The adult son of the founders and pastors of an Ohio megachurch has been arrested on charges of sexually abusing at least one young child.
Gary Thomas Keesee Jr., 36, was arrested Friday at his home in Johnstown and charged with two counts of rape, the Licking County Sheriff’s Office said. The case will be heard by a Knox County grand jury on Monday, when more charges will be considered.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the allegations in February at the request of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which said it had a conflict of interest because Keesee’s mother, Drenda Keesee, is a county supervisor, WSYX reported. Knox County officials initially asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, headed up by Attorney General Dave Yost, to conduct the investigation, but he also declined, saying that Keesee’s parents, Drenda and Gary Keesee, were personal friends.
“The suspect’s parents are personal friends and have been guests in the Attorney General’s home,” Yost posted on his official government Facebook page. “Due to this relationship, the Attorney General’s Office could not credibly conduct the investigation and informed the Sheriff of that fact. It was suggested that another Sheriff’s Office be brought in to handle the case, with an offer to assist in identifying one willing to do so if necessary.”
The Keesees are the senior pastors of Faith Life Church, which has campuses in New Albany and Powell and more than 3,000 members. The defendant, who goes by Tom Keesee, is the church’s former chief media officer, from which he resigned last August, according to the Christian Post.
According to the Post, Keesee’s sister, Kirsten McKinney, alleged publicly in February that she was a victim of her brother’s sexual abuse, along with another woman, Olivia Wooten. Both said they were abused when they were still minors.
According to WSYX, court records filed with Keesee’s arrest say the victim, who was not named, who made the initial report said she was abused when she was 5 and 6 years old and that she was raped on more than 50 occasions.
Court documents say other victims came forward in the course of the investigation.
Through a lawyer, Faith Life Church said it was “aware of the serious allegations concerning past coneuct involving a member of our church leaders’ family” and said it was cooperating with authorities and seeking legal guidance.
