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Central Florida Pastor Bryan Fulwider Accused of Sexually Battering Minor for Five Years

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agriculture-architecture-building-449015-300x195Central Florida pastor Bryan Fulwider was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually battering a minor over a period of five years.

Fulwider, 59, faces 30 counts of sexual battery by a person who is in a position of custodial authority to a minor. He was ordered held without bond.

According to the arrest report, police met with the alleged victim on October 1. The victim told them that Fulwider allegedly committed the assaults between 2005 and 2010, when he was the senior pastor of the First Congregational Church of Winter Park.

Fulwider denied the allegations.

A representative of the First Congregational Church released the following statement to the press:

“Our church community has been deeply pained to learn of the arrest of Bryan Fulwider, who resigned from First Congregational more than seven years ago,” the statement said. “At this time, we have no information about this matter, but we pray that any victim associated with this be given privacy in order to move forward and heal.”

Sources say Fulwider was senior pastor at First Congregatoinal Church for 13 years, ending in 2012. He is also a co-host of a public radio program called Friends Talking Faith radio and a member of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

Cases alleging sexual misconduct between pastors and minors aren’t uncommon in Florida. Just last month, Miami preacher Yunior Beltres was arrested for allegedly raping two minors and forcing them to watch each other’s assault.

Beltres, 54, faces two counts of sexual battery on a minor. He turned himself in and was ordered held without bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to Miami-Dade police, the two victims, aged 9 and 10, reported the alleged assault on July 1. They told investigators that Beltres raped them earlier in the year at his home in Miami.

The first victim, who is 10 years old, told the police that Beltres assaulted her multiple times in May in front of the second victim, who is 9. The 9-year-old victim alleged that Beltres did the same thing to her in June, in front of the 10-year-old victim.

In addition to the alleged rape, the 10-year-old told police that the pastor forced her to perform oral sex on him. The 9-year-old said the pastor touched her breasts with his hands and mouth. Beltres’ relationship with the two girls is unknown.

Beltres is a pastor at Evangelistic Ministry of Columns of Fire, 2052 NW 22nd Ct. Records show he has been preaching at the church for over 20 years.

Sexual battery is a serious offense for two reasons: first, a conviction carries very serious penalties. Second, simply being accused carries enormous social stigma and may even require registration as a sex offender.

Cases of this kind require the help of a competent attorney who can conduct an independent investigation and analyze all of the evidence, find witnesses, and build a good defense.

South Florida Sexual Battery Attorney

If you are involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual battery attorneys.

Source: 4.10.19 “friends talking faith” co-host charged with 30 counts of sexual battery on a minor.pdf

Central Florida Pastor Bryan Fulwider Accused of Sexually Battering Minor for Five Years

By

agriculture-architecture-building-449015-300x195Central Florida pastor Bryan Fulwider was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually battering a minor over a period of five years.

Fulwider, 59, faces 30 counts of sexual battery by a person who is in a position of custodial authority to a minor. He was ordered held without bond.

According to the arrest report, police met with the alleged victim on October 1. The victim told them that Fulwider allegedly committed the assaults between 2005 and 2010, when he was the senior pastor of the First Congregational Church of Winter Park.

Fulwider denied the allegations.

A representative of the First Congregational Church released the following statement to the press:

“Our church community has been deeply pained to learn of the arrest of Bryan Fulwider, who resigned from First Congregational more than seven years ago,” the statement said. “At this time, we have no information about this matter, but we pray that any victim associated with this be given privacy in order to move forward and heal.”

Sources say Fulwider was senior pastor at First Congregatoinal Church for 13 years, ending in 2012. He is also a co-host of a public radio program called Friends Talking Faith radio and a member of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.

Cases alleging sexual misconduct between pastors and minors aren’t uncommon in Florida. Just last month, Miami preacher Yunior Beltres was arrested for allegedly raping two minors and forcing them to watch each other’s assault.

Beltres, 54, faces two counts of sexual battery on a minor. He turned himself in and was ordered held without bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to Miami-Dade police, the two victims, aged 9 and 10, reported the alleged assault on July 1. They told investigators that Beltres raped them earlier in the year at his home in Miami.

The first victim, who is 10 years old, told the police that Beltres assaulted her multiple times in May in front of the second victim, who is 9. The 9-year-old victim alleged that Beltres did the same thing to her in June, in front of the 10-year-old victim.

In addition to the alleged rape, the 10-year-old told police that the pastor forced her to perform oral sex on him. The 9-year-old said the pastor touched her breasts with his hands and mouth. Beltres’ relationship with the two girls is unknown.

Beltres is a pastor at Evangelistic Ministry of Columns of Fire, 2052 NW 22nd Ct. Records show he has been preaching at the church for over 20 years.

Sexual battery is a serious offense for two reasons: first, a conviction carries very serious penalties. Second, simply being accused carries enormous social stigma and may even require registration as a sex offender.

Cases of this kind require the help of a competent attorney who can conduct an independent investigation and analyze all of the evidence, find witnesses, and build a good defense.

South Florida Sexual Battery Attorney

If you are involved in a sex crime, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual battery attorneys.

Source: 4.10.19 “friends talking faith” co-host charged with 30 counts of sexual battery on a minor.pdf

Florida Church Minister Charles Andrews Faces 500 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography

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agriculture-architecture-building-449015-300x195Church minister Charles Andrews of Englewood, Florida was arrested this week after authorities discovered that he downloaded child pornography on his home computer.

Andrews, 66, was charged with 500 felony counts of child pornography and three counts of failing to meet sex offender requirements. He was ordered held on more than $5 million bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about two email accounts that were used to download 70 images of child porn. The IP address used by the email accounts were traced to Andrews’ home.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Andrews’ home this week and found a computer with hundreds of images of child pornography, including dozens that depicted the sexual battery of children.

Andrews is a minister at Osprey Church of Christ. Records show that he is a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexual abuse in Alabama. Andrews didn’t meet sex offender requirements by neglecting to report his two email addresses and his social media account to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Cases involving possession of child pornography aren’t uncommon in South Florida. Just last week, Thomas Dowling of Palm Beach Gardens was arrested after authorities reportedly found child porn on his computer.

Dowling, 52, was charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. His bond was set at $9,000. Attorney information wasn’t available.

According to West Palm Beach police, detectives received a tip in June from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about someone in the area who was distributing child pornography. Investigators tracked the IP address to a home in the 300 block of Camellia Street that is listed as Dowling’s address.

Police executed a search warrant on July 18 and found a password-protected computer that belongs to Dowling and contains several files of child pornography. Investigators questioned Dowling about the files and he reportedly told them that the explicit content could have appeared on his computer when he “wasn’t paying attention.”

Possession of child pornography is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison for each count. In addition to a severe prison sentence as well as fines, a conviction requires registration in the national sex offender registry for life.

Because of the life-changing consequences of a conviction, it is recommended that anyone charged with possession of child pornography should hire an experienced attorney to help them navigate the justice system and secure the best possible outcome.

South Florida Child Pornography Attorney

If you are involved in a child pornography case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced child pornography attorneys.

Source: 7.25.19 Florida church minister facing 500 counts of possession of child pornography.pdf

Pastor Ricardo Strachan of Lauderhill, Florida Accused of Repeatedly Molesting 13-Year-Old Girl

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Former Pastor Ricardo Strachan of Prophetic Worshipers International Church was arrested on August 15 for allegedly repeatedly molesting a 13-year-old girl.

Strachan, 40, faces one felony count of lewd and lascivious battery on a child between the ages of 12 and 16. He was released on $100,000 bond and is forbidden from having contact with the victim, the victim’s family, or any minors.

According to the arrest report, Strachan had sex with the teen about a 10 times in his car in the parking lot of Dillard High School during school hours. He also allegedly had sex with her in a hotel about 15 other times. A medical exam showed evidence of the alleged abuse and the girl’s tardy and unexcused school attendance record was consistent with the sexual abuse, according to the report.

The victim told investigators that she kept the incidents secret because Strachan led her to believe that he was a practitioner of voodoo and he would hurt her family. Strachan reportedly made the girl steal several personal items from her family for voodoo rituals.

“The victim reported that the subject practiced Voodoo, had her steal property belonging to her own family to provide to the subject in an effort to perform rituals,” the arrest report states.

Investigators learned about the alleged abuse from the victim’s cousin, who was the first person the victim confided in. The cousin contacted police after noticing the teen’s odd sleeping and eating habits and the missing family items.

Strachan was purportedly introduced to the girl by her step-father, Avo Avard Roker, who is also accused of molesting her. Roker, 32, was arrested on Saturday and is charged with sexual battery on a victim under 18 years old. He is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the arrest report, Roker sexually abused the girl up to 65 times between December 2015 and December 2016. He also threatened her, telling her Strachan would hurt her and her mother if she refused to comply, the report said.

Prophetic Worshipers International Church, at 1727 NW 38th Avenue in Lauderhill, was founded in 2009. It is registered to co-pastor Diane Strachan, who shares the same address as Ricardo Strachan. The Sun Sentinel reached out to the church for comment and was told that Strachan is no longer with Prophetic Worshipers International.

Lawrence Hashish, the attorney representing Strachan, said his client denies the allegations and that the church is standing by the pastor.

“We’re looking forward to our day in court to challenge these allegations,” Hashish told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Florida Sexual Battery Attorney

If you are involved in a sexual battery case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual battery attorneys.

Source: 8.17.18 pastor_accused of sexually_abusing teenage girl, had her steal to perform_voodoo rituals.pdf

Pastor Ricardo Strachan of Lauderhill, Florida Accused of Repeatedly Molesting 13-Year-Old Girl

By

Former Pastor Ricardo Strachan of Prophetic Worshipers International Church was arrested on August 15 for allegedly repeatedly molesting a 13-year-old girl.

Strachan, 40, faces one felony count of lewd and lascivious battery on a child between the ages of 12 and 16. He was released on $100,000 bond and is forbidden from having contact with the victim, the victim’s family, or any minors.

According to the arrest report, Strachan had sex with the teen about a 10 times in his car in the parking lot of Dillard High School during school hours. He also allegedly had sex with her in a hotel about 15 other times. A medical exam showed evidence of the alleged abuse and the girl’s tardy and unexcused school attendance record was consistent with the sexual abuse, according to the report.

The victim told investigators that she kept the incidents secret because Strachan led her to believe that he was a practitioner of voodoo and he would hurt her family. Strachan reportedly made the girl steal several personal items from her family for voodoo rituals.

“The victim reported that the subject practiced Voodoo, had her steal property belonging to her own family to provide to the subject in an effort to perform rituals,” the arrest report states.

Investigators learned about the alleged abuse from the victim’s cousin, who was the first person the victim confided in. The cousin contacted police after noticing the teen’s odd sleeping and eating habits and the missing family items.

Strachan was purportedly introduced to the girl by her step-father, Avo Avard Roker, who is also accused of molesting her. Roker, 32, was arrested on Saturday and is charged with sexual battery on a victim under 18 years old. He is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail. It is unclear if he has acquired the services of an attorney.

According to the arrest report, Roker sexually abused the girl up to 65 times between December 2015 and December 2016. He also threatened her, telling her Strachan would hurt her and her mother if she refused to comply, the report said.

Prophetic Worshipers International Church, at 1727 NW 38th Avenue in Lauderhill, was founded in 2009. It is registered to co-pastor Diane Strachan, who shares the same address as Ricardo Strachan. The Sun Sentinel reached out to the church for comment and was told that Strachan is no longer with Prophetic Worshipers International.

Lawrence Hashish, the attorney representing Strachan, said his client denies the allegations and that the church is standing by the pastor.

“We’re looking forward to our day in court to challenge these allegations,” Hashish told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Florida Sexual Battery Attorney

If you are involved in a sexual battery case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced sexual battery attorneys.

Source: 8.17.18 pastor_accused of sexually_abusing teenage girl, had her steal to perform_voodoo rituals.pdf