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	Former Minister in Incest Case Gets an Attorney A Former Minister Charged with Rape, Incest and Assault Was Appointed a Defense Attorney in Wilson County Superior Court Tuesday By Jeremy W. Law Daily Times February 23, 2006 http://www.wilsondaily.com/Wil_region/Local_News/290909506532535.php Nathaniel Rasberry, 36, of Kenly was assigned Randy Hughes as his court-appointed attorney and is scheduled to appear for trial in Superior Court April 24. Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Frank Brown appointed counsel for Rasberry. Rasberry is charged with communicating threats, assault on a female, two counts of sex offense while in a parental role, nine counts of assault inflicting serious injury, 17 counts of statutory rape and 98 counts of incest. He remains in custody at the Wilson County Detention Center under two separate $1 million bonds. The charges against the former World Vision Outreach Center pastor are for sex offenses with two teenage girls. The alleged victims are now 19 and 25 years old. The warrant for his arrest lists the dates of the sex offenses as between 1999 and 2005. The Sheriff's Office began an investigation after being contacted by the Hillside, N.J., Police Department. That department had initiated an investigation in 2005, after being contacted by a female, whose identity has not been released. Based on information provided by investigators in Hillside, the Sheriff's Office obtained a search warrant for Rasberry's residence. There they reported finding items that corroborated information from the New Jersey investigation. According to the Sheriff's Office, Rasberry was at his residence at the time the search warrant was executed. After interviewing Rasberry, investigators were able to obtain warrants for his arrest. In August, he was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual activity while in a parental role. He posted his $50,000 bond. Additional charges were filed against Rasberry shortly after he posted bond, but deputies were unable to locate him. Investigators believed Rasberry had gone to New Jersey, but officers believed he had returned to Wilson and the surrounding area from time to time. The ensuing manhunt covered eastern North Carolina and New Jersey. Rasberry was not located until late September, when he was apprehended in Rocky Mount. Sheriff's investigators also arrested Rasberry's wife, Katie. She was charged with obstructing and delaying an officer in the line of duty and felony child abuse. She posted a $10,000 bond in September. She has hired Rocky Mount defense attorney Damian L. Tucker and is also scheduled to appear in Superior Court April 24. jwlaw@wilsondaily.com | 265-7819
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