By Michael Sisak
Citizens Voice
June 15, 2009
http://www.citizensvoice.com/news/1.65523
A Baptist minister accused last year of fondling two teenage girls in Kingston while playing hide-and-seek in the dark and teaching one-on-one music lessons pleaded no contest today to charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors.
Pastor Brian A. Neiswender, 27, had been scheduled to go to trial today on two counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 and three counts of corruption of minors, all misdemeanors.
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| Brian A. Neiswender leaves Central Court after preliminary hearing on charges of indecent assault and corruption of minors with wife, Natalie in this file photo. He pleaded no contest to these charges today. |
Prosecutors said Neiswender touched the girls, now 18 and 19, while ministering at Christ Community Church, 100 W. Dorrance St., Kingston, for several years starting in August 2003. The girls went to police in February 2008, and Neiswender was arrested last June.
When church officials first learned of the allegations, a rule was briefly implemented that Neiswender's lessons would no longer be one-on-one.
The second time, Neiswender apologized and "church members said they would take care of the situation," but it was unclear if any action was taken.
One of the alleged victims said she didn't want to come forward at the time because she didn't want to get Neiswender in trouble.
The most recent contact documented in arrest papers is when Neiswender sent two "unusual" picture messages to one of the girls in June 2007, police said.
Just days after the victims came forward, police say they wiretapped a phone call between Neiswender and one of the girls.
He "apologized several times for what (he) had done" to her, according to arrest papers.
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