A Texas pastor and a colleague have been charged with tying a 15-year-old girl to a van and dragging her along the ground after she refused to continue an exercise run at a Christian "boot camp," US police said on Sunday.
Charles Flowers, senior pastor at the Faith Outreach Center, in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz, was arrested on Friday along with the camp counselor, Stephanie Bassitt, the Nueces County Sheriff's department said in a statement.
The alleged incident took place in June and was reported to police by the mother of the girl, who was hospitalized for unspecified injuries.
According to a copy of the arrest affidavit obtained by Reuters, the girl was participating in a running exercise at the military style "Love Demonstrated Ministries" camp near Corpus Christi when she tired and refused to continue.
It alleges that Bassitt pinned the girl down while Flowers tied a rope around her, tied the other end to the bumper of a van, and dragged her on her stomach "several times."
The camp's Web site, where Flowers refers to himself as the "commandant," says it is "designed to build character and instill discipline, integrity, unity, and morality back into their lives."
The camp, which is operated in both Bexar and Nueces Counties, is aimed at teens with drug, alcohol, and other problems. Some teens are referred to the camp by courts.
Neither Flowers nor the church responded to requests for comment.
-
Evangelical vicar accused of abuse won't stand trial
-
Christians protest LGBT nativity play where Jesus is 'King of the Gays'
-
Sarah Mullally reiterates apology as safeguarding record comes under the spotlight
-
The origins of ‘traditional’ Christmas celebrations
-
Pro-life campaigner who silently prayed in abortion clinic buffer zone criminally charged
-
The mystery of the Wise Men
Most Popular
News
The first Christmas song to be sung in churches
Every Christmas, people sing the song “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night”. Unlike many other songs and carols that include elements of non-biblical tradition and myth, this song is pure Scripture. It was the first Christmas song authorised to be sung in the Church of England. This is the story …
The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914
On Christmas Eve in 1914, many men were in the trenches fighting the war, but the spirit of Christmas halted the conflict for a brief period. This is the story …
Report highlights injustices experienced by Christians in the Holy Land
Jerusalem Church leaders have released a report detailing the struggles and challenges currently faced be Christians living in the Holy Land.
Have you lost the wonder of Christmas?
For you who have been followers of Jesus Christ for a long time, maybe the pain and suffering of this world and the darkness you have had to live through this past year has gotten you down to the point of complete and utter discouragement. But all is not lost.