SOUTH CAROLINA
The Item
By Rob Cottingham rcottingham@theitem.com
Officers of Sumter Police Department have arrested the pastor of WORD International Ministries on Guignard Drive and charged him with multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct involving multiple children.
Larry DuRant, 58, of 2080 Four Bridges Road, was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor between the ages of 11 and 14 and four counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
According to the department, detectives had been investigating reports from both victims and their families who told police DuRant allegedly forced the children to participate in various sexual acts. He used his position in the church, according to reports, claiming the occurrences were part of a “healing process” and “private prayer.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.