If I still believed in a loving God I'd ask him: "Why do you allow predators into your "family" to perpetrate the most heinous of crimes among your most innocent children?"
From the OCR:
A former San Clemente pastor pleaded not guilty Friday to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl more than a decade ago.
Joe David Nelms, 47, was extradited from Texas to face eight felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, charges that he denied at his Friday arraignment, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
Joe Nelms.
COURTESY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Prosecutors allege Nelms met the girl in 1993 while working as a youth pastor at Pacific Coast Church in San Clemente. He is accused of sexually assaulting her over a three-year period.
Nelms left Orange County in 2000, becoming a bible study teacher and a counselor for high school students in Texas.
The girl reported the alleged sexual assault earlier this year after a friend she confided in urged her to go to authorities. Nelms was arrested at his Texas home March 18 and extradited to Orange County on Wednesday.
Nelms remains in custody at Orange County Jail in lieu of a $200,000 bail, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department records. He is scheduled to return to court May 2 for a pretrial hearing and a bail review.
Authorities say they know of at least one other person who they suspect was sexually assaulted by Nelms but have been unable to identify her. They are asking other potential victims to come forward, noting that the statute of limitations has not expired.
