CONROE, Texas – A Montgomery County pastor accused of raping a teenage girl told her that God would kill her if she told anyone about the assault, according to an arrest warrant.
Ronald Mitchell, 57, pastor at The Body of Christ Ministry on Garwood Court in Magnolia, was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexual assault of a child.
“It's very disheartening when you see this in a religious institution or claim to be a religious institution and you have folks taking advantage of others,” said Montgomery County Chief Prosecutor Tyler Dunman.
According to Mitchell’s arrest warrant, the girl was placed in his care at the church, which was also Mitchell’s home, after Mitchell told her mother that the girl needed to be “watched” for 21 days. While there, Mitchell kissed, groped and raped the girl, according to the warrant.
The girl told investigators that Mitchell also took her to Las Vegas, San Antonio and Galveston, where he also had sex with her, according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, Mitchell’s wife took the victim to a clinic several times and pretended to be her mother. There the victim would receive birth control shots, according to the warrant.
Mitchell told the victim that if she told anyone she would drop dead because God would kill her, according to another person who lived in the home who detectives interviewed.
“There's been allegations that he was threatening to them about God would strike them down or they would go to hell if they cooperated or told others. Of course, for a child you can imagine how scary that might be,” said Dunman.
Eventually, the victim and others moved out of Mitchell’s home, according to the warrant. Mitchell contacted one of the people that moved out and told her that the girl needed to be returned to the church so she could be more closely monitored for the sake of her soul, and if she refused, she would be taking her soul, according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, others who lived in the home described instances of being hit because Mitchell claimed he saw spirits on them or that they were too close to their family, which was a sin. They also described surveillance cameras that were installed throughout the home.
Investigators said that they found a large cache of weapons and ammunition inside Mitchell’s home. People who lived in the home told investigators that Mitchell said he was arming for the “hard times” or the rapture.
Mitchell posted bond Wednesday, and a judge ordered him to surrender his passport and wear an ankle monitor.
“This was a righteous man, he did right by everyone. This man has done right by everyone and anybody can testify of that that really knows him,” said one church member.
Church members, who didn't give their names, defended their leader.
“He hasn't done anything wrong,” said one member. “They're just lying. Everything. And this is why we're not talking to anyone because they're all full of lies.”