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	Fresno Pastor Testifies, Denies Sex Assault Charles Dickerson Takes the Stand in His Own Defense By Chris Collins Fresno Bee January 15, 2008 http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/325577.html Fresno pastor Charles Dickerson took the witness stand Tuesday to deny accusations that he sexually assaulted two girls who are relatives in his family. He also denied molesting a 16-year-old boy. Dickerson, dressed in a pinstripe suit and wearing a tie, spoke confidently as he testified in Fresno County Superior Court. His defense attorney, Glenn LoStracco, asked him a series of questions about whether prosecutors' accusations were true, to which Dickerson replied, "No, sir." In March, one of the girls testified in a preliminary hearing that when she was younger than 10, Dickerson started molesting her. Later, the girl said, after she became pregnant by another man, Dickerson raped her in his bathroom. But two months ago, the two girls recanted and now say the abuse never occurred. The Bee has a policy of not identifying alleged victims of sexual abuse. Prosecutor Art Corona has said that recantations are not uncommon in sexual abuse cases even when the allegations are true. But LoStracco says the accusations have always been false and were made up by Dickerson's now-estranged wife and the two girls because they were unhappy with Dickerson's strict rules. Dickerson said Tuesday that he did not threaten or bribe the girls into recanting. He said he continues to help provide for his estranged wife and the two girls. A third alleged victim, identified only as "James R.," testified last week that he was molested by Dickerson more than seven years ago while Dickerson was a pastor in Washington state. No charges were filed in the case. LoStracco has suggested that James, who was 16 at the time, had a grudge against Dickerson because he was not allowed to participate in church activities. James denied having any hard feelings toward Dickerson before the alleged molestation. Dickerson, the California state overseer for Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, has been a vocal leader in southwest Fresno since he moved there with his family in 2001. He has frequently called for an end to street violence, once standing beside Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer at a news conference. But members of Pearly Grove Baptist Church are divided over whether to back their preacher. Some have said that fellow church members are blindly following Dickerson instead of God. The reporter can be reached at Contact: ccollins@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6412.
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