Newport News, Va. - A pastor has been arrested and charged with taking indecent liberties with a child in Newport News, police tell NewsChannel 3.
The victim is a 17-year-old Newport News girl.
On Friday, October 24, 2014, Newport News Police Department Special Victims detectives arrested 52-year-old Michael Lindell Harris, Sr., of the first block of East Southampton Avenue in Hampton for three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child while in a supervisory role.
Harris was arrested at his home at about 7:10 a.m. without incident and taken to Police Headquarters to be interviewed, police say.
These charges are the result of the investigation into reports that, on three separate occasions, Harris had inappropriately touched a young girl while acting in the capacity of a pastor.
The offenses are reported to have occurred at the St. James Fellowship Church of God in the 4300 block of Orcutt Avenue in September of 2010, June of 2011 and in a parking lot of the victim’s residence sometime between June and September of 2012, police say.
Court documents reveal that on the first occasion, Harris held the victim against the church door and sexually assaulted her.
On the second occasion, Harris was in his office with the victim watching a youth revival service. He called the victim to his chair to sit on his lap where he then began to sexually assault her.
On the third occasion, Harris went to the victim's house to get blank CDs. While in the parking lot, Harris asked the victim for a hug. When she hugged him, he began to sexually assault her again. The victim told Harris to stop and not to touch her like that again.
Harris remains in jail on no bond.
Stay with NewsChannel 3 for updates as they are available.
