Troy Pastor Charged with Sex Crime

By Will E Sanders
Daily Call
February 13, 2013

http://dailycall.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=268&ArticleID=186191


A resident pastor from Troy's First United Methodist Church remains held at the Miami County Jail on a $100,000 bond related to sexual allegations involving a 15-year-old female parishioner.

Michael "Mic" D. Mohler, 26, of Troy, was arraigned in Miami County Municipal Court on Wednesday morning on a charge of sexual battery, a third-degree felony that carries a potential prison sentence of one to five years and sexual registration.

Authorities with the sheriff's office said Mohler served as a youth pastor at the church and the church's website listed his position as "resident pastor," a post in which he no longer servces.

The sheriff's office and the Troy Police Department jointly investigated the allegations of sexual abuse that allegedly involved Mohler and the underage female.

Rev. David Leckrone, head pastor at First United Methodist Church, issued a written statement Wednesday afternoon and stated church officials are taking the "allegations extremely seriously."

"Upon learning of his arrest and the nature of the charges we immediately removed Mr. Mohler from any position on our pastoral team and relieved him of all of his responsibilities at our church," Leckrone stated. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities as they pursue the facts."

He added the church was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the allegations and made an appeal for "patience, grace and prayer" for all parties involved or others who may be affected by the situation.

The allegations involve inappropriate sexual relationship between Mohler and the victim at the suspect's Monroe

Township home on Aug. 1, said sheriff's Chief Deputy Dave Duchak.

Duchak said the crime was initially reported to Miami County Children's Services, who then contacted the authorities.

While it wasn't immediately known how much unsupervised access Mohler had to juveniles, a two-minute video posted in July on the church's Facebook page depicted Mohler playing a popular board game with two young girls in a advertisement of a "game night" at the church.

"We don't have any information that there are other victims," Duchak said. "Nonetheless, anytime a person is in a position of trust we like to ask the community to contact us concerning information regarding the case or if someone feels we need to be made aware of something."

Duchak said the sexual battery investigation is ongoing and encouraged anyone with additional information to contact the sheriff's office at (937) 440-6085 or 440-9911. Alternatively, anonymous tips may be submitted through the sheriff's office website at www.miamicountysheriff.org and clicking on the "Tips" link on the left rail.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Mohler for Feb. 19.