A federal judge this week convicted a church youth leader on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor after a female youth group member accused him of sexual assault on a youth trip to Atlanta. After she went public, other girls came forward.
Charles Willoughby III, 39, is accused of grooming minor teenage girls while he was a youth group leader at New Life Worship Center in Norfolk, Virginia.
Court records allege that from 2006-2012, Willoughby routinely groomed female minors who were part of the church’s youth program with the intent to abuse them sexually.
One of the survivors, named “Jane Doe” in the report, was 13 years old when her family began attending New Life. Willoughby was 27.
Willoughby developed a trusting relationship with Doe and had one-on-one conversations with her about boys. He was affectionate with her and would give her long hugs. In addition, Willoughby often took her out for ice cream and once treated her to a “practice date” to show her how a boy should date her in the future.
The charges say that in June 2012, the youth group took an overnight charter bus to the Youth Forward Conference in Atlanta. Willoughby, who sat at the back of the bus, texted the girl to come to the back “to talk.” Willoughby then inappropriately touched her and forced her to engage in a sex act.
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The following morning, Doe confronted Willoughby about the incident. The report says Willoughby told her she must have wanted to participate in the act since she didn’t move away.
Doe was 15 years of age.
She did not disclose the abuse until 2018 after a conversation with her mom about the “Me Too” movement. Doe told her parents, who confronted Willoughby in a phone call. The phone call was recorded, unbeknownst to Willoughby. During the call, he apologized.
Doe’s parents took the recording to Bishop Carl Vann Sr., the senior pastor of New Life. Vann invited the family to a meeting where he said he would reprimand and “restore” Willoughby. At the meeting, Willoughby confessed and apologized. Doe and her family stopped attending New Life and claimed they never received any update or check-in from Vann or the church.
Three other youth group members, all female minors, testified at the bench trial last week that Willoughby sexually assaulted them. Prosecutors said the multiple testimonies demonstrate Willoughby’s pattern and practice of sexual abuse of minors and his intent before, during, and after the Atlanta trip assault.
New Life claims to have reprimanded Willoughby after the Jane Doe incident. He is not listed or referenced on New Life’s website.