Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Pointing and laughing at religious lunacy for more than half-a-century

Pastor who denounced gay graphic novels is now in jail charged with rape and other sexual offences

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A COUPLE of years ago Silas Shelton, pastor at Blanchester Community Ministries in Ohio, told the Little Miami Local School District board of education that being gay was a “health risk” and complained about a popular series called Heartstopper by British author Alice Oseman.

The novels later became a Netflix series.

As a consequence of Shelton’s complaint, according to Friendly Atheist, Hermant Mehta, about a month later, the school board decided to hit “pause” on all book fairs in order to put together a special committee that could screen all the material. In short, they capitulated to the pervert’s demand for censorship.

Like so many of his ilk, the moral crusader was himself a threat, in this case to girl aged about 14 or 15, who allegedly fell prey to the pastor, who has been arrested on charges of rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and gross sexual imposition.He allegedly did all this over a period of about six years.

Shelton is being held on a $2 million bond in a Clinton County jail.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to online court records.

The police report for his arrest provides disturbing details:

Wilmington police reported that in the fall of 2019, Shelton allegedly began inappropriate sexual contact with a girl who was 14 or 15 at the time. A detective involved in the case stated that the alleged victim and her family were members of Shelton’s congregation.

… The detective leading the investigation said in a probable cause statement that the alleged abuse continued until a few months ago. The detective described a complex dynamic, suggesting the young woman felt groomed, trapped and manipulated due to Shelton’s position as a religious authority.

… The detective indicated that the alleged abuse occurred at Shelton’s home in Morrow, Warren County, at Cowan Lake in Clinton County, and in local hotel rooms.

Said Mehta

Shelton’s arrest shouldn’t surprise anyone. For decades, men like him have stood at pulpits railing against love, hiding behind the Bible to mask their own bigotry. The louder they scream about protecting children from homosexuality, the more certain you can be that their own hands are unclean. While Shelton was lecturing the school board about the importance of protecting children, he was—according to the police department’s own report—grooming and sexually abusing a child in his own congregation.

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Barry Duke

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One response to “Pastor who denounced gay graphic novels is now in jail charged with rape and other sexual offences”

  1. Broga Avatar
    Broga

    I have children and early teenage grand children. The families are atheists so I suppose that lessens one fear.

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