A Georgia pastor who came under fire when he tweeted “homosexuals got what they deserved” after the deadly mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, has been arrested on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.
Ken Adkins, 56, of St. Simons Island, Georgia, turned himself into police at about 9 a.m., according to officials with Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to Jacksonville.com, the investigation focused on suspected molestation in several locations in the Brunswick area including at Adkins’ church, a vehicle and a victim’s home.
Says Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry of the ongoing investigation:
“I know nothing more about the allegations than what has been reported in the news, but it sickens me. If he is found to have done what he stands accused of, he deserves the fullest punishment the law allows,”
His wife, Charlotte “Stormy” Adkins, defended her husband in a statement Friday, callling the arrest
“A rush to judgment by law enforcement.” She added that the charges “Are false and that he will ultimately be cleared of any wrongdoing.”
From Jacksonvill.com:
After the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June, Adkins tweeted, “been through so much with these Jacksonville homosexuals that I don’t see none of them as victims. I see them as getting what they deserve.”
Adkins later said he wasn’t referring to the shooting victims, but instead his tweet was “strictly meant for the Jacksonville group that has made my life a living hell” since he served on the community discussion panel.
Besides his activism in the human rights ordinance debate, Adkins has been an advocate for helping ex-convicts rebuild their lives after their release from prison.
Adkins has said he benefitted from a second chance himself after he developed a serious cocaine addiction and eventually “hit rock bottom” when he spent 10 months in the Duval County jail in 1996-97 on drug-related crimes. Part of his church’s mission involved helping ex-offenders find work.
#ANjaxBREAKING: Controversial #Brunswick pastor Ken Adkins arrested for alleged child molestation, per #GBI. pic.twitter.com/BPzShmeZuU
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) August 26, 2016
#ANjaxBREAKING: Ken Adkins’ mug shot. 56 y/o turned himself in on charges for child molestation. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/ltggivKsA3
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) August 26, 2016
Some of Adkins’ recent tweets. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/y2WjzKRTa8
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) August 26, 2016
Kenneth Adkins is well-known for being very outspoken and he was arrested this morning. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/FiTwVXqDmF
— Kaitlyn Chana (@KaitlynANjax) August 26, 2016
See also: this.
