Front Row Seat

Front Row Seat
Fireworks tonight at 9:45 on TV-4

°

Homepage / Jacksonville News
Text Size

Former Pastor Charged With Molesting Girl

POSTED: Thursday, March 27, 2008

The former pastor of Shiloh Baptist Metropolitan Church already accused of sending a lewd text message to a girl younger than 16 is facing two additional charges, including one that he fondled a child.

Darrell Gilyard had already pleaded not guilty to the original charge of lewd or lascivious conduct on a child younger than 16. Thursday morning, he pleaded not guilty to a second count of lewd conduct and one count of lewd or lascivious molestation.

After his initial arrest in January, his attorney released a statement saying Gilyard had been "instrumental in building Shiloh Baptist from a few to several thousand, and improving many neighborhoods and the lives of young people following a path of crime and drugs."

A few days later, he resigned from the church.

Leaving court on Thursday, neither Gilyard nor his lawyer had any comment.

A Shiloh member whose wife has heard from people claiming to be Gilyard's victims attended the hearing.

"He is a mega-pastor. He is an awesome speaker," the man told Channel 4's Adam Landau. "With that recognition comes power. Sometimes, people abuse their power."

Gilyard remains free on $50,000 bond.

Text Size

Sponsored Links

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Learn the top five signs of common mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. More

To get the most out of your remodel, check out these 10 home updates that have the biggest payoffs when it comes time to sell your home. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

Curious about what homes near you are in foreclosure? Want to be notified when a home enters foreclosure? Get all of that and more here. More

Most Popular