Teen Reports Rape at Church, Craig Peters, Spartanburg Herald Journal, Juky 17, 2008

Teen Reports Rape at Church

By Craig Peters
Spartanburg Herald Journal

Juky 17, 2008

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080717/NEWS/249240588/1083/NEWS01&title=Teen_reports_rape_at_church

CAMPOBELLO — Spartanburg County investigators are looking for a man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl last month during vacation Bible school at a church in a rural area of the county.

The teen said a black male with very dark skin and large buck teeth with a substantial gap between them raped her about 8:30 p.m. on June 17 in the basement of New Pilgrim Baptist Church at 5040 Rainbow Lake Road, Campobello. The man is believed to be between 30 and 40 years old.

Order a Reprint A 13-year-old girl has reported she was raped last month during vacation Bible school at New Pilgrim Baptist Church.
Photo by John Byrum

The teen said she didn't tell her mother about the incident until June 30 because she was worried she would get in trouble.

Authorities said the mother took the teen to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for an exam on July 2, but a rape kit was not conducted because of the amount of time that had passed since the assault.

Maj. Dan Johnson with the sheriff's office said Wednesday that deputies have been circulating a flier with a drawing of the suspect. Johnson said authorities want the man for questioning.

The Rev. Gerald Searles, who has been pastor of the church for about 1? years, said church leaders and the congregation are still trying to figure out how such a situation could have occurred.

"We have to make sure we find out what happened," said Searles, adding that he and Chair of Deacons David Parks went to the teen's home to meet with the family on July 8 when he learned about the incident.

Before Wednesday's scheduled Bible study, Searles led about 25 adults in a prayer for the family and the church.

Parks said there were between 30 and 50 participants each night of the Bible school.

He said almost everyone attending on the night of the incident was outdoors, except for a few men cooking in the kitchen.

Searles said the suspect allegedly walked out of a basement bathroom, tapped the girl on the shoulder and took her into one of the four classrooms in the basement, where he assaulted her.

So far, no one in the congregation has recognized the person in the police drawing or remembers seeing someone with similar features.

Anyone with information on this man is asked to call the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office at 503-4527 or CrimeStoppers at 58-CRIME.

Contact: craig.peters@shj.com