday night at his church on a warrant charging him with gross sexual imposition, Stark County Jail records said.

Eugene A. Dietz, 59, of 10 Kiowa Trail in Malvern, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. at the New Life Christian Church at 139 Roosevelt Ave. in Waynesburg on the charge, jail records said.

Jail records list him as the pastor of that church.

Jackson Township Police arrested Dietz, but the jail records contained no details of the events leading up to the charge against him.

He remained in jail this morning, held in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Pastor arrested in teen-sex case

A pastor at a Wildwood church has been arrested and charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a teenaged girl.

Michael Kennedy, 51, of Mount Dora, was charged with two counts of sexual battery. He was released from the Lake County jail after posting $20,000 bond.

Kennedy is a pastor at the Ebenezer Royal African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wildwood, according to Sgt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Last month, the victim, who is now 19, told a relative that Kennedy abused her multiple times when she was 13 and 14-years old, Herrell said. The relative contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office and also confronted Kennedy. Kennedy told the relative that God had forgiven him for the abuse and that the victim needed to as well, Herrell said.

On Monday, the victim called Kennedy in the presence of investigators and confronted him about the abuse. Kennedy admitted to molesting her, and, when the victim asked why, Kennedy said, "You were having problems at school with the kids and all, and I want[ed] to reach out to you to show you that somebody did care about you and love you," according to an arrest affidavit.

Investigators arrested Kennedy this afternoon.

Catholic pastor arrested on DUI charge

A Temple Terrace pastor is in jail this morning after deputies arrested him on a charge of driving under the influence.

Father Joseph Waters, 47, was stopped about 2:30 a.m. today on U.S. 301 south of Riverview, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Waters refused a Breathalyzer test and was booked at the Orient Road Jail about two hours later.

Waters told deputies that he is the pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Temple Terrace. The church's Web site confirms this. Waters served at the Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in 1991, as the director of worship and religious education for the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg in 1994, and as the vice rector of Miami's St. John Vianney College Seminary in 1996.

Last year, Waters participated in a conference focused on the central tenets of the faith. He expressed concerns about trends he thought were weakening the church.

One-Time Sunday School Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Assault

He's guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the basement of a springs church, but the one-time Sunday school teacher is a free man Monday night. Jon Moore was sentenced Monday for sexually assaulting a church member over the course of three years.

Moore will now have to register as a sex offender. Church members say he served the church for years, but now he’s serving time, sentenced to 10 years to life on probation. The judge also sentenced him to 60 days in jail. He had already served 76 days while he was waiting for this sentencing, so he got credit for time served.

At Lighthouse Baptist Church, Jon Moore reportedly had several jobs, according to church's head pastor, James Carroll. "He worked on the web, helped with the audio and taught Sunday school."

“I want to go home and be with my family. I want to prove to my community that I’m not a monster and I'm not a threat," Moore said during his sentencing hearing. He apologized to the victim, to his church and to his wife of 28 years.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness because I can't forgive myself. I don't now if I'll ever be able to."

Moore's daughter also spoke on her father's behalf. "I believe in my heart that nothing like this will ever happen again."

A family friend of the victim says the girl hasn't been the same since. "She's afraid to go to school. She can't relate to men." Usually during a suspect's sentencing, the victim will speak, but her family moved out of state.

The head pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church said Moore's real punishment starts now when he returns to the church and faces the congregation.

Police: Pastor Charged With Sexual Abuse Has HIV

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. -- More information about the arrest of a Shelbyville pastor charged with sexual abuse has become public, including his HIV status.

James Howard Bell, 47, is in custody in Shelby County, facing charges of sexual abuse, sodomy and wanton endangerment.

State police said the case against Bell began when he turned himself in.

According to an arrest citation obtained by WLKY, Bell went to police and confessed to several sexual encounters with a 15-year-old.

"He apparently probably had thought at some point in time someone was going to come to us before he did," said Kentucky State Trooper Ronald Turley.

Bell's neighbors are baffled by the allegations.

"It's hard to believe that he done something like that, being a minister and all that, you know," said William Simons.

Besides sexual abuse and sodomy, Bell is also facing a wanton endangerment charge. Police would not release the details of the case, but according to court documents, Bell confessed that he "knowingly withheld the fact that he is HIV positive from the juvenile and did not use protection during these encounters."

For those who knew Bell, they said it's hard to imagine he would be facing charges for anything, especially this.

"I still don't believe it," Simons said.

Bell's church, the Refuge Temple Church of God in Christ, has issued no comment on the case, and Bell denied our request for an interview.

As the case moves forward, neighbors said they will have several people on their minds -- Bell's wife and his three children.

"I feel sorry for his family," Simons said. "I can feel what they are going through."

Anaheim pastor gets 90 years for molestation

An Anaheim pastor who videotaped himself molesting a 13-year-old girl in a church office cried and clutched a Bible after being sentenced Monday to 90 years in prison for sexually abusing five children.

Raul Rosas Hernandez, 44, pleaded guilty to 34 felony counts and was led away in handcuffs after sentencing — his show of remorse prompting a scolding from the judge.

"He wasn't crying and clutching his Bible when he was violating his position of trust as a pastor and molesting his victims," said Orange County Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno. He called the pastor's actions "the epitome of hypocrisy."

Hernandez was a pastor at Faith in Action church for seven years before his arrest in 2006. He was charged with molesting four girls and one boy over 10 years beginning in 1996.

Prosecutors said they have a videotape showing Hernandez having sex in his church's office with one of his victims. At one point in the video, Hernandez answers a telephone by saying "God bless you," in Spanish. The video closes with a shot of him at the pulpit delivering a sermon on blasphemy.

Hernandez pleaded guilty because he did not want to put the victims through the ordeal of a trial, said his attorney Lisa Eyanson.

The girl in the video and at least one other victim were at the hearing.

Hernandez also admitted to failing to appear for a pretrial hearing when he was free on $100,000 after his first arrest. He fled the courthouse in February 2006 after he learned that prosecutors had filed an additional count that would send him to prison for life if he was convicted.

Prosecutors said Hernandez was arrested a second time at a Redlands church, where he was asking money to flee to Mexico.

The judge said the sentence is equivalent to a life term because Hernandez must serve 85 percent of the 90 years before he becomes eligible for parole.

Former pastor arrested on bigamy charges

A former Greater Shiloh Baptist Church pastor was arrested Friday on a charge of bigamy, according to the Hamilton County Jail booking report.

Harold Junior Garth, 47, was arrested after Mary Garth and Patricia Garth filed police reports claiming he was married to them and other women at the same time.

Hamilton County Clerk records show that Mr. Garth married three times to three different women in the county — once in August 1988, again 12 years later and now to Mary Garth about three years ago.

According to the Fulton County, Ga., probate office, Mr. Garth was married once there in June 1987. No database is available to search for divorces across the country, so it is unclear whether Mr. Garth was divorced there.

Mr. Garth previously has said one of his divorces was filed in Hamilton County. However, Hamilton County Circuit Court records do not show any divorces filed under Mr. Garth’s name.

Bigamy — or having multiple marriages without divorce or death — is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine up to $2,500 or both, according to the Tennessee code.

Shelbyville Pastor Jailed On Sex Abuse Charges

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. -- A Shelbyville pastor is jailed, charged with sodomy and sexual abuse of a child less than 16 years old.

James Howard Bell was arrested earlier this week. Kentucky State Police said they were notified about the case after Bell went to the authorities himself. Police said they sat down with Bell and he admitted to several crimes.

More kids come forward in abuse case

Two boys have come forward and said they were once molested by a former Kennesaw youth minister facing federal child pornography charges, a Cobb County police officer testified Tuesday.

One 9-year-old has told investigators that “something bad happened” when he was with Jeffrey Alan Wasley, Sgt. Brian A. Moore said. A 16-year-old has said he was fondled by Wasley eight years ago when Wasley gave the boy magic lessons, the sergeant said.

Authorities expect more youths to come forward as well, said Moore, adding that Wasley has not been charged in connection with those alleged incidents.

During Tuesday’s bond hearing, prosecutors laid out an extensive, sordid case against Wasley, accused of taking surreptitious videos of boys using public restrooms. At the close of the hearing, a U.S. magistrate ordered Wasley detained without bond pending his trial.

The 37-year-old father of two tried to commit suicide, slitting his wrist and neck and stabbing himself in the chest, when the Cobb SWAT team and U.S. Secret Service agents came to arrest him at his home on Dec. 11.

Agents found suicide notes prepared by Wasley for his wife and children, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Tim Griffin testified. “He was apologizing,” he said.

Agents also found a novel Wasley had written about a man who was abused as a child and grew up to be a molester, Griffin said.

Wasley, who is under suicide watch, appeared at Tuesday’s hearing in an orange jail jumpsuit with bandages covering his upper chest. He pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.

Wasley once served as youth minister for Calvary Jesus Church in Kennesaw. He was known as “Magic Jeff” for performing a popular magic act at hospitals and schools. He once worked as a magician at American Adventures amusement park in Marietta.

Wasley was first arrested in July for approaching two boys, ages 5 and 7, in the bathroom of a Target store in Kennesaw. He allegedly tucked in one boy’s shirt.

At that time, agents searched Wasley’s home and seized four computers. On one, agents found about 5,000 images of suspected child pornography. It appears that Wasley downloaded most of them from the Internet, Griffin said.

Also found on the computer were nine videos of boys using public bathrooms that authorities believe Wasley took with his Olympus camera. One video was taken over the shoulder of a boy using the bathroom and who then looks up to see the camera. Because the startled boy’s arm probably struck the camera, it was then turned around on the man taking the video.

“It was obviously Mr. Wasley’s face in the video,” Griffin testified.

Wasley was granted bond on the Cobb charges and was home when agents came to arrest him five months later on federal charges, Griffin said.

This time, he said, authorities seized another home computer that had almost 12,000 more images —- and 90 videos —- of suspected child pornography.