Former Youth Pastor Accused of Having Sex with Teen

The Ledger
March 10, 2015

http://www.theledger.com/article/20150310/NEWS/150319974

Former Youth Pastor Accused of Having Sex With Teen

LAKELAND | A former Lakeland youth pastor was arrested Tuesday on three counts of lewd battery for incidents involving a girl half his age whom he met at the church where he was working, Polk County Sheriff's detectives said.

Phillip Kendrick II, 30, of 4090 Knights Station Road, is accused of having sex with the girl, who is younger than 16 years old, between November and January, according to an arrest report from the Sheriff's Office. Kendrick also is being held on felony counts of transmitting material harmful to a minor and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

During interviews, Kendrick and the girl told investigators they had consensual sexual contact on three occasions. Investigators also learned Kendrick and the girl exchanged inappropriate photos.

Detectives started investigating about 9 p.m. Monday when the Rev. Matthew Gilmore, pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Lakeland, reported to deputies that a church member had told him Kendrick was having sex with the girl.

Gilmore said he was shocked when he learned of the allegations. He said he has known Kendrick for about 11 years and the two had been pastors at another church.

Gilmore said he and Kendrick were once good friends, but the relationship changed in October while Kendrick was having troubles in his marriage.

"I gave him a choice: He could work on his marriage, get it right, fix it, or he could hand me his keys," Gilmore said. "He chose to give me his keys."

Gilmore said Kendrick surrendered his keys to the church on Oct. 29. The Sheriff's Office report said Kendrick and his wife separated Oct. 30.

Kendrick's wife and children continued to attend the church. Kendrick returned only on one occasion to see one of his children in the church's Christmas show.

Deputies said Kendrick met the girl four years ago during a youth group event at the church. After they met, their relationship turned from a strictly ministerial connection to a friendship.

The girl told investigators that "she turned to (Kendrick) as a source of support" and he "assumed a ‘father figure' role in her life and she felt as though she could trust him," the report said.

Kendrick moved in with the girl and her mother for about a month while he was having marital issues, the report said. He lived there from just after Thanksgiving to just before Christmas when the mother told him to leave.

Kendrick and the girl first had sexual contact in the middle of December while the two were out Christmas shopping, again on Jan. 9 while the girl's mother was out of the house and once on another occasion, the report said.

The mother told investigators that Kendrick came to the house on March 1 to tell her about the feelings he had for her daughter.

"He asked for her permission to ‘date' (the girl)," the report said. "She told (Kendrick) ‘no' and told him he needed to get the rest of his stuff out of the house."

The mother told investigators she did not know about any sexual contact between Kendrick and her daughter until the girl told her Monday.

"We are providing support to his wife and children," Gilmore said. "We are providing support to the victim and her family, and we are going to surround all of those affected by the church and work together to find healing for all those hurt."