When California pastor Matthias Anderson went to the home of a 14-year-old girl early Tuesday morning he didn’t get the reception he expected. Police were waiting at the house and promptly arrested the founder of New Wine Ministries on charges of allegedly having sex with the teen.
According to Fox5SanDiego.com, detectives say Anderson had a sexual relationship with the girl for two years after meeting her when she and her mother were staying at the church’s women’s shelter. The girl’s mother told police in October 2010 that she suspected Anderson and her daughter were having a sexual relationship, but the girl wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation at that time.
After Anderson told the mother she and her daughter had to leave his Oceanside congregation in April 2011, the family moved to Murrieta. Although Anderson didn’t give a reason as to why they had to leave, his wife told the mother it was because of something that happened between the woman’s daughter and her husband.
Even after leaving the congregation, the mother found email messages between Anderson and her daughter and several calls in the log on her daughter’s cell phone. The daughter finally admitted to having a sexual relationshipwith the minister—although reluctantly.
Anderson is now being held on $1 million bail.
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
