Three Ohio pastors are facing
life imprisonment for sex trafficking underage girls.
The Rev. Cordell Jenkins, 47, the Rev. Anthony Haynes, 38, and the
Rev. Kenneth Butler, 37, were named in an 11-count superseding indictment
handed up Tuesday by a federal grand jury charging them with conspiracy to sex
traffic children. All three of them pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Michael Freeman, an assistant U.S. Attorney, told the court that
if the men are convicted, prosecutors would recommend sentences of life in
prison.
“These three men violated the trust of these children and the
communities they purported to serve,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said in a
news release. “We are grateful for the courage of the victims and the
dedication of our law enforcement personnel in bringing these men to justice.”
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a girl who was just 14
when the conspiracy began in 2014 was sexually assaulted by all three men. Some
of the sex acts are believed to have taken place at Greater Life Christian
Center where Mr. Haynes was pastor.
Between 2014 and 2017, Mr. Haynes groomed and exploited the girl,
used his cell phone to record the sexual assaults, routinely gave her money
afterward, and told her not to tell anyone because it could ruin his family and
his church, prosecutors say.
Mr. Haynes also is accused of introducing the teen to other men,
including Mr. Jenkins, for sexual activity and for sharing pornographic
photographs and videos.
Prosecutors allege that between December 2016, and March 2017, Mr.
Jenkins sexually exploited the girl at his West Toledo home on Barrington
Drive, at his office at Abundant Life Ministries where he was the pastor, and
at a motel in Toledo. Prosecutors said he paid her for sex usually between $100
and $300 referring to the payment as “hush money.” Like Mr. Haynes, he’s
accused of recording some of the interactions with his cell phone.
Mr. Jenkins is accused of paying for sex acts with a second
underage girl in March.
Mr. Butler is charged with trafficking a third underage girl
between 2015 and March, 2017. According to court documents, the girl told
investigators she met Mr. Butler at Mr. Haynes' church when she was 15 and he
would give her rides to his church in the Detroit area.
The girl said she had sex with Mr. Butler in his car twice and he
gave her money once. He later reportedly told her to lie to the FBI if she was
questioned about him.
Both Mr. Haynes and Mr. Butler are charged with obstruction of a
sex trafficking investigation Mr. Haynes for allegedly trying to destroy
electronic evidence of sex trafficking and Mr. Butler for instructing another
person to lie and lying himself to law enforcement about his involvement.
At their arraignment Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Jack
Zouhary asked each of the men to tell him a little bit about their educational
and work backgrounds.
Mr. Haynes described himself as “a former pastor,” while Mr.
Jenkins said he had “pastored full time” for the past 23 years.
Mr. Butler, pastor of Kingdom Encounter Family Worship Center, did
not mention serving as a pastor but said he had worked in a variety of security
jobs, most recently as a security guard for Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical
Center, Mercy Health St. Anne Hospital, and Mercy Health St. Charles Hospital.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Mr. Butler who was not named
in the original indictment filed in April against Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Haynes
was indicted on two counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of
obstruction of a sex trafficking investigation.
Judge Zouhary scheduled a Jan. 8 status hearing for all three
co-defendants, who are to remain in custody.
Source: toledoblade
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