Mother of Child in Pastor's "Sex" Case Likely to Be Charged with Offences

Loop
January 10, 2017

http://www.loopjamaica.com/content/mother-child-pastors-sex-case-likely-be-charged-offences


The mother of the two teenaged girls who were placed in state care following allegations of sexual assault by Moravian pastor, Rupert Clarke, could soon be facing charges herself.

The woman, who reportedly has 11 children living in very poor circumstances, is likely to face charges of child neglect, among other child abuse-related offences.

Last week, the 15-year-old who was allegedly found in a compromising position with Pastor Clarke, as well as her 13-year-old sister, were taken from the mother’s custody by the Child Development Agency (CDA) and placed in state care.

This occurred amid reports that the accused clergyman was sexually involved with more than one of the woman's children.

Clarke, 64, of the Nazareth Moravian Church in Manchester, has been charged with having sex with the 15-year-old child. He is under a wider probe for at least two other allegations of sexual offences involving other teenagers.

He appeared in court last Wednesday, and was offered bail in the sum of $800,000 with surety, and is to return to court in February.

The allegations against him were that on December 28, police officers on patrol in a rural district in St Elizabeth noticed a parked car. Upon investigating, they found the pastor in what has been described as a compromising position with the teen girl inside the vehicle.

Pastor Clarke was arrested and charged with statutory rape of the minor.