A woman who was 5 years old when a former Ohio megachurch youth pastor allegedly started sexually abusing her is suing him, his pastor parents, and the church in civil court. The suit’s claims against former Faith Life Church youth pastor Gary Thomas “Tom” Keesee center on a case that has drawn massive media attention in central Ohio. Keesee, 36, is the son of Gary and Drenda Keesee, the founding pastors of the church, located in New Albany, east of Columbus.| The Roys Report
Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church in the Dallas area today pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s, beginning when she was just 12. Morris, who grew Gateway into one of America’s largest megachurches, admitted to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child before Judge Cindy Pickerill. Under a plea deal, he received a 10-year sentence but will serve only six months in county jail.| The Roys Report
An independent team of ministers and experts on abuse today released a report, recommending that International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle be permanently disqualified from ministry. The 29-page report was prepared by a Pastoral Recommendation Team (PRT) tasked with reviewing the findings of an investigation into sexual abuse and coverup allegations against Bickle and IHOPKC, a 24/7 prayer ministry. That investigation, which was commissioned by the Messianic minist...| The Roys Report
Six members of La Luz del Mundo including several top clergy were recently indicted for sexually grooming minors and women for decades.| The Roys Report
A California pastor has been arrested for viewing child sex abuse material for more than 10 years, church officials said. Jeffrey Williams Zabel, the pastor of worship and service production at Arbor Road Church (ARC) in Long Beach, was arrested on Sept. 9, Long Beach police told The Roys Report(TRR) in a statement. Zabel also served as a part-time music and choir teacher at Lakewood Christian Schools (LCS), which is affiliated with the church.| The Roys Report
Chet Snyder of Fairfield, Illinois, a pastor and volleyball coach, is facing multiple charges related to alleged sexual assault of minors.| The Roys Report
An 88-year-old Virginia pastor was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for child sex crimes, after a judge greatly reduced it from 55 years. According to Richmond County Circuit Court records, a plea deal allowed the pastor, who had previously faced 31 charges, to receive the shorter sentence. Albert “Ben” Wharton, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Warsaw, Virginia, from 1976-2002, pleaded guilty to eight of the counts against him, court records showed.| The Roys Report
Sept. 1 marks a historic victory for child sexual assault survivors in Texas and Missouri. “Trey’s Law” has officially gone into effect, banning the misuse of nondisclosure agreements in civil settlement agreements pertaining to sexual assault claims. In Texas, this legislation releases survivors from existing NDAs that restrict them from telling their stories, unless a court specifically orders otherwise. Missouri’s House version of Trey’s Law (HB-737) also went into effect last Th...| The Roys Report
Disgraced former megachurch pastor Robert Morris waived his right to a preliminary hearing at a court appearance Thursday morning regarding accusations he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl over four decades ago. Flanked by attorneys and wife Debbie, Morris appeared before Judge Cindy Pickerell at the Osage County District Court in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Morris confirmed he understood the implications of waiving the hearing. Preliminary hearings are where a judge decides if there’s sufficient ...| The Roys Report
A pastor and social media influencer in Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested Sunday on a sexual assault charge. Alonzo Diego Fuller, 39, was arrested by Fort Worth police on a second-degree felony charge of sexual assault that, according to The Dallas Morning News, allegedly occurred in June. On Monday, Fuller was released from the Tarrant County jail on a $40,000 surety bond, according to jail records. But Fuller, founding pastor of Journey Fort Worth Church, said he “categorically denies” th...| The Roys Report
