One other day, one other youth pastor grooming a younger woman in his care. Are Christian conservatives going to defend this one, too? Ugh, do not reply that…
Alexander Blackwelder was arrested this week after allegedly having intercourse with a 16-year-old woman. The 26-year-old, moreover typically sharing his sermons on YouTubeis the youth pastor in residence on the East Foremost Avenue Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. Tupelo Police detective Hal Veal instructed reporters police received a tip again on February 15 concerning the church’s youth pastor having an inappropriate relationship with an underage parishioner.
Police first questioned the woman, along with her dad and mom current on the interview. The teenager denied any form of improper relationship — however admitted to having one-on-one conversations on the cellphone and thru Snapchat. That alone was sufficient to clue in detectives — and her dad and mom agreed, signing a consent kind permitting cops to go looking the woman’s cellphone. There they discovered sexually express pictures and movies, in addition to information of conversations with Blackwelder which led them to imagine the 2 had executed greater than trade pics.
In his first interview with police, again on February 17, Blackwelder denied there was something inappropriate between himself and the woman. However on Wednesday he was introduced into the station — after police already had the cellphone proof. Hey cracked this time. Detective Veal mentioned:
“He admitted that they’d sexual activity on two events and exchanged inappropriate video and footage.”
That was all they wanted. Blackwelder was booked on one rely of Enticement of a kid to supply visible depictions of grownup sexual conduct and two counts of intercourse battery.
Prosecutors requested that Blackwelder be held with out bond, and in court docket on Thursday Tupelo Municipal Courtroom Decide Willie Allen agreed, saying:
“I feel the fees are severe sufficient that we have to hold you.”
The query of bond will come up once more in his subsequent listening to. If discovered responsible of all crimes, the youth pastor might theoretically resist 100 years in jail, 40 for the enticement, 30 every for the battery. Nonetheless, it is unlikely he’d be given consecutive sentences on all the fees. Nonetheless, that exhibits simply how severe authorities are taking this.
As a result of, regardless of what some Christian conservatives have argued the previous couple days, when a grown man has intercourse with a 16-year-old woman, it is not main her into the trail God meant, it is a crime. For many who did not see the story of the German youth pastor who proudly posted about having dated his spouse since he was 19 and he or she was 14 went viral once more this week. There have been, shockingly, some people defending him — whereas in the identical breath decrying the LGBT group as “groomers” for the crime of telling younger individuals it was OK in the event that they have been homosexual. And but, within the face of precise, textbook grooming they mentioned it was nice as a result of it was heterosexual.
We could not assist however discover there have been at the very least three cases of youth pastors simply this week stepping into hassle with the regulation for sexual misconduct with minors. Type of looks like the trend that is being displayed at drag exhibits must be pointed inward to us. Or as y’all devoted may realize it, Matthew 7:5:
Thou hypocrite, first forged out the beam out of thine personal eye; after which shalt thou see clearly to forged out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Simply sayin’.
[Picture by way of WJTV 12 Information/Youtube.]
