Testimonies from children and teenagers allegedly abused by the former head of the Philadelphia Baptist Church’s teen ministry in Guará 2 indicate that the man called victims to watch movies at his home as a pretext to commit sexual crimes.
He caressed the private parts of the children who felt uncomfortable and asked him to stop. To stop the harassment, some boys would hide in bathrooms or ask their parents to look for them.
The 30-year-old man has been temporarily detained since last Friday (19/12) on suspicion of rape of a vulnerable person.
According to the 4th police station, he took advantage of his religious leadership to gain the boys’ trust and find himself alone with them when the alleged abuse took place. One of them would have taken place in the church grounds, during a sleepover under the responsibility of the suspect.
To date, the DF Civil Police have identified four victims of the faithful. The reports reveal a pattern of early violence: abuse against male victims, beginning at ages 10 and 12 in two cases, one teenage target aged 13 to 17, and a fourth victim at 16.
The investigations nevertheless indicate that the victims would not have been concomitant. The suspect formed a bond with one of the targeted teenagers until he committed the abuse. After the younger man walked away, the older leader approached another young man.
The cases reported and under investigation are believed to have occurred since 2019. One of the victims interviewed has already reached the age of majority.
The Federal District Court ordered the temporary arrest of the person under investigation for a period of 30 days, which period can be extended by an equal period.
Deletion
The suspect is the son of the president of the congregation. At a meeting of religious leaders that took place in November this year, a letter written by the suspect was read out saying that he would withdraw from the church and his activities within the congregation.
However, he continued to attend services normally and even access members-only areas of the church. The column also reveals that after learning of the allegations, her father tried to convince the victims that there had been no abuse. The presiding pastor reportedly went so far as to insinuate that it was his son who was the victim of the rape.
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The other side
In a statement, the Baptist Church of Philadelphia said that “the assertion that the person under investigation continued to work at the institution is false, as throughout 2025 he no longer held any leadership role in the Church.” The Church also said the person under investigation is not, “and never has been,” a pastor at the institution.
“He worked in the past as a volunteer member in managerial functions within the Ministry of Adolescence. We also clarify that the family relationship between the person under investigation and the Pastor President has not interfered, and will never interfere, in the disciplinary measures adopted by the Disciplinary Council or in the collaboration with the Civil Police and the Judiciary,” he said.
The Church has refuted any allegations that there was an attempt to cover up the facts or to discourage families from coming forward to authorities. “In all the consultations carried out, both by the Presidency and the Disciplinary Council, it was made clear that families had complete freedom and institutional incentive to resort to police authorities. The Church understands that spiritual welcome in no way replaces the duty to seek justice from the State,” he said.
Finally, the Philadelphia Baptist Church said it values accuracy of information and protection of its community. “The confidentiality of the police investigation and the duty to protect the privacy of minors and their families prevent the disclosure of details other than those presented above,” he said.
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