The alleged abuse occurred from 2006 to 2010 at the pastor’s home and at an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County, Maryland, authorities said.

Thomas Pinkerton Jr. used to tell children in his youth group in Maryland that it was normal for a pastor to kiss boys on the lips, because that’s how Jesus greeted his disciples, according to an arrest warrant made public last week.

Kissing was just the beginning, several men from Pinkerton’s former youth group told police.

Pinkerton, 52, a youth minister known as Pastor Tommy, is being held without bond following accusations that he sexually abused six teens from 2006 to 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County. He was extradited from his home state of Georgia to Maryland last Wednesday to face 24 felony and misdemeanor counts in Baltimore County. His attorney, Justin Hollimon, said he pleaded not guilty.

  • WideEyedStupid@lemmy.world
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    At this point I don’t understand how there are still parents who leave their kids alone with members of any church, or republicans.

    Like, “not all priests…” doesn’t mean anything, you still won’t take the fucking risk, right?

  • WanderWisley@lemmy.world
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    Reminder: not a democrat, not a trans athlete, not a member of the LGBTQ community, not a drag queen, not an immigrant.

  • some_designer_dude@lemmy.world
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    Religious institutions must be like pre-chloroformed honeypots for vile people looking to abuse others. “Oh Jesus also liked to sword fight with his penis? Right on — let’s go, then.”

    For fucks sake, people… How transparent does it need to be? It’s a system of control like any other, but the controlled think they’re “following Christ”.

    You want to protect your kids? Keep them the fuck away from religion and the religious.

    • cmoney@lemmy.world
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      The fact that these religious institutions cover up the sex abuse because they don’t wanna lose any offerings in that collection plate is a whole other level of fucked up.

    • Lucky_777@lemmy.world
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      Religious institutions are the best place for manipulation. So it makes sense pedos would use them. Condition youth that don’t know any better and their parents willing leave children in their care with no oversight.

      100% agree, children are not safe in any religion. Now if they are adults, they can do fuck all. But children? Nope.

  • InvalidName2@lemmy.zip
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    I’ve seen him perform! Stage name is Miranda Warning. Oh that’s right, never mind, still not a drag queen.

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    Isn’t it ironic that the “let’s protect the children” crowd allows the children of their base to be the most abused, molested and sexually assaulted?

    More than any other group and without creating any repercussions to the institution that harbours the highest percentage of verified pedophiles.

    Last time I checked the numbers, 6% of Priests have engaged sexually with a minor. That’s numbers that even shitty Hollywood can’t even compete with.

    • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Because their rules are about oppressing others.

      “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”

      • sanity_is_maddening@piefed.social
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        Oh, I know and I agree.

        But it’s still ridiculous and awful to see these children, their children nonetheless become victims of abuse while they pretend it’s not happening.

        Because if there’s any single one thing I am supposed to share with these mindless people is an aversion to the abuse of children. And if that were me and my community I would burn that institution to the ground until I found every trace of this.

        If they kept their end of the watch as they claim others should I would at least respect their zeal as true. This way I got nothing for them. Absolutely nothing.

        But I still don’t want that to happen to those kids. This shouldn’t happen. Period. Pointing out their hypocrisy and calling for their outrage to start by “cleaning their own house” works. I’ve seen it first hand. They don’t like it when they know you’re right even according to their narrow view of the world. If we just uphold them to the standard they believe they have, they don’t have an out.

        And less kids end up like this as a result.

        • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          I hate to break the news to you but for them, abuse of children is the oppression. For them, as long as you are rich enough and white enough, you can oppress (read: sexually abuse) children. Trump is lucky he’s white enough.

          Do not compare your hatred for child abusers with theirs.

      • ameancow@lemmy.world
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        “Someday I will be part of the in-group, after I win the lottery and get that raise, that’s why we need to protect the elite, so my fortune will be safe!” - Literally every redneck and right-wing dumbass I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a LOT.

        • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          Many conservatives think they are part of the in group.

          They already think they deserve to be special because other people aren’t.

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        The entire screeching narrative they started pushing that drag-queens and trans people were pedophiles literally originated in an attempt to counter the huge wave of pedophilia and abuse that was coming from right-wing circles and churches a number of years ago as media and news started becoming much larger and reporting more crimes.

    • ameancow@lemmy.world
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      the “let’s protect the children” crowd

      They don’t want to protect children broadly, they want their kids protected from being abused by other people. You don’t want someone mishandling your property after all.

        • ameancow@lemmy.world
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          That is the implication I was going for. They are heavily into the idea of “owning” their kids. Those religious “promise keeper” oath things where fathers make their daughters wear special rings and control their sex lives is widespread in many parts of the country and I do not believe for a MOMENT that it’s not rooted in some strange sexual fantasy… it’s not a coincidence that every new insult, swear word and condemned trend by conservatives lines up exactly with that very thing becoming crazy popular on Pornhub.

          Conservatism broadly is rooted in sexual insecurity above all other things, they love the feeling of creating and breaking taboos. They’re just too ashamed to just have casual sex and roleplay with other consenting adults so they end up making it EVERYONE’S problem.

          Even if they’re not actively molesting their kids, they are still participating in a deeply mentally abusive and invasive practice that instills lifelong shame, insecurity and wrecked self-esteem being passed down, starting the same cycles all over again.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    Pinkerton, who has worked as a traveling evangelist in recent years, was “completely shocked” by the charges, his attorney said Monday.

    I agree. I’ve never heard of anyone within the christian movement abusing their power to sexually exploit children. That has never happened, ever. Not once. Nada. Nope.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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    Huh interesting, not a trans or a drag queen, but in fact yet another white Christian male.

    Republicans for child rape!

  • Mulligrubs@lemmy.world
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    Absurdly, we all finance these pedophiles, their very favorite place to conceal themselves is the church/temple/mosque, and these are all tax free.

    And now they can openly campaign, it’s getting worse, not better.