His arrest is a long-delayed breakthrough in a 40-year effort by some of his alleged victims to seek justice. …. repeated failures by pastors, police and prosecutors to intervene = Co Conspirators
Posted on 12/19/2025 5:10:29 AM PST by Morgana
Joe Campbell, a Pentecostal preacher who for half a century ministered to thousands of children across four states, has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.
Campbell was charged with one count of first-degree rape and one count of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16, according to the charging document. U.S. marshals arrested him Wednesday morning at Camp Bell, his children's camp in Elkland, Missouri, and took him to the Greene County jail in Springfield, where he was awaiting transfer to Oklahoma. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
It wasn’t clear whether Campbell, 68, had an attorney. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. His arrest is a long-delayed breakthrough in a 40-year effort by some of his alleged victims to seek justice. Greene County Sheriff's Office; Joe Campbell booking mug Joe Campbell was arrested Wednesday.STIDZ Media for NBC News; Greene County Sheriff's Office
The charges come seven months after an NBC News investigation revealed a pattern of child sex abuse allegations against Campbell and repeated failures by pastors, police and prosecutors to intervene. Five women said he sexually abused them as children in the 1970s and ’80s when he was an Assemblies of God minister; nine others, including four men, said he showed them pornography, made lewd comments or touched them inappropriately during the same period.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
His arrest is a long-delayed breakthrough in a 40-year effort by some of his alleged victims to seek justice. …. repeated failures by pastors, police and prosecutors to intervene = Co Conspirators
I’ve been biting my tongue to withhold an unpopular opinion that other prominent figures in the news remind me of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye. That said, I actually went down the water slide at Heritage USA.
It’s still less of a risk of sexual abuse going to church than attending public school.
Reason # 5,000 I don’t go to a church. The Bible is all I need. I grew up in church, Christian schools. It is full of hypocrites, reprobates etc.
Agreed. Truancy laws force people to send their kids to grooming centers.
There you go... “organized religion”. They want your money, your time, and your CHILDREN!
All you need is the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit/Ghost, and your bible.
Wait, WHAT! He wasn’t Catholic? Must be a bunch of exploding heads here.
Yet another example of why anyone working with children must submit to rigorous background checks and training.
I’ve done both many times. The training teaches how to look for grooming characteristics and is very clear that you can’t tell a molester by looking in his eyes or something stupid like that.
I’m familiar with a case that while turned out to not be criminal, it was still reported and investigated, literally within five minutes of discovery. That’s how it’s done.
I know of another where a longtime church employee was accused. Within a few minutes the police were dispatched. Let the chips fall where they may. He’s in jail.
It’s not to be dealt with internally. It’s a criminal act and requires law enforcement now, not 40 years later.
If found guilty, I hope this guy rots.
Adding to previous: Churches and youth organizations that do not have background checks and training are failing in their mission and should be held culpable if there’s an incident.
The church is for sinners, to heal them. I would just ask that God send Godly people as leaders to help us. Not fools like this.
All are sinners and have fallen short.
Some religions justify it and hide it.
Put some money in the box and light a candle.
You are so right!
Let me help on that.
When I was baptist, a 1000 years ago during the reign of King Tutankhamun, We had Sunday schools with teachers, usually females who taught us about the Bible using a felt board with cut out shapes of Bible characters. I can remember one teacher talking about Joseph and his coat of many colors as she put his character on the felt board.
Do they not do things like that anymore? Is it all this mega church nonsense?
Well it was girls, not boys.
True.
Agreed.
There were some men who claimed to have been shown porn and having been touched inappropriately.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.