Chennai, Sept 16 (BPNS)

A Chennai-based pastor who was running an orphanage home was arrested by the police on charges of impregnating a teenage girl. The Pastor, Charles (58) had raped the minor girl who was admitted to his orphanage.

The minor girl delivered a baby in 2021 and Charles kept her in the care of a woman at Rajamangalam and told the girl that he would be back soon and take her to the orphanage back. The girl waited for the pastor for a year and then filed a police complaint.

The Greater Chennai Police were on the search for the pastor for over a year and he was arrested on Thursday night when he reached the city.

He was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act and also cheating.

The pastor was produced before the judicial magistrate court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody.

A senior officer with the Greater Chennai Police told BPNS that the police are investigating whether the pastor had sexually exploited other girls in the orphanage.  Police are also probing the bank account details of the pastor and the orphanage to find out whether he was receiving funds illegally and whether the funds are being used for purposes other than running the orphanage. Sources told BPNS that there are 16 minor girls in the orphanage.

Tamil Nadu Social justice department has also ordered a probe into the functioning of the orphanage and whether funds are being misused.