Leon County brothers, clergy accused of sexual assault of multiple children
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LEON COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) -Two Leon County brothers with pastoral leadership positions at churches in Centerville and Buffalo were arrested following grand jury indictments Wednesday.
Clark A. Travis was arrested in Buffalo by Leon County Sheriff’s deputies without incident Tuesday night.
Matthew T. Travis Jr. surrendered himself to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office jail late Wednesday night.
The duo is accused of sexually assaulting at least five children, according to authorities.
After a nearly year-long investigation into the allegations, investigators say they found enough probable cause to indict the brothers.
Clark was booked and charged with five counts of Sexual Assault of a Child, and one count of Sexual Abuse of a Child-Continuous: Victim under 14. He is currently being held in the Leon County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
Matthew was booked and charged with three counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and is also being held in the Leon County Jail on a $600,000 bond.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately disclose arrest affidavits so details of the alleged assaults are limited, but sources close to the investigation tell KBTX that Matthew and Clark serve as spiritual leaders at Apostolic Life United Pentecostal Church in Buffalo and Centerville Apostolic Church in Centerville. Their exact roles in the church could not be confirmed by authorities.
Content retrieved from: https://www.kbtx.com/2023/02/24/leon-county-brothers-clergy-accused-sexual-assault-multiple-children/.
The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a breakaway branch of Pentecostalism that focuses on “holiness.” But the UPCI response to the sexual abuse of women and children has at times been anything but holy.