ROSSVILLE (MD)
Daily Voice [Towson, MD]
June 16, 2026
By Zak Failla
Days after a former Baltimore County youth pastor admitted to sexually abusing a child, a new lawsuit alleges church leaders were warned about his behavior years earlier and failed to stop him.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, June 16, by Andreozzi + Foote, accuses Central Christian Church in Rossville of ignoring reports about Thomas G. Pinkerton Jr.’s conduct while he allegedly groomed and sexually abused a teenage boy over a four-year period.
Pinkerton pleaded guilty on June 8 in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and is awaiting sentencing in December.
Now, attorneys representing another alleged victim say the abuse could have been prevented.
According to the complaint, the survivor was an active member of Central Christian’s youth group and just 15 years old when Pinkerton allegedly began targeting him.
Pinkerton singled the teen out through favoritism, private conversations, whispers, unwanted massages, and other behavior designed to gain trust and lower the victim’s defenses, the lawsuit states.
The former pastor described the conduct as “brotherly” affection, according to the filing.
The alleged abuse continued between 2006 and 2010 at church property in Rossville, at Pinkerton’s home, and during trips to Georgia, according to the lawsuit.
More troubling, the complaint alleges church leaders had already been warned.
The victim’s grandfather reportedly raised concerns directly with the church’s lead pastor in 2008. Other parents and church staff members also reported what the lawsuit describes as inappropriate behavior toward younger boys.
Despite those warnings, the church allegedly failed to investigate, intervene, or place restrictions on Pinkerton’s access to children.
Instead, the lawsuit claims, he continued working with minors and spending unsupervised one-on-one time with them.
“This case is about more than the actions of one youth pastor,” attorney Benjamin Andreozzi said. “The lawsuit alleges that warning signs were brought to church leadership and that meaningful action was never taken to protect children from further harm.”
Pinkerton is currently behind bars following criminal proceedings involving allegations from six victims, according to the law firm representing the plaintiff.
Calls to the Central Christian Church in Baltimore County were not immediately returned on Tuesday afternoon.
The civil lawsuit seeks damages against both Pinkerton and Central Christian Assembly and was filed under Maryland’s Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue civil claims regardless of when the abuse occurred.
The allegations against the church have not been proven in court, and no findings of liability have been made.
This is a developing story.