A Kansas pastor has been arrested and accused of sexual violence in Utah. Ephren Taylor Sr. of Johnson County Church of Christ in Shawnee, Kansas, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated kidnapping, forcible sexual abuse, and intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable person.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of sexual abuse, which some readers might find triggering and/or disturbing.
Taylor, 65, allegedly committed the crimes in Millard County, Utah.Â
According to Johnson County Post, on Thursday, Oct. 3, a 22-year-old woman who identified herself as having an intellectual disability called the Millard County Sheriff’s Office to report that she had been sexually assaulted.Â
Investigators reportedly interviewed the victim using methods similar to a child forensic interview, as the victim’s disability is such that she possesses intellectual capabilities similar to those of a child ages 8-10.Â
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The victim said that a man matching Taylor’s description had approached her while she was walking to work and asked her to go with him to an unspecified location. After she declined, citing that she was on her way to work, the man asked to meet her after her shift. She agreed, and the two exchanged phone numbers.
However, the victim said that the man came to her place of work and urged her to leave early. She declined. The victim then said that after her shift was over, she got into the man’s vehicle, and he told her that they were going to go bowling.Â
The man then allegedly pulled over and raped the victim.Â
Investigators were able to identify Taylor as the suspect after locating security footage of the victim getting into his vehicle. They also confirmed that Taylor had contacted the victim by phone on the day of the assault.Â
