PALATKA (FL)
News4Jax [Jacksonville, FL]
April 17, 2025
Police ask any parents who think their child might have been a victim to contact authorities right away
The pastor of an East Palatka church is facing a charge of sexual battery of a minor in connection with an ongoing sexual relationship with a teen, the Palatka Police Department announced this week.
Police said 42-year-old Leo Alfonzo Parker was arrested Wednesday and is currently being held on a $100,000 bond in the Putnam County Jail.
Palatka police said officers responded April 10 after they received a call reporting an inappropriate relationship between Parker and a minor child.
Detectives quickly took over the investigation, conducting multiple interviews and collecting physical evidence that backed up the report, police said.
Investigators said the evidence and interviews revealed that Parker, the pastor of a church in East Palatka, had a sexual relationship with a minor child between the ages of 12 and 18.
Police said the investigation also revealed the relationship lasted for an extended period of time.
Parker surrendered to police after they got a warrant for his arrest on Wednesday.
Police said because of the sensitivity of the case, they can’t share any more information, but they are asking any parents who believe there has been inappropriate contact between Parker and their child or children to contact police right away.