PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Roys Report [Chicago IL]
March 4, 2024
By Josh Shepherd
The pastor of a Pentecostal church in Philadelphia has been convicted of sexual assault of three minors, including a former congregant, in incidents dating back two decades.
On Wednesday, a jury in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, found Rev. Mark Hatcher, lead pastor of Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center, guilty of 10 counts of sex crimes against minors, according to court records. These included multiple charges of rape, statutory sexual assault, and indecent assault.
Assistant District Attorney Caroline Goldstein, lead prosecutor in the case, told the jury that Hatcher used his position of authority and trust as a minister to prey on his three victims. In incidents between 2000 and 2008, Hatcher brought one of the victims to his home or to a church-owned property and assaulted them, according to a probable cause affidavit previously reported by The Roys Report (TRR).
One girl, then age 13, stated that Hatcher brought her to an unoccupied home owned by the church that was under renovation, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
While she was alone with him in the house, he pinned her to a mattress and raped her, covering her mouth as she screamed for help, according to the affidavit. That incident was reported in 2008 to Philadelphia police, but investigators say prosecutors at the time did not pursue charges.
A second victim, age 15 at the time, stated she was staying with Hatcher at his home for a time. Hatcher allegedly exposed himself to her and then fondled her breasts. She was “terrified during the encounter and unsure what to do,” reported the Inquirer.
A third victim, identified as a 22-year-old male, “testified about three inappropriate encounters at Hatcher’s home, when (the victim) was 6 and 7 years old,” stated KYW Newsradio. According to the report, it included an incident when “Hatcher kissed him and touched his buttocks under his clothes while he was playing with a Noah’s Ark toy.”
The prosecution originally brought 34 criminal charges against Hatcher, but the jury found him guilty on 10 counts.
However, the Pentecostal pastor has maintained his innocence. Hatcher’s attorney, Robert Gamburg, called on nearly a dozen character witnesses who testified that Hatcher had a reputation as a peaceful and nonviolent minister, reported the Inquirer.
Following the verdict, Hatcher spoke briefly to reporters outside the courthouse. “It’s not fair,” he said. “There’s no truth in it.”
Even after his arrest in May 2022, Hatcher continued to preach at Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center, which meets at The Metropolitan Opera House in downtown Philadelphia. Hatcher became lead pastor in 1983, taking over for his father who founded the church.
TRR reached out to the church for a statement but did not hear back.
The church’s website has been down since last year. A Facebook video posted by the church’s page on Feb. 14 apparently shows images from a recent service.
The sentencing hearing for Hatcher has been set for May 23 at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.