MESQUITE, Texas (AP) – A Texas pastor has been arrested for failing to immediately report an assistant youth pastor accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
The Mesquite Police Department says that Robert Ross, the lead pastor of Open Door Baptist Church, was charged Tuesday with a misdemeanor for failing to promptly report Steven Winn after learning of the sexual assault. The victim had been a student at the church’s school in Mesquite, just 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Dallas.
Police say an investigation reveals that 33-year-old Winn had an ongoing sexual relationship with the teenage girl for over 14 months. Winn is charged with sexual assault of a child.
Police say Ross discovered Winn was sexually assaulting the victim on February 1, but failed to report him to a law enforcement agency.
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