Georgia:
Police say a youth pastor at a local church has been arrested on four charges, including one count of child molestation. Authorities say 31 year old Douglas Randall Pope was taken into custody after a complaint last Friday. Police say the department's criminal investigations bureau heard from a 14 year old girl who claimed she had been molested by Pope, the youth pastor of Merrywood Baptist Church in Statesboro. Police told us in a news release that the young victim said the "inappropriate behavior and touching has been occurring over the past two years and also involved other juvenile females."
Louisiana:
A Mansfield youth pastor is accused of sending sexually-oriented text messages to several juvenile members of his church. 25-year-old Adam Dewayne Carter is charged with three counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Carter has been a youth pastor at Temple of Knowledge Church for five years. According to information released by the Mansfield Police Department, the text messages are believed to have begun in November.
Georgia:
An Ooltewah youth pastor and his wife are under investigation for alleged child neglect. The Georgia Department of Family and Children Services raided Brett and Tabitha Sims' Rossville home and took their 6-month-old baby on May 19. Authorities say the child was in such bad shape, he had to be hospitalized with numerous health issues. Newschannel 9 went by the Sims' home Monday, but no one was there. Next door neighbor Barbara Grimes saw the arrest happen. "I was surprised to see the law over there. I can't believe they weren't taking care of that kid."
