Former Megachurch Pastor Caught in Florida After Child Sex Abuse Indictment in Massachusetts
Share this @internewscast.com

A former pastor of a Baltimore megachurch indicted earlier this year on child sex abuse charges was captured this week in Florida.

Eric Anderson, 80, is currently being detained without the possibility of bail in Manatee County. He is contesting his extradition to Massachusetts, where the Greater Grace World Outreach church, the site of the alleged abuse, was located at the time. This information was reported by the Baltimore Banner.

Anderson had been residing in Virginia with his son, Jesse Anderson, prior to his arrest in Florida. Jesse was previously found guilty of abusing a boy at the same church but did not serve a prison sentence. Massachusetts State Police detectives were able to locate Eric Anderson using license plate reader technology, the Banner reported.

He faces two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

An indictment was issued four months ago following a Banner investigation that uncovered many years of sexual abuse and concealment at the church, formerly called The Bible Speaks. The article featured accounts from accuser Erika Slater, who alleged multiple abuse incidents by Anderson in the spring of 1980, when she was a first grader and he was the school principal.

After the Banner’s investigative series was released, Slater traveled to Massachusetts to lodge a police report last summer. She expressed her relief to the Banner that Anderson is being held without the option of bail.

While the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office has not verified that the charges against Anderson directly stem from Slater’s report, they did confirm that the alleged incidents occurred in 1980, as reported by WJZ.

Anderson did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, but his wife had previously said he called the allegations “total garbage.”

After the Banner’s series was published, the church initiated an “independent investigation” into the allegations. They issued a statement urging anyone with relevant information regarding Anderson to contact the church or the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, according to their update.

According to MinistryWatch, the church previously revoked the credentials of two of its pastors in April as a result of the investigations.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Conviction Secured: Boyfriend Found Guilty in Amtrak Murder Case of Children’s Mother, a Decade Later

After a decade-long pursuit of justice, a man has been convicted of…

From Scrubbing Rugs to Scamming Millions: The Rise and Fall of a Teen’s Billion-Dollar Carpet Cleaning Fraud

A 22-year-old entrepreneur has admitted guilt in a sweeping investment scam that…

Gainesville Woman Faces Multiple Charges: DUI, Trespassing, and Vandalism in Storm Door and Window Incident

By Staff Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have arrested 22-year-old Natasia Necole…

Hunter Biden Files New Defamation Claim Against Patrick Byrne

Inset top: President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch with African leaders…

Man Tragically Stabs Mother 26 Times, Confesses to Brother

Inset: Abel Quinones-Herstad (Kane County State”s Attorney’s Office). Background: A section of…

81-Year-Old Arrested for Shooting Subway Owner Amid Property Dispute: Police Report

Inset: William Piar (Lake City Police Department). Background: The Subway restaurant on…

Shocking Incident: Missing Patty at McDonald’s Leads to Deadly Altercation

Inset top: Jeffrey Limmer (Obituary). Inset bottom: Anthony Landry (Houston Police Department).…

Texas Teen Charged with Capital Murder: Triple Homicide of Ex-Girlfriend’s Family Shocks Community

A 15-year-old is now in custody, facing charges of capital murder following…

Man Sentenced for Fatal Incident Following Deceptive Meeting Arrangement

Inset top to bottom: Michael Montgomery Jr. and Jessica Long (Marion County…

Elderly Man with Dementia Reportedly Assaulted in Shocking Road Rage Incident

Inset: D’Angelo Groce (Cook County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The intersection where a…