A former Salvation Army youth pastor has been arrested and charged with sending sexually explicit materials to a minor. Jeffery Williams, 38, turned himself in to police in Fountain, Colorado, on Nov. 10. He was booked on charges of obscenity and unlawful sexual communication by a person in a position of trust.
According to Salvation Army officials, Williams served in Fountain from 2013 to 2017. After that, he served in Chandler, Arizona, until being suspended and then terminated last month. The church says it took immediate action when it learned of the allegations against Williams and is cooperating with authorities.
Jeffery Williams Incident Reportedly Occurred Seven Years Ago
Before being commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in 2013, Jeffery Williams completed a two-year church training program in California. Then he was stationed for four years in Fountain, where the alleged incident occurred.
Fountain police say they began investigating Williams last month, and that investigation led to his arrest this week. They are asking anyone with relevant information about the case—including witnesses or other potential victims—to contact Corporal Tori Slater at (719) 382-4288.
Although Fountain police didn’t indicate a timeline for the alleged incident, the church’s statement notes: “The Salvation Army understands that the charges at issue involve conduct that occurred about seven years ago in Colorado, but the charges are serious.” The church also says it had not received any previous complaints about Williams’ conduct with minors.
‘The Salvation Army Stands Against Abuse’
In its statement, the Salvation Army emphasizes that it “does not tolerate sexual misconduct or improprieties of any kind.” It adds, “In accordance with our policy, once we learned of the allegations last month, [Jeffery Williams] was immediately suspended and we reported these allegations to the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Since making this report, we have been cooperating with Fountain Police and Williams has been terminated. We have also attempted to contact the victim in the case to extend any assistance she may require.”
For more than 20 years, the Salvation Army has used an abuse-prevention program titled “Protecting the Mission.” According to the church, the program was developed with “industry leaders” and features “stringent screening requirements, monitoring and supervision rules, training standards, and, most importantly, a culture of transparency where internal and external reporting is welcomed and encouraged.”
