DevCat

On July 8, Jonathan Ballard, pastor of Straightway Ministries Wilmington and Church of the Living God in Leland and Whiteville, was indicted with 12 counts of taking indecent liberties with children, six counts of statutory sex offense, and one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a first appearance in New Hanover County Court Friday morning.

A Lexington pastor was arrested and is facing sexual abuse and exploitation charges involving a minor.

According to an arrest citation, Zachary King consented to an interview with the Department of Criminal Investigations in Attorney General Russell Coleman's Office, in which he stated that he had "engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor over the course of the last year and a half."

The citation goes on to state that King told the investigator that he had "sexual intercourse with the minor starting at age 15 in January 2023, continuing until April 2024."

A Fort Collins school teacher is facing sexual assault charges and Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) is asking for any possible additional victims to come forward.

In April 2024, staff from Poudre School District (PSD) reported to police there were accusations one of their teachers inappropriately touched students on different occasions. The accused teacher was identified as Evan King (dob 07/24/1973). King is a teacher and assistant track coach at Lincoln Middle School. He has been a teacher with PSD for approximately 9 years.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (WGNO) — It was announced Thursday, June 27 that a former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Corporal pleaded guilty to charges including child pornography.

Christopher Cassidy plea on June 24, to 78 counts of pornography involving a juvenile and 111 counts of sexual abuse of animals, stemming from a July 2022 incident.

CALHOUN, Ga. — Two former Calhoun City School District employees have been indicted for allegedly having inappropriate relations with students.

According to court documents, Railey Greeson was indicted Thursday on two counts of sexual contact by employee or agent in the first degree for having sex with two different male students between October 2021 and January 2022. Brooklyn Shuler was indicted on one count of the same charge for having sex with a different male student between October 2021 and January 2022.

The Meeting House was one of the largest megachurches in Canada, but this Sunday, each of its locations will be empty. Its home church gatherings won’t meet during the week. Kids won’t get together for youth programs. Members can’t see their pastors for counsel.

In the aftermath of an abuse scandal that shook the congregation and its leadership, the Ontario-area multisite church announced that it had lost a portion of its insurance coverage and would have to pause its ministry activities.

“Our current insurer has advised us that they will not be renewing our Abuse Liability (AL) and Employment Practices Liability (EPL) coverage as of June 30, 2024,” according to an email sent to congregants, explaining that the Anabaptist megachurch has struggled to get an extension from its insurer or to find another option for replacement coverage.

UPDATE: A probable cause affidavit revealed the hours the victim was reportedly held captive, raped, and threated at gunpoint.

MCCLAIN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – An Oklahoma City Police sergeant was arrested Saturday in McClain County on several charges, including kidnapping and rape.

Records show OKCPD Sgt. Ryan Stark was arrested just after noon in Blanchard for domestic assault and battery, first-degree rape, threatening to perform an act of violence, kidnapping, use of a firearm while committing a felony, and disrupting, preventing, or interrupting an emergency telephone call.

...

The affidavit stated the victim was only able to leave after she agreed to “everything being okay.”

LOGAN — A 54-year-old Paradise man has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a young girl years ago, according to authorities. David John Keller was booked into the Cache County Jail, May 29, days after confessing the crimes to deputies.

Keller was arraigned in Logan’s 1st District Court on May 31, appearing by video conference from jail. He was charged with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony.

LAGRANGE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A former Troup County pastor charged with child molestation has been indicted and is scheduled to be back in court next month.

In March, Atlanta News First reported Russell Jon Tusing, 44, lead pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in LaGrange, was charged with child molestation.

According to LaGrange police, he is accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl.

BOSTON, June 5, 2024 –A Suffolk County grand jury has indicted a Jesuit priest and former teacher at Boston College High School on a charge of raping a student at the school between 2008 and 2009, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

KEVIN WHITE, 62, of Weston will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on June 27 on one count of rape and abuse of a child. White, who resided outside of Massachusetts from 2010 to 2021, was indicted on Friday. White was a theology teacher at the school.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the state’s longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges and day care facilities.

The justices did not comment in leaving in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the contentious law. A lower court judge had earlier dismissed the lawsuit challenging the law, which drew protests at the state Capitol.

Connecticut law requires students to receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, allowing some medical exemptions. Prior to 2021, students also could seek religious exemptions. Lawmakers ended the religious exemption over concerns that an uptick in exemption requests was coupled with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A former North Dakota lawmaker who was one of the most powerful members of the Legislature has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on a charge that he traveled to Europe with the intent of paying for sex with a minor.

Former Republican state Sen. Ray Holmberg, 80, of Grand Forks, signed the plea agreement last week. It was filed Monday. He agreed to plead guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.