72-year-old pastor given $20K bond on rape charges
A pastor arrested and charged with sexual crimes appeared in court on Tuesday.
George Bell, 72, was arraigned in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition. He pleaded not guilty.
ABC 6 News has confirmed that Bell was a pastor at Anchor Baptist Church.
The court set a $20,000 recognizance bond for Bell with strict conditions.
He is prohibited from accessing the internet and using electronic devices, except for a phone that he can only use to make calls.
Additionally, Bell is barred from contacting the victims or visiting any addresses listed in the indictment. Bell was indicted on the charges on Oct. 29.
We spoke with a former member of the church.
"It feels like a betrayal; I know that I was misled for a long time, and my eyes are opened up to that now, and I feel guilty being part of that environment, culture," Adam Freed, who was a member at the church for 27 years, said.
Anchor Baptist Church has released the following statement to ABC 6 on Tuesday:
As a church, we are committed to full transparency and to the truth throughout this process. We have been and continue to fully cooperate with any law enforcement and the justice system. We invite you to join us in prayer for and support of victims, their families, and individuals involved. We continue to remain loyal to God's Word and the principles established in Scripture. We sincerely desire your prayers for us to have Godly wisdom and clear direction as we move forward. Colossians 1:18 ' that in all things he might have the preeminence'.
