Woman in Viral Video Alleges Brooklyn Pastor Raped 14-year Old Girl at Church

By Blue Telusma
The Grio blog
January 14, 2019

https://thegrio.com/2019/01/14/woman-in-viral-video-alleges-brooklyn-pastor-raped-14-year-old-girl-at-church/

Matthew Gibson, whose father is the Bishop of Progressive Baptist Church of Brownsville, Brooklyn has been charged with incest and rape. (Google Maps)

A Brooklyn women broke down in tears while telling local reporters about the alleged sexual abuse of her 14-year-old granddaughter.

According to PIX11 News, Thursday, 44-year old Matthew Gibson, pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church of Brownsville and son of the church’s bishop, was arrested and charged with incest and sex abuse.

“He should rot in hell,” the victim’s grandmother, Josephine Maples, said to news outlet.

The family doesn’t believe this is an isolated incident and is also alleging that sexual abuse of young girls has been going on for years at the church involving other sexual predators besides Gibson. The list of suspected offenders includes other male leaders in the church who are rumored to have preyed on young female parishioners for years and allegedly even impregnated a few.

Another woman related to the victim blew the whistle on this scandal says she only became aware of what was going on this past Wednesday after she took notice that the alleged victim was acting out of character. The abuse allegedly began just after the victim’s mother died, according to law-enforcement sources.

“She just blurted it out to us,” the woman said. “We want to speak to the district attorney’s office because you failed us as well. We just found out he got a $10,000 bail, which is unheard of for a case like this. We’re really disappointed with the district attorney for setting his bail so low. It’s a shame.”

After Gibson was arrested, community members demonstrated outside of the Progressive Baptist Church on Howard Avenue on Sunday, demanding that the church be shut down. It remains closed as a crime scene. Gibson was arrested last week at a Brooklyn area homeless shelter, where it is said he has been living. Gibson has been arrested in the past for criminal trespassing, jumping the subway turnstile, and grand larceny, according to police.

Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the age of the victim, PIX11 issued a statement clarifying that it, “is not publishing potentially identifying details about the relative to protect the person’s identity. It is our policy to not identify rape victims unless they have chosen to come forward.”

TheGrio agrees with this sentiment.