Another fringe-church, sex-abuse case surfaces w/ Randall Danny Russell probable cause affidavit

By Jeff Lehr

jlehr@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — A man identified as a self-proclaimed pastor in Newton County has been charged with sexually molesting a member of his church when she was a minor four to five years ago.

Newton County sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant Tuesday afternoon on a property west of Neosho at 11285 Mulberry Road. The warrant was based on information obtained from a young woman who came forward to allege that the pastor, who lives and operates a church and business there, sexually abused her when she was 16.

Randall Danny Russell, 49, pastor of the Acts II Church, was arrested Tuesday. He was charged Wednesday with second-degree statutory rape, second-degree statutory sodomy and child abuse.

Russell’s accuser says he had her disrobe in front of him in a church office after services on a Sunday under the pretense that it would help her get “closer to God,” according to authorities. He then allegedly photographed her while she was naked.

The alleged victim says Russell later began forcing oral sex and sexual intercourse on her, usually on Sunday afternoons after services, according to authorities.

“He’s a self-proclaimed pastor,” Sheriff Ken Copeland told the Globe. “He’s not affiliated with any denomination as far as we can tell. But they all call him pastor, and he claims to be a pastor.”

The sheriff said deputies confiscated a computer from the office of Garages and More, a business Russell operates on the property that specializes in construction of metal buildings. The business and the Acts II Church are housed in separate metal buildings behind Russell’s home and four-car garage.

Deputies also seized nude photographs of the woman, allegedly taken when she was a minor. The photographs were found in an office of the church, Copeland said.

The sheriff said the Acts II Church apparently has been active for about five to six years, although investigators are still trying to piece together its history. He said many members of the congregation appear to have been children.

“We have reason to believe there could possibly be other victims,” Copeland said.

He said members of the church were being interviewed in an effort to determine if there was any physical or sexual abuse of minors.

A probable-cause affidavit filed by sheriff’s Detective Mike Barnett states that the young woman who initiated the investigation said Russell first came on to her in a sexual manner in August 2003.

She was having problems in her personal life at the time, and he was acting as a “mentor” to her, the affidavit states. She was alone with him in his car in Morse Park in Neosho; they began kissing, and he put her hand on his crotch, the affidavit states.