(COGIC, but no logic: Pastor Billy Eckstine McCurdy)
Can someone please tell these homophobic pastors that what doesn't come out in the wash will definitely come out in the rinse?
Pastor Billy Eckstine McCurdy, minister of the Revival Temple Church of God in Christ (and owner of one of the worst conks in history), was charged with 11 counts of sexual abuse against two teenage boys. Similar charges were filed against the pastor by another teen five years ago, but were dropped due to lack of evidence.
This time, Eckstine was arrested following an eight-month investigation by North Las Vegas detectives into allegations that he molested the two in his home.
From the Las Vegas Review Journal:
The new charges involve two teen boys who said McCurdy forced them into sexual relationships with him. They told police he used his position in the church and Bible scriptures to force them into sex acts, authorities said.
Both boys testified at a grand jury, which indicted McCurdy Thursday on six counts of sexual assault and five counts of open or gross lewdness. He was being held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
Detectives said they believe other victims have not come forward.
McCurdy spent a lot of time with young people, including youth trips to Arizona and California, police said. He also held events with young men at his home on 700 block of Heritage Cliff Ave., near Alexander Road and Revere Street in North Las Vegas, including sleepovers.
And he often allowed teens to live with him for long periods, which was the situation with the two victims in the latest case, police said.
In the 2005 case, North Las Vegas police arrested McCurdy after a boy told investigators the pastor tried to fondle him while they slept in the same bed.
The teen told police he and other high schoolers were at McCurdy's house for a swim and slumber party. After swimming the children split up and went to bed.
The teen was planning to sleep on the floor in McCurdy's bedroom, but the pastor invited him into his bed. The boy woke up a couple of hours later when he felt McCurdy put the boy's hand on McCurdy's genitals, according to police.
McCurdy then moved his hand toward the boy's pants, but the boy left and walked to a relative's house.
Many of McCurdy's flock publicly stood behind him, though he was suspended by the church after the arrest.
The district attorney's office later declined to prosecute McCurdy, citing questions about evidence in the case.
"We didn't feel we could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt," District Attorney David Roger said at the time. "There was conflicting evidence concerning the accuser."
Detectives asked anyone with information to call North Las Vegas police at 633-1773 or leave anonymous tips with Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or www.crimestoppersnv.com. Tips directly leading to an arrest or an indictment processed through Crime Stoppers may result in a cash reward.
If this all sounds dreadfully familiar, it should. Pastor McCurdy and the infamous Bishop Eddie Long should get together to talk coercive sexual predatory tactics in the name of Jesus Christ.
And like the allegations against Long, McCurdy allegedly used biblical scripture to justify his sexual actions.
When will parishioners get hip to the scheme? Unless, of course, the whole point of religion is to keep you in the dark. In any event, for those who can't seem to figure out the pattern: If he's a raging homophobe in public, he's a raging, self-hating homosexual in private.
You can bet your tithe on it.