GEORGIA – A pastor affiliated with the House of Prayer Christian Church of America (HOPCC) has been charged by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia with several offenses related to sexual misconduct involving a minor.
The U.S. Department of Justice Southern District of Georgia’s office reports that Bernadel Semexant, 35, from Hinesville and Savannah, Georgia, faces charges of Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography.
The five-count indictment was unsealed by the federal court on September 10th.
Officials believe Semexant may have been employed at several HOPCC locations across the United States. The church has branches in Hephzibah, Georgia; Hinesville, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Tacoma, Washington; Waco, Texas; and Clarksville, Tennessee, among other places.
The indictment follows a federal operation on September 10th at a home in the West Lake subdivision. Rony Denis, the founder of HOPCC, was arrested during the raid and is currently held in the Jefferson County Jail.
