RUCKERSVILLE (VA)
WCAV-TV, CBS/Fox - 19 [Charlottesville VA]
February 2, 2024
By Felicity Taylor
A Ruckersville pastor has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a minor child.
Rodney Locklear, 47, the senior pastor at Victory Church in Ruckersville, is now behind bars.
“We had a kid reach out to a family friend. Word got to us and we started our investigation a couple of days ago,” investigator Matthew Harlow said.
That investigation led to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arresting Locklear on Thursday night.
He’s charged with abduction with intent to defile and aggravated sexually battery of someone age 13 to 14.
“Victory Church is a church where they have the traditional Sunday services. They also have Bible study on Wednesdays. They’ve also been known to have different public events or cookouts, just different things involving the youth in the community in Greene County and try to bring them together,” head of investigations Capt. Kevin Freid said, “So we’re asking parents that if any of your children attended any events there. Talk to your kids.”
If anything of note comes up, investigators are asking parents to contact them. Right now, they don’t have reason to believe there are other cases.
“Because of the position that Mr. Locklear was in, we just want to make sure that the community is safe,” Freid said.
Freid said parents should consistently be talking to their kids about what’s appropriate and what’s not.
“At the end of the day turn the TV off shut the phones off. Talk to your kids about what inappropriate touching means. What personal space boundaries are,” he said.
According to state records, Locklear doesn’t have a violent criminal history.
Locklear is being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail and has a court date next week to determine bond.