Pastor charged in child sex case
A Baptist pastor from Warren is to appear in court today on charges that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy.
The Rev. Christopher Settlemoir, 27, pastor at Antioch Baptist Church in Warren, is charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, two first-degree and two second-degree, police said Sunday. He is to be arraigned in 37th District Court in Warren.
Settlemoir also is the principal of the church's K-12 school, Antioch Baptist Academy.
The teen's mother told police Thursday that she had evidence her son was sexually assaulted by the pastor, police said. On Friday, police searched the church and the pastor's home, where they discovered laptop computers that had information indicating that crimes had taken place. Text messages between the pastor and the victim also were discovered, police said.
Settlemoir was arrested Friday. On Saturday, he was released on a $1-million interim bond, said Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer.
"This is extremely disturbing," said Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer, who is expected to release more details on the case today.
"This ... 15-year-old was taken advantage of by a person of trust."
On Thursday, the teen's mother came to Warren Police with evidence that her son had been sexually assaulted by Settlemoir, including text messages between the two, Dwyer said.
Police searched both the church and Settlemoir's Warren home Friday and recovered two laptops. Settlemoir was arrested and spent Friday night in the police lockup.
He was released Saturday pending his arraignment at 1:30 p.m. today at 37th District Court in Warren.
Settlemoir appears to have been well-liked and popular, Dwyer said. Many pictures of Settlemoir and his wife are posted on the church's website.
His brother, Ryan Settlemoir, was a Madison Heights Police officer who died last year after contracting H1N1 flu.
The church is at 30588 Dequindre Road and includes a school and day care. Speaking in a video greeting on the church's website, Settlemoir describes the services offered by the church and the school.
"Your children are very safe and loved here at our church," he says.
The phone at Settlemoir's home was busy throughout Sunday afternoon. No one picked up the church line, and one church leader reached declined comment.
"This case is ongoing and there may be other victims out there," Dwyer said.
Others with information are asked to call the Warren Police Department at (586) 574-4700.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100614/METRO03/6140344/Warren-pastor-charged-in-child-sex-case#ixzz0qr9kyZA6
Settlemoir also is the principal of the church's K-12 school, Antioch Baptist Academy.
The teen's mother told police Thursday that she had evidence her son was sexually assaulted by the pastor, police said. On Friday, police searched the church and the pastor's home, where they discovered laptop computers that had information indicating that crimes had taken place. Text messages between the pastor and the victim also were discovered, police said.
Settlemoir was arrested Friday. On Saturday, he was released on a $1-million interim bond, said Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer.
"This is extremely disturbing," said Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer, who is expected to release more details on the case today.
"This ... 15-year-old was taken advantage of by a person of trust."
On Thursday, the teen's mother came to Warren Police with evidence that her son had been sexually assaulted by Settlemoir, including text messages between the two, Dwyer said.
Police searched both the church and Settlemoir's Warren home Friday and recovered two laptops. Settlemoir was arrested and spent Friday night in the police lockup.
He was released Saturday pending his arraignment at 1:30 p.m. today at 37th District Court in Warren.
Settlemoir appears to have been well-liked and popular, Dwyer said. Many pictures of Settlemoir and his wife are posted on the church's website.
His brother, Ryan Settlemoir, was a Madison Heights Police officer who died last year after contracting H1N1 flu.
The church is at 30588 Dequindre Road and includes a school and day care. Speaking in a video greeting on the church's website, Settlemoir describes the services offered by the church and the school.
"Your children are very safe and loved here at our church," he says.
The phone at Settlemoir's home was busy throughout Sunday afternoon. No one picked up the church line, and one church leader reached declined comment.
"This case is ongoing and there may be other victims out there," Dwyer said.
Others with information are asked to call the Warren Police Department at (586) 574-4700.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100614/METRO03/6140344/Warren-pastor-charged-in-child-sex-case#ixzz0qr9kyZA6
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