Police charged John Martin, an anti LGBTIQ clergyman from Alabama, with four counts of sexual abuse of a child after he admitted “an affair” to his congregation.
According to news reports, the Baptist pastor admitted to ‘inappropriate relationships with young men’.
In fact, he molested at least one boy from the church on multiple occasions.
The abuse occurred both at Martin’s home and during a road trip.
Martin also sent the boy explicit text messages.
However, one churchgoer said in a Facebook post that the pastor gave an incomplete explanation.
“All he told us was he’d improper judgements.”
Later, after the ‘confession’, Martin checked himself into a psychiatric unit.
He also handed over two guns in his possession.
Coty Hand, Assistant District Attorney for Lauderdale County, issued a statement on the charges.
John Martin, former Pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Florence now charged with 4 counts of sexual abuse of a child.
These types of crimes are devastating for the community, and there’s always potential for more victims.
“We’d ask that anyone with more information come forward and allow us to help them.
A married father of five, 41-year-old Martin worked as lead pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church from 2010.
He regularly preached about the evils of homosexuality.
Lighthouse Baptist Church FAQ on Human Sexuality.
Firstly, the Church insists God commands believers to engage in ‘no intimate sexual activity… outside of a marriage between a man and a woman’.
“We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.
“We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.”
Further, the website goes on to explicitly condemn same-sex marriage.
“We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.”
Other potential victims
Subsequently, Angie Hamilton, an assistant district attorney in Lauderdale County called for other victims to come forward.
“We have identified several potential victims.
“We believe other charges are forthcoming.”
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