BERTIE COUNTY, N.C. — A former Bertie County pastor has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse of children.
The Bertie County Sheriff’s Office received the initial report in June 2025 accusing 77-year-old James Clifton Watford of taking indecent liberties with a minor in a case dating back to 1995.
Watford was pastor of New Roundtree Temple Church of God in Christ. Deputies said he has since resigned from that role.
Watford was arrested and is currently at the Bertie/Martin Regional Jail without bond.
According to authorities, he faces the following charges: two counts of felony statutory sex offense of a 13- to 15-year-old, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, and four counts of indecent liberties with a child.
