An Ohio minister is in jail for having sex with a girl starting when she was a 14-year-old, and encouraged two other men of the cloth to rape (as she was obviously too young to consent) her as well, federal prosecutors charge.
Anthony Haynes, 40, former pastor of the Greater Life Christian Center in Toledo, Ohio, stood before his entire congregation, telling a mother that he would take care of her daughter, but instead “groomed” the girl and began having sex with her daily—sometimes at his church—shortly after she turned 14 years old.
The Toledo Blade reports that the girl, now 19, moved in with Haynes’ family in 2014 after her mother could no longer care for her or her siblings.
That “relationship” lasted three years, and in that time, two other Toledo-area pastors had sex with her as well, with the support of Haynes. Those two have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The Blade reports:
Federal prosecutors said the grooming started shortly after the girl moved into the Haynes’ home. Haynes took the 8th grade girl to another woman’s apartment, where he and that woman performed oral sex on each other in front of the girl. Nearly a week later, that woman performed oral sex on the girl at Haynes’ church, the now 19-year-old woman testified on Tuesday.
Haynes had sex with her at his church, in his vehicle, at motels, and inside a storage area where he worked, prosecutors said. There were also photos of the girl performing oral sex on him saved on his phone, investigators said.
“When she had sex with him, she got money. When she didn’t have sex with him, she got nothing,” assistant U.S. Attorney Alissa Sterling said, adding Haynes was also providing shelter, food, and other necessities for the girl.
After about a year into this ungodly relationship, Haynes allegedly introduced his young charge to Kenneth Butler, another pastor, who began having sex with her as well; the two allegedly had a threesome with her at one point.
About a year and a half after living with Haynes, the girl moved out of the Haynes’ home and began staying with a guardian who attended Abundant Life Ministries, led by Cordell Jenkins.
Prosecutors said Haynes asked the girl to send him nude photos so he could send them on to Jenkins, and the two men reportedly had a meeting about the girl, the prosecutor said. Jenkins’ church closed after his arrest.
Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Haynes denies all charges and says he is playing fall guy for the other pastors.
Unbelievably, this sick story gets even more ooopid-stupid, loco-yoko.
According to the AP, Haynes’ wife and stepdaughter are accused of kidnapping the girl at gunpoint from her apartment in January, and threatening her if she testified at Haynes’ trial.
Court documents say that the pair choked the teen with a cord, telling her to take back statements she made to investigators.
NBC News reports that jurors found Haynes guilty Wednesday of charges including sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He faces up to life in prison. He will be sentenced on June 17.
His wife is in jail as well.
Praise God.