Pastor out on bond in molestation case w/ copy of State of Missouri v. Roy Curtis Huling and the statement of probable cause
By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
Promising “I won’t tell if you don’t,” a church pastor, the Rev. Roy Curtis Huling, allegedly molested a young girl periodically for more than two years.
The girl, now 13, reported the alleged acts earlier this month.
Huling, 58, pastor at First United Pentecostal Church, 1426 Crow St. in Webb City, is charged with a felony count of first-degree child molestation. He has been released from custody at the Jasper County Jail after posting $10,000 bail.
In a probable-cause affidavit on file with Jasper County Circuit Court, authorities allege that Huling first had contact with the girl sometime in August 2003. The acts are alleged to have taken place at the pastor’s home, 3715 E. 16th St. in Duquesne, periodically until February 2006.
The document says the girl alleged that Huling “put his hands in my pants,” and “picked me up and moved me up and down” while holding her against his body.
A woman who identified herself as a church spokeswoman answered the phone at Huling’s house and declined to comment, referring all questions to Ross Rhoades, a Neosho attorney. A message left at Rhoades’ office Thursday was not returned.
Huling has been the pastor of the church since 1987, according to the church’s Web site. For a short time, church services were held in the Hulings’ mobile home before the location on Crow Street was obtained. The Web site states that Huling has been married for 29 years.
Duquesne police Chief Tommy Kitch and Jason Wininger of the state Children’s Division interviewed Huling earlier this week at the Webb City police station.
The probable-cause statement says that during the interview, Huling confessed to “cupping” the girl’s breast and rubbing her vaginal area “skin to skin” when she was 10 or 11 years old for “emotional and sexual gratification.”
At that point, Huling reportedly agreed to write a letter to the girl and her mother, in which he noted his apology for the incidents and agreed that the girl’s statements were accurate.
Kitch said it is not unusual for an incident of molestation to go unreported for a year or more because victims often are embarrassed or feel responsible.
“The victim’s age played right into that,” he said. “Kids don’t want to tell you when something bad has happened.”
The case remains under investigation by the Duquesne Police Department.
More charges possible
Although the probable-cause affidavit alleges that a young girl might have been molested at least three times, Jasper County Prosecutor Dean Dankelson said Thursday that the Rev. Roy Curtis Huling has been charged with only one count so far.
“We’ve only filed one charge at this time,” Dankelson said. “When the investigation file is complete and submitted to us, we’ll evaluate the possibility of adding more charges.”
Linear Mode
