PENNSYLVANIA
PennLive
By John Luciew | jluciew@pennlive.com
on July 29, 2014
A western Pennsylvania congregation is being rocked by a child sex abuse scandal involving the church’s youth pastor and a 15-year-old girl.
According to the Associated Press, 33-year-old Brian Keith Smith of Westmoreland County is charged with aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors and possession of child pornography, stemming from explicit cellphone pictures he received from the girl.
The youth pastor of the Journey By Grace Church stands accused of performing sex acts with the 15-year-old girl in the church building, AP reports.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, Smith told Rostraver Township police he and the girl “knew it was wrong,” AP wrote.
Journey By Grace Church Pastor Bill Bailey told AP that church officials contacted police when they learned of the relationship earlier this month, firing Smith.
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