PENNSYLVANIA
The Morning Call
By Pervaiz Shallwani
Of The Morning Call
The former pastor of a Lansdale church has admitted in court that he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl who was a parishioner and went on youth group trips he supervised.
Charles D. Smith Jr., 44, who now lives in New Jersey, pleaded guilty Friday in Montgomery County Court to one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. He had performed sex acts on the girl and e-mailed her pornography.
Assistant District Attorney Barbara Ashcroft chided Smith for abusing his position as minister and youth leader at North Penn Church of Christ.
''This defendant was a mentor, and he violated the trust of these young girls,'' Ashcroft said Tuesday.
Smith, who lived in Franconia Township at the time, cooperated with authorities after he was first questioned on May 26.