Pastor taught teen, family member to use sex toys to cope

A family member of a Las Vegas pastor who was indicted on multiple charges of sexual assault, child abuse and other crimes earlier this month, was among his victims and she alleges he taught her how to use sex toys after telling her they would stop her from giving in to her sexual urges while she was a high school student.

The pastor, Bobby Cornealius Smith, and his wife, Lashawn Nicole Smith, of New Beginnings Ministries Church of God in Christ, were both formally charged after one of their three alleged victims reported them to police in August 2022. Along with the family member, two women who the pastor called his “God daughters,” allege that their pastor and his wife took advantage of them when they were teenagers.

Transcripts from a grand jury report recently cited by CBS News affiliate KLAS detail how Pastor Smith pressured his family member, beginning at age 17, into using sex toys multiple times and urged her to meet with him at area hotels.

She said the pastor told her, “God is telling me that it is important for you to do this.”  He further insisted the sex toys would stop her from giving in to “urges” and ruining her life.

The family member, who is now an adult, said she eventually told LaShawn Smith what her husband had done but she never reported him to the police.

A second woman reported that while she was a member of his church, the pastor blocked a stairway, dropped his pants, and begged her for oral sex. The frightened woman alleges that she pushed him away.

Another woman said the pastor initiated contact with her when she was 17 as well. About a year after her family joined the church, he texted her a photo of a sex toy and then eventually convinced her to start using the device by stating that sex toys aren’t sinful.

She said he would use the sex toys on her at different places, including two Las Vegas hotels. The woman said she eventually told Smith’s wife what they were doing but he later responded to her in a text stating: “…you guys want to paint me to be like this monster or like I’m doing something wrong when I’m just trying to help you all.”

The pastor allegedly then requested a meeting with her but when she went to the location of the meeting, he was waiting there with his wife, and he told her to engage in sex acts with his wife.

Detective Ashley Bertschy said the North Las Vegas Police had begun investigating the pastor after the first victim had made a report about his alleged abuse. The third victim reported her abuse in 2014 and a rape kit was collected.

She said the case was closed by Las Vegas Metro Police, but she reopened it and police recovered more than 20 sex toys from the pastor’s home.

Pastor Smith, who has been charged with one felony count of attempted sexual assault, nine counts of sexual assault, and one count of child abuse, neglect or endangerment for the crimes committed some 10 years ago, currently remains locked up at the Clark County Detention Center after failing to pay a $225,000 bond for his release. He is set to go on trial on July 17.

His wife, who was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment, is not in custody and no trial date has yet been set for her.

Services and prayer meetings continue at New Beginnings Ministries Church of God in Christ but when The Christian Post reached out for comment on Thursday, no one responded to calls.

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