BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS: A former Bentonville youth pastor has reportedly been sentenced to 60 years in prison after being charged with a couple of sex-related crimes involving greater than 30 sufferers. Keenan Hord, 33, who served as youth pastor (*60*) First Baptist Church of Bentonville, from 2018 to 2022, pleaded guilty to 13 in Benton County circuit court on February 24.
Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren dominated Hord to and to avoid touch with any of the sufferers or any kids, according to the Democrat-Gazette. The former pastor is facing 60 years in prison and is eligible for parole in 15 years. Hord was first arrested in August 2022 when he was charged with and possessing subject depicting sexually explicit behavior involving a kid. However, prosecutors later introduced further charges against him, together with more than one first- and second-degree sexual attack offenses, according to .
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What are the allegations against Keenan Hord?
During the bond listening to, county prosecutors stated that there are potentially more than thirty sufferers, consistent with . Court paperwork famous that Hord, who also worked (*60*) Bellevue Baptist Church, engaged in “sexual sex or deviate sexual activity” with a couple of minors in 2020 and 2021 when was once hired “in a place of trust or authority over the victims.” As consistent with , Bentonville Police seized more than one digital units from Hord’s place of dwelling right through their investigation.
Bentonville Police Sgt Josh Woodham published that investigators tested a cell phone belonging to one of the sufferers that revealed a romantic and sexual dating between Hord and the boy. He added that the boy exchanged greater than 5000 texts with the suspect. The former pastor was arrested in 2022, only some days after First Baptist Bentonville made a report to the Arkansas State Police kid abuse hotline.
'We were devastated'
“We had been devastated to learn that a former worker of our church has been credibly accused of abusing children right through his tenure (*60*) our church.,” First Baptist Bentonville said in a remark to (*60*) the time. “While these accusations didn't come to light till after his employment ended, when we discovered of them we in an instant contacted our local authorities, made a report back to the Arkansas Child Abuse Hotline, and continue to totally fortify the ongoing regulation enforcement investigation."
Following Hord’s sentencing, the church released another observation, “We are so proud of the brave survivors and their households for coming forward and we're thankful to law enforcement for thoroughly investigating those crimes. We know that our Lord is the God of all comfort and we all know that He is with reference to the broken-hearted. We were honored to minister to and fortify these households as they heal. God isn't impartial at the abuse of the innocent and we leisure in His justice.”
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