Witnesses beat a Texas youth pastor whom they allegedly caught sexually assaulting a 6-year-old he’d reportedly lured behind an apartment building.
Police arrested Willie Lee Bell Jr., 29, a children's minister at First United Methodist Church in Cedar Hill, on Thursday, Fox 4 News reports. According to the news station, Bell's recent arrest was not the first time the youth pastor has been charged with sexual assault. He's currently facing two charges of sexually assaulting little boys at a Dallas apartment in February. The two boys reportedly told police that they were abused behind an apartment complex. The boys said that the man was wearing "church shoes."
Despite those charges, Fox 4 reports that Bell continued working around children at the church until his most recent arrest.
"It's painful. It's devastating. It's a nightmare," the mom of the most recent alleged victim, who did not want to be identified, told the news station. She said that she doesn't know Bell and nor does her family, adding that her son was outside playing when Bell lured him behind an apartment building. Bystanders noticed Bell and the child behind the building and attacked him. Police were called and arrested Bell.
"If it wasn't for them, he probably would have done more to my child," the mom said.
United Methodist Church of North Texas issued a statement to Fox 4 noting that it had "no knowledge of any criminal acts happening at the church, and that it's cooperating with police."
Read more at Fox 4 News.