New Bridges Church youth pastor arrested, charged for relationship with 14-year-old

By Cailin O’brien
Gwinnett Daily Post
December 28, 2016

https://goo.gl/L3x5mY

Gwinnett County police arrested a youth pastor at a Lawrenceville church Tuesday on charges that he carried on an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

Police said Nicholas Kelley, 34, began his relationship with the girl when he counseled her at New Bridge Church in December of last year. The relationship “turned sexually inappropriate” this past summer, according to Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Deon Washington.

“The sexual contact took place at the church and at various parks in Gwinnett County,” Washington said.

New Bridge Church said in a statement the inappropriate behavior “occurred outside of scheduled church meeting and events, which allowed the accused to circumvent safety procedures established as church policy” to protect students.

The victim was sneaking out of her house to meet Kelley on Monday when she suffered a nervous breakdown because she suspected her parents would find out about the relationship. The breakdown sent her to the hospital, where her parents found out what had been going on.

The situation was brought to the lead pastors’ attention on Tuesday, according to the church’s statement. The pastors called a meeting with Kelley during which he admitted to “varying degrees of inappropriate physical interaction with the student.”

The staff called the police and Kelley has been “terminated from his employment,” according to the statement.

Kelley was booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center that day at 1:24 p.m. He is being held without bond on charges of statutory rape, child molestation and aggravated sexual battery, according to jail records.

New Bridge Church said in its statement that its leaders are so far “confident that this was an isolated incident and no other students were involved.” Gwinnett police don’t have any information about additional victims, Washington said.

But detectives “strongly urge” adults from the church to talk to their kids about Kelley.

“In situations like this where a youth pastor uses his access to children and position to satisfy a sexual appetite, it is always a concern that there are unknown victims,” Washington said.

The church promised full cooperation with the investigators and support for the victim.

“The goal is to learn the full truth of what has occurred, and to continue to respond accordingly as we provide care for the victim and her family, and also for the family of the accused,” according to it’s statement.

Anybody with additional information about the case or another incident should call the Special Victims Unit at 770-513-5300.