In a troubling case involving a South Carolina pastor and his wife, a judge recently granted bond to Kathleen Chorbajian, who, alongside her husband Myron, faces over 90 child abuse charges stemming from incidents dating back to the 1980s.
The couple, aged 71 and 73, was apprehended in Tennessee last May and subsequently returned to South Carolina to face legal proceedings, according to a report by WHNS. Their indictment came in November, bringing to light the gravity of the accusations against them.
Among the charges, Myron Chorbajian allegedly subjected children to severe mistreatment, including forcing one child to scavenge in dumpsters for rotten food and compelling another to sleep in an outdoor trashcan. Further horrifying allegations include brutal paddling and the killing of family pets in front of the young victims.
Kathleen Chorbajian stands accused of being complicit by being aware of the ongoing abuse yet failing to intervene. Her legal team, however, argues that she poses no flight risk and challenges the state’s portrayal of the case. They emphasize that numerous parents allowed their children to stay overnight with the Chorbajians without supervision, suggesting a discrepancy in the state’s narrative.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, assert that the couple exploited their religious position to inflict harm on the children, underscoring the severity and manipulation involved in the case.
Prosecutors pushed back, saying that the Chorbajians weaponized their faith to harm the children.
“This case is essentially about the weaponization of Christianity to justify the abuse of children,” the state’s attorney said. “The time the abuse occurred, these victims were small children in foster care. They had nowhere else to go. These sadistic acts of abuse that were justified by religion against some of the most vulnerable members of our society, I don’t know a situation where someone could present a more clearly present danger to the community.”
The judge ultimately gave Kathleen Chorbajian a $120,000 bond, barring her from contact with the victims, anyone under the age of 18, or her husband. She also must wear a GPS monitor and is prohibited from leaving home except for medical, legal, or religious reasons.
According to previous reporting, the investigation began last April when one of the victims reported “extensive abuse” by Chorbajian. Arrest warrants say he sexually abused female children, paddled a naked victim 50 times, beat a child with a belt until the victim lost consciousness, and forced another child to eat dirt off the floor.
After killing the family dog in front of one child, he forced the child to bury the dog. He also ran over another child’s kitten and then shot it in the head in front of her.
Chorbajian remains behind bars without bond.
According to Law&Crime, He is charged with two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, 15 counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk or harm, and eight counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, among others.
Kathleen Chorbajian faces at least 10 counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk or harm.
Chorbajian was the pastor at First Southern Methodist Church in Greenville before his arrest.
