Pastor Accused of Child Molestation Is Arrested

By Bradlee Locke
The Press-Enterprise
March 14, 2014

http://blog.pe.com/breaking-news/2014/03/14/san-bernardino-pastor-accused-of-child-molestation-is-arrested/

Stephen Howard

A Fontana man who serves as lead pastor at a Muscoy church has been arrested on suspicion of molesting two boys who had attended his church and giving them money in exchange, San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials said.

Stephen Howard, 54, lead pastor at Muscoy United Methodist Church, was arrested Thursday, March 13, five days after sheriff’s officials first received a report of a child molestation occurring in San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

Howard has been the lead pastor at Muscoy United Methodist Church since 2001, and before that was a youth director at a United Methodist Church in Ontario from 1989-2001.

No one from the Muscoy church could be reached after hours Friday evening.

Officials said two males, ages 14 and 23 and both residents of Rancho Cucamonga, used to attend the church in Muscoy, an unincorporated area northwest of San Bernardino. The 23-year-old said his abuse began when he was 9 years old and continued into adulthood.

The victims told investigators Howard sexually abused them in exchange for money.

Howard was booked into the Central Detention Center on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under 14, oral copulation with a person under 18 and sodomy with a person under 18. His bail has been set at $250,000.

The Sheriff’s Department asked anyone with information relating to the case to call Detective Jennifer Wood from the Crimes Against Children Detail at 909-387-3615. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can use the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (782-7463) or go online to www.wetip.com.