CALIFORNIA
News 10
[with video]
Carlos Saucedo, KXTV February 5, 2015
A church community in North Highlands is in shock after learning of serious sexual allegations involving one of their own.
Church choir director 42-year-old Kareem Mitchell is behind bars for allegedly having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a male teenager.
The allegations troubled the congregation at New Testament Baptist Church.
“The pain of something like that, if it’s true, is a very deep pain, I do believe as a pastor,” church pastor Donnie Bryant said. “First reaction is praying and hoping it’s an allegation. The second one is that if it’s not — the families that have been hurt, the children, who are now young men, these teenagers, that’s our greatest concern.”
Sacramento police said the relationship dates back to 2005 when Mitchell met his victim while working as the choir director. The alleged relationship lasted for three years.
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