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3 More Accusers Come Forward after Belmont Pastor Charged with Sexually Abusing Teen Girl

Legal Herald
October 9, 2019

https://legalherald.com/gaston-county-north-carolina-north-belmont-church-of-god-pastor-nicholas-martin-accused-of-sexually-abusing-at-least-4/

At least 4 people have accused a music and youth pastor at North Belmont Church of God of sexual abuse.

24-year-old North Belmont Church of God music and youth pastor Nicholas Martin was arrested on Saturday, October 5 for allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. Since that initial arrest, another three accusers have come forward with similar allegations of sexual abuse.

Martin has been charged with several sex crime charges, including four counts of indecent liberties with a child, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and one count of felonious indecent exposure to a minor.

Since his arrest, three other people have contacted the police and the district attorney’s office to report that Martin had also abused them.

Martin lived next to the North Belmont Church of God. In the first case, he is accused of giving the 14-year-old girl alcohol before abusing her multiple times. According to the authorities, the girl was abused several times between October 2018 and September 2019.

Arrest warrants say that Martin exposed himself to the victim on public property at the church.

No other information is available at this time and it is not clear if the victims were members of the church.

What Legal Options Are Available to Victims of Sexual Abuse by Pastors and Other Clergy?

Attorney contributor Brian Kent of AbuseGuardian.com is a former sex crimes prosecutor who now represents survivors of sexual abuse in civil lawsuits. Brian has offered to share some general information regarding the legal rights of those who have been sexually abused by pastors and other religious clergy members:

Sexual predators often seek out positions of trust and authority, which they believe will give them the opportunity to commit terrible crimes without suspicion. These predators are often found in religious organizations as pastors, priests, and in other leadership roles.

Religious organizations must stay aware of the fact that they are often targeted by sexual predators and must do everything in their power to protect their members from these predators. When a clergy member is accused of sexual abuse, it’s important for the accused to be criminally investigated and for the church to also be investigated for possible negligence.

For example, a church could be considered negligent if the accused had a history of sexual abuse but was hired anyway because there was no background check.

In cases involving negligence, church sex abuse victims and their families may have grounds for a lawsuit against the church. If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual abuse by a religious clergy member, you can learn more about your legal rights by speaking with an experienced sex abuse victims lawyer.

North Belmont Church of God in Belmont, NC

 

 

 

 

 




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