Posted on 03/13/2002 5:43:18 AM PST by areafiftyone
An Allapattah Baptist minister who once led an anti-crime march was arrested Monday night after police found him inside a parked van, naked, having sex with a 17-year-old boy.
Misael Castillo, 41, was charged with having unlawful sexual acts with a minor. The longtime pastor of Jerusalem Baptist Church, Castillo -- married with two children -- was released on $15,000 bond Tuesday morning.
''He was leading a double life,'' said Miami police Lt. William Schwartz. ``Family and church on one side, secret sexual liaisons on the other.''
The sex was consensual, police said. Castillo met the youth in an Internet chat room.
Castillo did not return calls to his church and home. He has no statewide criminal record.
It was the second time in a week that a South Florida clergyman has been accused of having sexual contact with an underage boy. Last week, the Catholic bishop of the Palm Beach diocese admitted he fondled a teenage seminarian 25 years ago.
No charges have been filed in that case.
Castillo's arrest came after residents noticed a white van parked at about 10 p.m. at the side of Southwest 24th Avenue, just west of South Dixie Highway. The van was sitting under the Metrorail tracks.
''It was there for about an hour,'' said Jorge Ponce, 16, who lives in a nearby apartment. ``It was all dark in there.''
''It looked really suspicious,'' added another resident who would not give her name. ``I got kind of scared.''
Eventually someone called police. Officers pulled up and found Castillo and the teenager -- both naked -- inside the van.
''There were about three police cars and an old guy and a young guy,'' said Adriana Rodriguez, 45, who lives in the neighborhood. ``The young guy had his hands [behind his back]; the old guy had them raised up in the air.''
Police took Castillo back to headquarters. He confessed he had sex with the youth Monday night and on a previous occasion, police said.
The revelation shocked those who know Castillo.
''He's been a faithful pastor and his service has been noteworthy,'' said Rev. David Cleeland, executive director of the Miami Baptist Association, a 280-church organization to which Castillo's church belonged.
At Jerusalem Baptist Church -- a flat, lemon-colored building in the 2400 block of Northwest 23rd Street -- members appeared grim. Those who stopped by on Tuesday hurried inside without answering a reporter's questions.
One person who did speak was 10-year-old George Fletes. His mother works at the flower shop across the street from the church.
Fletes said the pastor invited him to a Friday night service two weeks ago.
''He was nice,'' George said. ``It was during that time when it was really cold. I went in there. Everything was normal.''
Not any longer.
According to Florida State Statute 794.05, anyone who is 24 or older and has sex with someone 16 or 17 -- even consensually -- has committed a second-degree felony. It is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The youth Castillo was found with is two months shy of his 18th birthday.
Castillo lives at 1858 NW 26th St., in a neighborhood of modest one-story homes. Neighbors there praised the man who organized Allapattah's first walk against crime five years ago.
''I feel like it's [happening] to my father,'' said Sonia Rivera. ``He's so nice. He always invited me and my family to go to church.''
''He's peaceful -- you wouldn't expect something like that,'' added Jesse Gutierrez, 18. ``When our house got broken into, he called the cops and helped us out.
``He was like the neighborhood watch.''
- Catholics are steadfast in thier refusal to do what you outline though, and I fear it will not purge these particular problems until it happens. With prayers they'll weather the interim
I want to thank you for the recent pings too- though I do not reply to them - each thread is read and appreciated.
With all the Catholic bashing I've seen around here ..
I'd say yep
Did you read the article at all? Apparently not or you would have known it said it was "cosensual" (my pun) sex. This indiscrete pastor is charged with second-degree felony because his lover was 2 months shy of 18 yrs old and he was about 51 cards short of a full deck for fiddling around in a parked vehicle.
Also, his "pick-up" was on the Net and not out of his "flock" - I dont condone this and no apologist for homosexuality but the lack of another "Godly" quality called MERCY is appalling here. All of you are quick to judge the man for his weakness, I surely hope his congregation will stand by him as the jackals with fangs bared are all too willing to consume his livelihood, and see him thrown out in the street. Sad.
AB
And you seemed to miss the point of my post..Sin is sin..it is found everywhere...but the reason that the RC church is drowning under a wave of Child abuse charges is because they get more than an occassional abuser..the system is set up to attract them
Really?
If they were lusting after the younger female of the species, I would agree - Its obvious to all though that these priests are desirous of young boys...hmmmmm?
Sin is rampant in the Church because of the lack of sound teaching, you know this must be true if even the TEACHERS are off chasing the things of the flesh, rather than exhorting their flocks to just works of faith. Still, I do not judge this pastor, this circumstance exposing him may just be the salvation of his soul if he now repents and goes on for God.
More power to the parents to monitor what their kids are doing on the internet. How sad.
You're right, for the wrong reason. It's not the celibacy that's a problem; it's the feminazis, queers, and modernists in some of the diocesan vocations offices. I've read credible reports of them actively weeding out the 'good guys', in favour of incipient perverts. The Wanderer, an orthodox Catholic newspaper, has frequently reported on this topic. I've also seen credible reports referenced on FR that the pervert problem is as bad in Protestant circles as in Catholic. We're a much bigger target, however. Finally, you fail defend the notion that a married ordained ministry would necessarily be relatively pervert-free, nor do you address the fact that this incident suggests the opposite.
Is married priesthood one of the issues that prompted you to leave the Church?
AB
I cant imagine why when the Media's agenda is to defame Christianity as a farce and lead young people and lost souls in general away from the Truth by portraing believers in Jesus as hypocritical.
What is it with clergy and sex with underage boys?
The question is why is this type of thing more publicized than say, teenagers having sex with other teenagers? See above.
That being said, if you want to ask me if I think there can be forgiveness for him, my answer is yes, of course. If he truly repents and humbly seeks forgiveness from God, he will be granted it from our merciful Father. That is between him and God (since God alone is able to truly judge his heart).
I will probably also part ways with you when I say that even if he does reconcile himself with God, he needs to step down from ministry. Even forgiven sin has consequences (regardless of what the "anything-goes-in-the-name-of-love crowd" would have us believe).
Again, you fail to address that married protestant ministers also engage in buggery, and you fail to address that in some areas faithful, orthodox young men who have no use for buggery, abortion, or militant feminism are actively weeded out of the seminaries. Cleaning the queers, feminazis, and new-agers out of the diocesan vocations offices will do far more good than caving in to them on the issue of priestly celibacy.
Was the priestly celibacy issue one of the reasons you abandoned the Faith?
AB
are you trying to pick a fight ? I was sharing an opinion with RN - am I entitled to that - show me where I denied Protestants have the same problem ? - It is MY OPINION (operative word) that celibacy in the priesthood will be the demise of the Catholic faith - If you recall between frothing heavy breaths I said:this is not just a Catholic problem
Was the priestly celibacy issue one of the reasons you abandoned the Faith?
actually my denomination abandoned me..... tolerance of openly schismatic parishes by a left leaning bishop pushed me away - I live in this diocese
I've often wondered how many people have been driven from the Church by that sort of people... I was almost one of them. Oddly, it's just that sort of people who want married priests. It's also that sort of people who are, in some areas, letting queers into the seminary and "weeding out" the good guys. In spite of them and their malfeasance, nothing will be the demise of the Catholic Church.
You're welcome to your opinion; it's a free country. This is a public forum, however.
AB
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