Former Abilene Church Worker Bonds out of Jail

By Bethany Blaine
Big Country Homepage
April 6, 2015

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/story/d/story/details-released-on-former-abilene-church-worker-a/40854/gg5BI8J1yU-4AaX3KuqREg

Jeff Forrest, Arrested for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Update:

Jeff Forrest bonded out of the Denton County jail on Monday, according to county jail records.

Original Story:

More details have been released about the arrest of a former Abilene church worker who is charged with sexual assault of a child.

According to an arrest report, a victim came forward saying they were sexually abused by 43-year-old Jeff Forrest back in September of 1993.

Forrest was the victim's after-school daycare teacher, court documents state.

The victim reported that alleged abuse continued until their 8th grade year of school.

Records say that after several years of keeping the abuse secret, the victim finally admitted the abuse to their father in 2011.

According to court documents, the victim's father then confronted Forrest, forcing him to tell his wife about the abuse.

Forrest's wife then reported the sexual abuse to Child Protective Services.

In April of 2014, as part of divorce proceedings between Forrest and his wife, Forrest participated in a clinical assessment from a licensed sex offender treatment provider.

In the assessment, he admitted to committing a sexual offense against a child several years ago.

Forrest arrested in Denton on a on a charge of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in Taylor County.

According to former church employees, Jeff Forrest worked at various Abilene churches in the early 1990s, including at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.

Sources say that he served as the Pre-teen youth intern at Pioneer Drive while he was in school at Hardin-Simmons University.

Recently, a victim has come forward with allegations of sexual assault against Forrest.

We are working to confirm other churches he worked at.

Forrest was arrested Friday in Denton on a $100,000 dollar bond from a warrant out of Taylor County.

Statement from Matthew Marchbanks, Director of Communication for Pioneer Drive Baptist Church: Regarding the arrest of Jeffery M. Forrest.

We are deeply saddened by the alleged actions of Jeffery Forrest. Mr. Forrest has not been affiliated with Pioneer Drive Baptist Church since the mid 90's, and we will cooperate with local authorities if needed. We take the safety of children seriously, and we are committed to providing a safe and uplifting atmosphere where children can learn and grow. Anyone who currently works with children on our campus is subject to a background check and has to abide by our safety policies. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families affected by this situation.