Kannapolis youth pastor charged with sex crimes against a minor

By Jeanie Groh
Salisbury Post
April 19, 2015

http://www.salisburypost.com/2015/04/19/kannapolis-youth-pastor-charged-with-sex-crimes-against-a-minor/

Hollifield

A Kannapolis youth pastor has been charged with felony sex offenses with a 13-year-old church member.

Benjamin Ross Hollifield, 25, of the 1000 block of Buck Board Lane in Salisbury, has been charged with four counts of felony indecent liberties with a child and 10 counts of felony statutory rape or sex offense with a minor six or more years younger than himself.

The incidents took place between Feb. 15 and March 8.

Hollifield was the youth and outreach pastor at Piedmont Baptist Church, and has since been terminated from his position.

A statement on the church’s website said “Piedmont Baptist Church reports all matters of potential child abuse to the authorities, as was done in this case by our senior pastor.”

The statement went on to say that the church screens its staff and volunteers and that church leadership is working to ensure there were no other victims.

Hollifield is being held at the Rowan County Detention Center on a $1 million bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m.