Church Leader Charged after Reported Naked Sleep over

By Sarah Bloom
NBC 12
June 28, 2012

http://www.nbc12.com/story/18859554/church-leader-charged-after-reported-naked-sleepover?clienttype=printable

[with video]

Edward Zottoli (Source: Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office)

SPOTSYLVANIA, VA (WWBT) -

61-year-old Edward Zottoli has been charged with five sex related crimes after deputies said he had a naked sleep over with a teen he was supposed to be mentoring from church.

Investigators said a 14-year-old teen and his brother went to Zottoli's home for an overnight counseling session.

"I think he was just kind of a mentor to the children in the church, the adolescent boys in the church," said Cpt. Mike Harvey with the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office.

Instead, detectives said Zottoli, known as "Brother Ed" to the kids, assaulted the 14-year-old.

Harvey said while one of the brothers was asleep on the couch, Zottoli asked the 14-year-old to get into bed with him. Harvey said the teen claimed Zottoli was naked at the time, asked the teen for a massage, and that then Zottoli sexually assaulted the teen twice. They say Zottoli also asked the teen to perform sexual acts on him.

The teen reportedly told his parents what happened and they called the Sheriff's Office. Deputies said Zottoli came with the church pastor to turn himself in on the day detectives went to arrest him.

Harvey said when they questioned him, he admitted to some of what the teen reported. Deputies said he also admitted that this has happened before.

"He confessed that when he was in the military and overseas, he did have other incidents of molestation with children overseas," said Harvey.

Detectives do not believe the other brother at the home suffered any abuse, but because of Zottoli's reported confessions and because he admitted to having so many sleep overs, investigators are concerned there could be other victims.

"We don't have anything to substantiate that right now," said Harvey. "But, there is some concern and we are reaching out to anyone who may have had contact with Mister Zottoli to come forward and speak with us."

They ask anyone remotely worried about another victim to call authorities at 540-582-7116.