Two PCA Pastors Charged with Crimes in Last Month
One is charged with statutory rape and another with vehicular homicide.
This story was updated on 3/26/2025 to reflect the actions of Grace Presbytery regarding Christopher Willett. An additional update was added on 4/3/2025 to reflect a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Betancourt.
Two pastors in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), one from Mississippi and one from Florida, are facing serious criminal charges for statutory rape and vehicular homicide respectively.
Left, Christopher Willett / Right, Nicholas Betancourt
On March 11, Christopher Willett, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, was charged with statutory rape, sexual battery, unnatural intercourse, computer luring of a person, and child pornography, according to reporting by ByFaith, the PCA Magazine.
A 19-year-old woman came to the Crystal Springs Police Department on Friday, March 7, to report that she had been molested by Willett beginning when she was 15 years old.
The police began the investigation the next morning and executed search warrants on laptops, cell phones, automobiles, and Willett’s home.
Willett was arrested under the pretense of asking him to come to city hall to discuss other matters, Police Chief Robert Thomas told the Clarion Ledger, a technique used for safety because of Willett’s known possession of firearms in his home.
According to Thomas, Willett did not put up a struggle during the arrest, but refused to talk once he was in the interrogation room.
Thomas said that after a lengthy interview with the victim on Monday, March 10, he feels the evidence the police have against Willett is “pretty substantial,” but emphasized that Willett has not been found guilty.
Willett is currently being held in the Copiah County jail without bond, according to the Ledger.
Willett was ordained in 2016 and has served at First Presbyterian Church in Crystal Springs since 2020. The church still had him listed as its pastor on its website at the time of publication. The elders of the church told ByFaith they are praying for everyone who has been impacted by this situation.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here.
Grace Presbytery, the regional group of churches to which First Presbyterian Church belongs, plans to address Willett’s arrest and charges at its meeting on March 25.
Nicholas Betancourt in Tampa, Florida, is facing 11 charges related to a fatal car crash on February 28, killing Dana Rivera and seriously injuring her three children, ages 4, 6, and 15. According to police, Betancourt was under the influence while he was driving on a suspended license.
Betancourt had been arrested on February 27 for driving under the influence and was released on the morning of the 28th. After he was involved in the car crash on the 28th, a urine sample from the hospital where Betancourt received treatment showed the presence of cocaine, amphetamines, oxycodone and benzodiazepines in his system.
Charges against Betancourt include vehicular homicide and 10 other offenses related to driving under the influence and possession of controlled substances.
Until his resignation on January 24, Betancourt was an assistant pastor at Christ Central Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida. His official pastoral relationship was dissolved by the presbytery on February 8.
In a statement to ByFaith, the church said it was devastated to hear about Betancourt’s arrest, the death of Rivera, and the injuries to her children. “While we no longer have any official relationship with Nick, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this car accident and all the families involved. In times like this, sacred scripture directs our thoughts to our merciful God.”
Update: On March 28, Albert Arsenault, who is the father of Rivera’s children and represents her estate, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Betancourt and his wife, Catalina, alleging negligence and seeks unspecified damages, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Why does MinistryWatch report on sex crimes? These stories are tough to read and sometimes even tougher to report, but we think they are vital to our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and credibility to the evangelical church. To read more about why and how we report these stories, read “Why MinistryWatch Reports On Sex Crimes.” You can find that story here.
TO OUR READERS: Do you have a story idea, or do you want to give us feedback about this or any other story? Please email us: [email protected]
