BishopAccountability.org
 
 

Former Pastor Back for Court

By James L. White
Harrison Daily
August 4, 2017

http://harrisondaily.com/news/former-pastor-back-for-court/article_f0bbc9c0-7880-11e7-acd7-873a2141b849.html

Larry Berkley, 38

Former pastor back for court

Larry Berkley, the former Harrison pastor facing numerous charges regarding abuse of juveniles, was booked back into the Boone County Jail late Wednesday on those charges.

A Harrison Police daily log of activity shows Boone County authorities contacted the HPD about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday for warrant confirmation on Berkley, 38, for sexual solicitation, four counts of first-degree sexual assault, seven counts of second-degree sexual assault, six counts of knowingly furnishing alcohol to a minor, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of loaning pornography to minors.

The log said the warrant was confirmed valid and he remained incarcerated with a hold for the HPD.

Berkley is accused of allowing minors and juveniles go to his house to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. In addition, he is accused of sexually assaulting young males, all over 14 but under 18, and allowing them to watch pornography.

One of the victims told police Berkley had taken him to the funeral home where he worked part time and showed him a dead body. The victim said Berkley had stored marijuana in a very expensive casket he didn’t think people could afford to buy.

Berkley was arrested May 6, 2014, on Harrison Police charges while he was in Covington, Tennessee, where he was living at the time. He had just finished officiating a graveside funeral service when he was arrested, officials said.

After being brought back to Harrison, he pleaded not guilty to charges against him. His lawyer asked Circuit Judge Gordon Webb to reduce Berkley’s bond from $100,000 to $50,000, a sum his family would post and allow him to return to Tennessee.

Webb denied that motion, but records show Berkley was released from the Boone County Jail after posting bond May 23 of that year.

But a Lauderdale County, Tennessee, grand jury indicted Berkley in June of that year on two counts of rape and four counts each of aggravated statutory rape, sexual battery by an authority figure and statutory rape by an authority figure.

Police said the Harrison case jump started the Tennessee case. Berkley was a pastor in Lauderdale County prior to moving to Harrison.

The indictment shows there were three victims involved in allegations against Berkley in Tennessee. It identifies the victims only by initials, not gender.

One victim, 21 at the time of the indictment, was involved in one allegation against Berkley. Another victim, 15 at the time of the indictment, was involved in four allegations against Berkley. The final victim, 17 at the time of the indictment, was involved in nine allegations against Berkley.

The Associated Press reported in January 2015 that a jury convicted Berkley of all counts against him. Tennessee court records indicate Berkley’s appeal of convictions was denied in May 2016. Tennessee prison records show Berkley is eligible for parole there in September 2037.

Officials said in October 2014 that Berkley’s Harrison case would be continued until the Tennessee case was resolved.

Harrison Police Chief Paul Woodruff said Thursday that Berkley has been brought back to Harrison to face those charges against him.

Contact: jamesw@harrisondaily.com

 

 

 

 

 




.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.