Child Sex Abuse Allegations against Westlake Pastor Nearly a Year Old

By Patrick Cooley
Cleveland.com
June 2, 2014

http://www.cleveland.com/westlake/index.ssf/2014/06/allegations_against_westlake_p.html

An investigation into suspected sexual abuse by a prominent Westlake pastor began nearly 11 months ago, police said Monday.

The Avon police department investigated allegations of abuse by Paul Endrei, 53, founder and senior pastor of Church on the Rise in Westlake, but the department released little information this week. Endrei lives in Avon.

The department only provided a report that said officers were called to Endrei's Doral Drive home July 14 to assist Lorain County Children's Services in gathering information.

July 14 is the only specific date mentioned in a six count indictment handed up by a Lorain County grand jury Wednesday.

A Lorain County Children's Services representative said they had worked with police but said the agency could not release any information.

Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will told the Chronicle-Telegram that the investigation started with the victim, a girl, came forward.

The grand jury indicted Endrei on two counts of sexual battery and four counts of gross sexual imposition - all felonies - and he was arrested Thursday, court records said.

He is accused of having sexual contact with a child younger than 12 years old from 2005 to 2013, the indictments said.

It is unclear why nearly 11 months passed between the first report and Endrei's indictment.

The Lorain County Sheriff's Office arrested him, court records said, but deputies said the Avon police department handled the investigation.

A Church on the Rise statement said an adopted child of Endrei made the allegations.

The statement said the church has faith in the justice system and cannot directly comment on the allegations until both sides have presented their case.

Endrei said via email Friday that he had nothing to add to the church's statement.

He has yet to be assigned a lawyer, court records show.

Endrei's bond is set at $50,000, court records said, and he has been required to submit to a DNA test.

Church on the Rise is located on Crocker Road in an upscale neighborhood roughly a mile from the Crocker Park shopping center.