MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A 45-year old policeman also serving as a pastor was charged in the first degree with the sexual abuse of a 16-year old teenage parishioner in his church, the Washington DC police said in a press release.
Darrell Best, a US District of Columbia department police officer, was arrested 9 p.m. local time Monday (1:00 GMT, Tuesday) after the girl reported to police that Best has abused her three times since December 2014.
The Youth Investigations Division detectives are investigating, studying the possibility of related crimes committed by Best, according to police.
Best has been placed on leave after serving in the police for 25 years. He is a pastor at a non-denominational Christian church called "God-A Second Chance Ministry Church."
Earlier in March, a pastor from the US state of Pennsylvania was sentenced up to 48 months in prison for sexually abusing two minor boys between 2009 and 2011.
Some 5.9 percent of American active priests were reported as sexual offenders in 2013, according to bishop-accountability.org watchdog's data.
