Charles Brinson, bishop of Brinson Memorial Church in Trenton, New Jersey, has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 16-year-old while the teen was unconscious. The teen told authorities that the pastor had “administered an unknown substance” before assaulting the teen in January and February of last year.
“Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey announced today the arrest of a Trenton pastor for multiple counts of sexual assault against a 16-year-old victim,” said a Feb. 27 press release from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office that was sent to ChurchLeaders in response to a request for comment.
The arrest was “the result of a joint investigation between the Special Victims Units of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Trenton Police Department.”
“Charles B. Brinson, 64, of Trenton, New Jersey, was arrested at his home on Wednesday, February 19, 2025,” said the press release. “He is charged with two counts first-degree aggravated sexual assault of an incapacitated victim, and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Brinson pending trial.”
Charles Brinson Denied 2008 Sexual Assault Allegation
The alleged assaults of the teen took place at Charles Brinson’s home. WPVI News reports that after the second alleged assault, the victim was evaluated at a hospital. The pastor is reportedly detained in Mercer County pending trial.
This controversy is not the first of its kind that Brinson has faced. In 2008, he was arrested based on allegations that he drove a church van to meet, pick up, and sexually assault a 15-year-old. The pastor denied having any sexual contact or even meeting the teen in person, although he admitted to befriending the teen in an online chatroom.
NBC10 Philadelphia reports that Brinson was able to negotiate a guilty plea to a lesser corruption of minors charge. He had to register as a sex offender and serve four years probation.
The church leader has additionally drawn controversy for his opulent lifestyle, including driving luxury cars and wearing fur coats, as well as for a previous involvement in a “money-for-marriage citizenship scam.”
