Preacher Charged with Raping Boy, WPVI, March 26, 2009

Preacher Charged with Raping Boy

WPVI
March 26, 2009

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6729278

March 26, 2009 (WPVI) -- New Castle County Police have arrested a 40-year-old preacher who they say raped a boy.

Harry Benson, who resides in the unit block of Hillcroft Road in the community of Windy Hills in Newark, was arrested late Tuesday.

Benson is the senior pastor at the Eastwick United Methodist Church.

Authorities say the victim disclosed the sexual abuse to a resource officer at his high school. An investigation was immediately launched and it was learned that Benson had allegedly been assaulting the victim for several years.

Benson is being charged with rape in the first degree, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, 12 counts of unlawful sexual contact in the first degree, and one count of sexual solicitation of a child.

Benson was arraigned and committed to the Howard Young Prison after failing to post $126,000 secured bail.