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Tag: Pastor

1527: Paul Havsgaard

Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Abuse, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Rape
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Paul Havsgaard is a former pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship megachurch, a church closely associated with Turning Point USA, the arch-conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk dedicated to recruiting college students to support MAGA candidates, particularly Trump. Erika Kirk kicked off a TPUSA national tour at Harvest Christian Fellowship in January, 2026.

He is alleged to have sexually abused and trafficked young children at orphanages the church operated in Romania. Twenty-two men and women allege they were physically and sexually abused while they were children under his care. They also allege Harvest Christian Fellowship failed to fulfill their duty to protect the children, waiting twenty years before telling the police about Havsgaard, despite being informed of the abuse my family members of the children, visitors to the orphanages, and other people.

1507: Rubel Martinez

Child Rape
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Rubel (Tim) Martinez was a pastor at Breakthrough Ministries in Dacona, Colorado. He also worked as a security supervisor at Lakewood High School and Jefferson Jr/Sr. High School for sixteen years until he retired in 2022. He volunteered at both schools, advising and after-school “Clown Club.”

Martinez repeatedly sexually assaulted a student from 2014 to 2016 during and after school hours, on and off school grounds. The victim was a junior and senior at Lakewood High School when the assaults happened. The victim came forward to the police about the assaults in August 2024

1487: Matthew McGinley

Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Grooming, Sexual Assault
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Matthew McGinley, a former worship pastor and Christian school teacher, has been charged with sexually assaulting a former student, a minor. He is also a songwriter, founder of Ascent Project, a Fort Collins, Colorado, church he co-founded.

He has been accused of grooming a student and having a sexual “relationship” (otherwise known as raping a minor) with a minor student (child.) The assaults continued for a year until the student cut off contact.

1483: Joshua Kemper

Child Molestation, Child Rape, Child Sexual Abuse Material, Grooming
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Joshua David Kemper was a youth pastor at Foothill Church in Coarsegold, California. He was also a virulent anti-gay and anti-trans advocate who claimed women felt unsafe in churches that welcomed gay people. That’s strange, because he was the one raping an underage child at his church. The church did well, reporting Kemper to the police. Yes, while churches around the country face scrutiny for covering up sexual abuse, this church filed a police report immediately, prompting a police investigation that resulted in Kemper’s arrest.

1482: George Bell

Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Rape
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

George Bell was the pastor of Anchor Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio. He founded the church and served as its pastor for thirty-five years. He built an extremely conservative church that does not even permit men and women to swim together. “No mixed swimming” they call it. They also do not believe in affiliating with other churches in any way. “There are liberal and modern groups which are joining hands with such. We believe it is a sin to support or bid Godspeed to any such movements. Therefore we will not support or affiliate with the World Council of Churches, the National Counsel of Churches or any other group that is liberal or modernistic in belief.”

George Bell, however, did believe in raping children. He was charged with four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition. The victim was less than ten years old.

1473: Silas Shelton

Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Grooming, Menacing, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Battery, Stalking/Harassment
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Silas Shelton is still listed as the pastor at Blanchester Community Ministries. He is out on $250,000 bail for an array of crimes against children including rape and sexual battery. He was indicted for abusing one child, a member of his congregation, over the course of six years but police expect that there will be other victims as that is common with most sexual predators.

1471: Les Hughey

Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Indecency, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Indecent Exposure, Organizational Cover-Up, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Misconduct
Cajsa LilliehookLeave a comment

Les Hughey is the founder of Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Highlands is a megachurch with around fifty staff. Before founding Highlands, he was a youth pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church and the First Baptist Church in Modesto, California. He left his position in Modesto after several allegations of sexual abuse of the girls and young women at the church emerged. The church sent him off without disclosing his actions to the congregation. He resigned from Highlands.