A Pennsylvania pastor facing charges that he sexually abused three people was denied bail last week after prosecutors convinced the judge he was a danger to the community, according to a criminal complaint.
The Rev. Mark Hatcher, 59, of Blue Bell, the founder and pastor of Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center in North Philadelphia, is charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, and corruption of a minor, among other offenses, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
An affidavit of probable cause filed in his arrest said two of Hatcher’s relatives and a former parishioner said the pastor had assaulted them when they were minors. One victim said she was 15 years old at the time, another 6 years old, and the third 13 years old.
The third victim reported the rape to Philadelphia police in 2008, but no charges were filed at the time, per the Inquirer. Jane Roh, spokesperson for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, said although records show the police believed the victim’s story, prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to prove the case in court.
Hatcher’s attorney, R. Emmett Madden, called the current charges “unsubstantiated allegations from 15 years ago with no corroborating evidence of any kind.”
He said Hatcher maintains his innocence and looks forward to defending himself in court, and that he has the support of his family and community.
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