1263: Bobby Leonard
Rape Culture
Bobby Leonard is the pastor of Bible Baptist Tabernacle preached that if he were on a jury, he would acquit a man who raped a woman if the woman was wearing shorts.
Tag: Pastor
1244: Rand York
Organizational Cover-Up
Rev. Rand York is a priest of Church of Our Light Anglican (COLA0. He is the Republican precinct committee person for Big Rock 2 precinct in Kane County, Illinois. He was a mentor to Mark Rivera who raped so many children. When the mother of the nine-year-old girl whom Rivera sexually abused learned what happened to her daughter, she reached out to York, her great=uncle who officiated at her wedding, seeking help and support. Later, another victim who was his own goddaughter told him Rivera raped her and he again stood with Rivera, attempting an organizational coverup.
1241: Richard Shaw
Child Molestation
He was recently arrested to be extradited to Florida where he has been accused of molesting a child under the age of twelve. According to the Polk County (Floridan) Sheriff, “In December 2023, Shaw visited Lakeland, FL, and when he returned back to Wyoming the Polk County victim disclosed to her mother that Shaw had inappropriately touched her underneath and over the top of her clothing while he was there. The mother called and spoke to Shaw, who admitted to touching the child, who is younger than 12 years old.”
1238: Mark Rivera
Child Molestation, Child Rape, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault
Mark Rivera was a pastor at Christ Our Light Anglican Church, in Big Rock, Illinois when he sexually abused a nine-year-old girl who was a member of his church. The abuse spanned two years, 2018 to 2019 He was originally charged with twenty-nine counts but they were cut down to three and he was convicted in a bench trial on two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and a charge of criminal sexual abuse.
1237: Steven Smith
Organizational Cover-Up
Dr. Steven Smith is the lead pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. IBC is a member of the conservative Southern Baptist Conference and the author of several books. He is also accused of an organizational cover-up, not even informing the congregation why Patrick Andrew Miller left his job at IBC.
1232: Thomas Wall
Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Indecency, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Incest
Thomas Wall was pastor of the conservative Pentecostal Fellowship Church in Lancaster, Kentucky. He also administered the Christian academy run by the church. He was originally arrested in January 2022, accused of sexually abusing a family member over forty years ago when the relative was under the age of twelve.
1229: Cameron Cotrill
Child Sexual Abuse Material
Cameron “Cam” Cotrill was the media minister at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs. He is also a software developer. He was arrested with nearly 9,900 child sexual abuse images on three computer hard drives. He was charged with possessing and distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material.
1228: Ben Wharton
Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Indecency, Child Rape
Albert Benjamin Wharton was a pastor at several churches in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. In December 2023, he was arrested in South Carolina and extradited to Virginia where he was charged with twenty-two counts of indecent liberties with a child under age thirteen while in a custodial position and eight counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.
1225: Jose Saez, Jr.
Abuse of Power or Authority, Child Exploitation, Child Molestation, Child Rape, Child Sexual Abuse Material, Coercion, Grooming, Sexual Exploitation of a Child
After a brief look at his cell phone, they arrested him for producing child sexual abuse material. Remember, the videos and pictures cannot be produced without abusing and exploiting children. The incidents that were brought to FBI attention allegedly happened between August 14th and his September 28, 2023 arrest. However, he is alleged to have produced child sexual abuse material with more than thirty children often by coercing them into producing videos and sending them to him.
1221: Bill Oswald
Child Molestation, Child Rape
William “Bill” Oswald was a Baptist pastor at Dunn’s Chapel in Congaree, South Carolina. He was convicted in early December, 2023, of sexually assaulting his daughters beginning when they were eight from around 1996 to 2001.