A Southern Baptist pastor who is in police custody on 11 charges of sex crimes, including rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and gross sexual imposition, is now facing two additional charges of arson.
Silas Shelton of Blanchester Community Ministries in Blanchester, Ohio, was initially taken into custody on Oct. 15.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of child sex crimes that some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
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Shelton is accused of incidents of sexual abuse that occurred as early as 2019. According to WLWT, detectives said that Shelton allegedly began sexually assaulting a member of his congregation who was 14 or 15 years old.
Authorities said that the alleged abuse continued until a few months ago, and investigators indicated that the victim felt trapped in a relationship with Shelton due to Shelton’s spiritual authority as a pastor.
Following an investigation, Shelton was arrested and taken to the Clinton County Adult Detention Center to be held on a $2 million bond.
Shelton now also faces two new charges of arson, which stem from an incident that occurred in July of this year. Shelton is accused of setting fire to a home and an SUV.
Shelton previously made waves in the community in 2023, when he spoke out at a local school district meeting about the sale of the “Heartstopper” series of books at the district’s Scholastic Book Fair. The books prominently feature gay characters.
“I tell you, I got sick reading that stuff,” Shelton said at the time. He also referenced the “health risks of being gay.”
