Posted on 12/09/2007 6:52:45 PM PST by Coleus
The pastor of a small Washington County church has been arrested and charged with second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy for an incident that allegedly occurred nearly 10 years ago with a 15-year-old girl.
The Rev. Leonard Frazier, 55, of Stonewall Baptist Church near Chatom, was arrested Tuesday and released from Mobile County Metro Jail on $15,000 bail, according to jail records. The alleged victim is now in her mid-20s, said Mobile County assistant district attorney Steve Giardini.
"It took a number of years for her to come forward," he said. Alabama does not have a statute of limitations involving sex crimes against children. Giardini said he didn't know if the woman was ever a member of Frazier's church, but that she knew him through her family.
The chairman of Stonewall's deacon board expressed surprise at the allegations against Frazier. "I find him to be a righteous man, and his life has always been lined up with the word," Roscoe Gatson said.
“Court records show that Frazier was involved in a paternity battle in 2000. A Malcolm, Ala., woman filed suit against Frazier and another man.
Blood tests connected Frazier to the child, and he was ordered to pay monthly child support until 2004, the records show.
Marriage records show that Frazier married Berthia Jo Boxley in 1980.
Jail records list Frazier’s address as the 19000 block of Pine Grove Church Road, Mount Vernon, in northern Mobile County. In October, however, Frazier and his wife bought a home in Saraland, according to mortgage records.
On Tuesday, two members of the Chatom community expressed shock about the news of Frazier’s arrest.
“I find him to be a righteous man, and his life has always been lined up with the word,” said Roscoe Gatson, chairman of the deacons’ board at Stonewall.
Gatson said the church, which has fewer than 100 members, is in the Jordan community.
Cleophus Stephens, a Chatom city councilman and chairman of the deacons’ board at Lilly Grove Baptist Church in Chatom, said Frazier is well-liked.
“He is a nice person, and he lives in Mount Vernon,” Stephens said. “I don’t know about his life in the community, but people around the church really like him.”
http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/1196331814263180.xml&coll=3&thispage=1
Hang Him real High..!!
First thought,,I’ll wait..
“Down goes Frazier ! Down goes Frazier !”
(OK, that was baaaaad).
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