2 men charged with sex crimes inside Jacksonville church

[rockin'robin]

A whistle-blower’s tip led to two men being charged with sexually assaulting teenagers in the Greater Refuge Temple, a Jacksonville church off Lem Turner road.


Paul Keith Groover, 56, and Darrell Vincent Moore, 45, pleaded not guilty to the charges this week. Their lawyer, Jason Porter, declined to comment Tuesday.


Each case can be traced back nearly a decade.

Groover is the son of the church's leader.


Assistant State Attorney Jessica Villella said she is not sure what prompted the whistle-blower to act, but the allegations checked when authorities contacted the victims. Each story was heartbreaking, she said.


Arrest warrants say Moore molested several young girls, including one raped at knife-point in the church’s video room. When it was over, police say he threatened to kill the girl if she ever told anyone.

Groover is accused of molesting a teenage boy for several years while working as a janitor for the church, according to his arrest warrant. Police say he exchanged naked picture phone messages with the boy and would text him locations in the church to meet for sex.


To strengthen the case, the authorities monitored a phone call between Groover and the victim, who is now 21, last October. According to the arrest warrant, Groover criticized the victim during the call and told him that he didn’t need therapy, just prayer and time to forget.


Moore is charged with four counts of sexual battery and three counts of lewd or lascivious conduct. Groover is charged with three counts of sexual battery.


A background check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday showed no criminal history for either of the men.


Groover is in jail on $6 million bail — $2 million for each of the three counts he is facing. Moore is in jail with no bail set.


Groover and Moore are seeking more affordable bail, Villella said, but she plans to fight that request during an upcoming hearing on the matter. She said the judge should do everything to keep both men in jail for the safety of the victims who’d remained silent for so many years.


The Times-Union does not name victims of sex crimes.


Groover is the son of Greater Refuge Temple Bishop Gentle Groover Sr., who did not return several phone calls.

At the church Tuesday evening, a man walking in said that Gentle Groover was not around and that any questions about the arrests would have to be handled by the church’s attorney. However, he would not name the attorney.


According to the church’s website, Greater Refuge Temple serves the Apostolic faith. The elder Groover has served as pastor since the church’s inception in the 1960s. He also works with churches in eight other dioceses as far away as Ghana and England.

2 men charged with sex crimes inside Jacksonville church | jacksonville.com

 

[Dixie]

Sad, but this is something that is often under reported. I know this because I went through this.

I'm glad someone finally came forward with the information and that the two pedos were caught.

Church abuse is still rampant and many churches never report such abuse but rather choose to deal with the matter on their own by having the victim and perv go through counseling of some sort within the church. (usually with a minister).

I know often the churches claim that they are cracking down on such things by implementing new policies such as not allowing male ministers to be alone with a minor and encouraging victims to come forward to church staff.

These things are meant well with good intentions but the pervs only get craftier at cornering their victim into a corner and later chastising them for have started it with a come on. This is the way I was made to feel when I was abused by clergy. I won't name names and I won't go into details. Too gruesome.