15-y-o said rape happened on church compound

WESTERN BUREAU:

The 15-year-old who was reportedly raped by her pastor told police that the incident happened on the church compound.

The teenager, who was assaulted in March, did not report the matter until May 28.

On Monday, the 39-year-old Apostolic pastor accused of committing the act turned himself in at the Freeport Police Station where he was arrested on reasonable suspicion of rape by detectives attached to the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse.

The pastor, who is also employed as a processing clerk at the Montego Bay wharves, remains in custody and is expected to be questioned in the presence of his attorney before he is formally charged.

Reports are that the 15-year-old, who is a member of the church, visited the suspect and his family at his residence. He reportedly lived in accommodations at the church compound.

While there, she was allegedly pushed on to a bed and assaulted.

The Gleaner understands that the girl had gone to stay with the pastor for a week.

The church has also joined a list of congregations whose pastors have been charged with sexual abuse of minors.

In 2017, a 12-year-old was sexually abused by Kenneth Blake, a former pastor of Harvest Temple Apostolic Church, while Moravian pastor, Rupert Clarke, is currently serving time for impregnating a girl in St Elizabeth.

Here in Jamaica, the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA), in 2015, accused the church of rape cover-up in the face of predator pastors.

The OCA’s Diahann Gordon Harrison described the practice then as a disturbing trend in reports of sexual abuse against children by senior members of the clergy.

She pointed fingers at deacons, elders and prayer warriors at the time.