BLANCHESTER, Ohio —

A former pastor in Blanchester, Ohio, has been indicted, with police alleging that he began abusing a then-teenage girl six years ago.

Silas Shelton, 48, was arrested earlier this month and taken to the Clinton County Adult Detention Center on felony charges, including rape. Advertisement

Shelton served as the pastor of Blanchester Community Church before he was arrested. Wilmington police reported that in the fall of 2019, Shelton allegedly began inappropriate sexual contact with a girl who was 14 or 15 at the time. A detective involved in the case stated that the alleged victim and her family were members of Shelton's congregation.

Investigators said that the alleged abuse occurred at Shelton's home in Morrow, Warren County, at Cowan Lake in Clinton County, and

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