MINNESOTA
South Washington County Bulletin
By Scott Wente on Oct 27, 2016
William Leonard Helker, a pastor at All Saints Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove, was arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced Thursday that Helker was arrested Wednesday at his home in Pine City and booked at the Pine County jail. Formal criminal charges are pending, according to the BCA.
A jail spokeswoman said Helker was being held without bail; a court date had not been set.
BCA agents with the Internet Crimes AGainst Children Task Force made the arrest after executing search warrants at Helker’s home and at All Saints Lutheran, on Belden Boulevard in Cottage Grove. The warrants were executed with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Pine County Sheriff’s Office, according to the BCA.
Helker is listed as an associate pastor on the All Saints website. The church had no comment Thursday but posted a statement on its website that said Helker was placed on administrative leave.
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