A Kentucky pastor is facing two charges after being accused of soliciting photos from a child. Clarence Barry Hungerford of Aurora Baptist Church in Benton was arrested on Wednesday, June 25.
Editor’s note: This article refers to disturbing reports of child sex abuse that some readers might find triggering.
The child was a member of Hungerford’s church.
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In a press release, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said that it had been “contacted by the family of an 11-year-old female juvenile who wanted to report that the female had been solicited for photos of her body from the pastor of her church.”
After detectives investigated the claim, they found that Hungerford “had sent messages to the female requesting her to send him photos of her body.”
Police said that Hungerford “admitted to contacting the female.” He also “admitted to destroying his cellphone to try to prevent the contents of the phone from being accessed.”
Hungerford has now been charged with one count of unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said that while Hungerford lives in Mayfield, which is in Graves County, he also “has a part-time home in Marshall County, which is where he was when he solicited the photo.”
It is unclear whether Hungerford remains the pastor of Aurora Baptist Church. The church’s website has been deactivated, but Hungerford can be seen preaching in videos on the church’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
