Pastor Accused of Sexually Touching Church Member

Herald Argus
June 11, 2015

http://www.heraldargus.com/news/pastor-accused-of-sexually-touching-church-member/article_a19c88a4-0fbc-11e5-bf8b-671bb097fc14.html

A La Porte pastor has been accused of sexually touching a member of his church and could face prison time if found guilty.

Curtis Southwood, 77, is charged with sexual battery of a mentally disabled victim, a level 6 felony.

Southwood is a pastor with Calvary Baptist Church. He was arrested on a warrant on May 6 and will be appearing in court for his next hearing on July 8.

According to La Porte City Police reports, the 35-year-old victim claimed that while she was speaking to her grandmother on the phone during a Thanksgiving Dinner at the church, Southwood allegedly stuck his hand down her shirt and pinched her breast.

The victim also said she was at the hospital with Southwood, whose wife was receiving surgery, and that he began to talk sexually, telling her that women should wear shorter skirts and wear their shorts higher to show more leg.

She said Southwood grabbed her shorts and pulled them up her leg to show her how they should be worn.

Southwood allegedly asked the victim to be his “special friend,” stating: “Don’t worry, I had a special friend for 20 years in Oklahoma at another church.”

According to the report, the victim said several days later she went to Southwood’s home to check on his wife and that Southwood invited her in and kissed her, sticking his tongue in her mouth.

The victim said she taught at Calvary Baptist Church and that Southwood would often tell her to wear shorter skirts, telling her he wanted to see more leg, and that he wanted her to wear open top shirts he could see down.

“Don’t tell anyone this, you will ruin my ministry, don’t say anything,” Southwood allegedly told her.

When police spoke to Southwood, he denied ever having touched the victim and said he had never been alone with her and that she was “like a daughter” to him.

Southwood also told officers that just a week before police contacted him the victim had come to his home to visit.

“If I was doing these things, why would she still be coming to my house?” Southwood asked officers.

The victim claimed, however, that she continued to visit to see Southwood’s wife who was like a second mother to her.

The victim also told police that two other women who use to attend Calvary Baptist had come forward to her about similar incidents with Southwood.

According to the report, detectives spoke with these women who both claimed Southwood allegedly told them to wear shorter skirts and had been called at their home by him where he would mention things like running away with them.

If convicted, Southwood can face between six months to two and a half years in prison.