High Point Pastor Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, by Caron Myers, WGHP [High Point NC], March 30, 2007

High Point Pastor Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

By Caron Myers
WGHP [High Point NC]
March 30, 2007

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2810457&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Winston-Salem, N.C. (WGHP) — A pastor at a church in High Point, N.C., faces numerous charges involving a 17-year-old boy.

On Friday, police in Kernersville arrested 42-year-old Todd Brock, the pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church, and charged him with several sex crimes, including first-degree exploitation of a minor and promoting prostitution of a minor.

"Communication began over telephone and Internet with a minor that was 17 years of age," explained Kernersville Police Detective Sammy Peddycord.

Tabernacle Baptist Church

Brock, a single man who has pastored the church for 18 years, is in the Forsyth County Detention Center under a $1 million bond. Deacons from Tabernacle Baptist said Brock submitted a letter of resignation before his arrest.

Police got involved March 23 after a high-school student confided in his school counselor about performing sex acts for his pastor. After obtaining search warrants on the pastor's home, police said they found plenty of evidence that supports the student's claims.

"Yes, there is evidence of this," said Peddycord. "(I) don't want to go into what kind of evidence it is, but we do have a lot of evidence in this case."

Neighbors who have known Brock for years were stunned by the news. "We were afraid he'd had a heart attack or something," said Bessie Moore, who saw police cars in front of Brock's home.

"If we've got that leading our young people, what do we expect out of them," she asked.

Kernersville police said more charges against Brock could be coming from other law enforcement agencies in the area in the coming days.