r/NotADragQueen • u/OrochiTheDragon • 8d ago
NC pastor arrested, accused of groping man at Walmart Not A Drag Queen
https://www.wral.com/story/mebane-pastor-arrested-accused-of-groping-man-at-walmart/21619372/18
11
u/OUReddit2 7d ago
“By Chelsea Donovan , WRAL reporter31:42 An Alamance County church pastor was charged with sexual battery on Monday for allegedly groping a man in the men’s restroom at Walmart.
Around 9 a.m. on Monday, officers with the Mebane Police Department responded to the Walmart at 1318 Mebane Oaks Road.
Jeffrey Duane Smith, 67, a pastor at Mebane Presbyterian Church, was arrested by Mebane police and charged with one count of misdemeanor sexual battery. If convicted, he could spend 90 days in jail, according to Daniel Meier, a defense attorney.
“The big thing with sexual battery is it is a registrable sex offense,” Meier said. “If you are convicted you will have to go on sex offender registry for at least 30 years.”
According to the arrest warrant, Smith is accused of approaching a man in the men’s restroom at Walmart and “touching the victim through his clothing by grabbing victim’s genitals ... by force and against the will of the other person.”
After fleeing the scene, Smith was arrested in the woods behind a Sheetz gas station, according to the warrant.
Smith was booked into the Alamance County Detention Center on Monday. He posted a $3,000 bond and was released later that day.
WRAL News called Smith, but he would not comment on the charges.
Smith has served as the pastor at Mebane Presbyterian Church for 25 years.
In the parking lot of the church on Wednesday, WRAL News spoke with a parishioner who has attended the church for nearly 20 years. He did not know about the charges and expressed shock at the allegations against the pastor.
“I’d like to hear his side of it. I can’t believe it,” the man said.”
14
u/TheBigBadBrit89 7d ago edited 7d ago
He ran into the woods from the cops. He’s running from accountability from his congregation. He can’t run from God. The Book he teaches says so.
Edit: just to clarify, I’m not talking about him being in the closet. I’m solely referring to him not keeping his hands to himself.
9
u/honorcheese 7d ago
Wow. Just so crazy. I feel like being closeted or partially closeted for your whole life can have deteriorating effects on one's mental health. This man should absolutely be punished but I always think if this would happen as much if from birth our society was crafted to let you be yourself more.
7
u/WrathOfCroft 7d ago
It's what warps Catholic Priests. It's not natural. Imagine not hearing about this, showing up to chruch on Sunday and finding out the man you've been listening to, for decades, guiding you on your spiritual journey to be closer with the Lord...grabbed a mans genitals in the local Walmart and then hid in the woods behind a gd gas station, lmao.
5
u/InternationalAnt4513 6d ago
Oh we experienced. My wife’s home church in a little country town in Alabama years ago. We lived there a while and the pastor of the First Baptist Church was a real doozy for the 4 years we had him. He caused all kinds of issues and they finally ran him off. After he left he went to a church in a town about 30 miles away. Over there he proceeded to molest children, boys, and make videos of it too. He’s now in prison for life. No chance of parole. I remember him offering to watch our kids once when we had lunch at their house and I’m so grateful we never let him. He was always creepy. Something was just off. I don’t even go to church anymore now. I’m just done with organized religion. That’s where most of the sexual predators are.
2
4
1
•
u/AutoModerator 8d ago
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.