LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A North Las Vegas pastor is accused of sexually assaulting multiple victims over 10 years ago after one recently reported it to police.
Bobby Cornealius Smith, a pastor at New Beginnings Ministries Church, was arrested earlier this month on charges of child abuse and sexual assault.
One of the victims told police Smith had sexually assaulted her “over 30 times” from August 2012 to March 2013, his arrest report said.
The victim told police Smith would usually come to her room at night when everyone else was asleep and use a sex toy on her, telling her that God would ruin her life if she didn’t participate and that he wanted to “help her teenage urges,” the report said.
According to the report, Smith would tell the victim to meet him in a hotel room several times. When police asked about this after his arrest, he told them he stayed in hotels often “to study the Bible.”
Two other victims also came forward to police about the alleged sexual assault. One told police that Smith explained to her he “had to save her from sexual intercourse,” the report said.
According to the report, one of the victims was one of several of Smith’s “God daughters,” described by someone as a “very exclusive group.”
Smith later told police in an interview that he gave one of the victims a sex toy “to keep her from having sex with boys.” He denied all accusations of sexual assault.
According to the report, the alleged sexual abuse was discussed at the time at a church “town meeting,” in which church leaders advised Smith would step down as pastor.
Smith is still listed as pastor on the New Beginnings website. The church could not be reached for comment, but an automated voicemail message said “We are under the leadership of Pastor Bobby Smith.”
He was booked into the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center on Aug. 12 for two counts of child abuse and one count of sexual assault. He was being held on $75,000 bond, which was posted.
His preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673. Nevada’s Signs of HOPE Rape Crisis Hotline can be reached at 702-366-1640.
