A Delray Beach religious leader was arrested Sunday after allegations surfaced that he had engaged in sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl, deputies said.
Kenneth Edwards Jr., 50, a minister at the Church of Living God, faces two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and one count of soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct in two separate cases filed in Palm Beach County court.
The investigation began on Thursday after the 15-year-old girl’s mother contacted Boynton Beach Police, a probable cause affidavit said. The girl’s mother found Instagram messages between her daughter and Edwards Jr., some including nude photos of the girl sent at his request and others that discussed previous meetings between the two where Edwards Jr. allegedly engaged in sexual acts with her, according to the affidavit.
The girl’s mother found through Edwards Jr.’s social media accounts that he appeared to be a married church minister, the affidavit said. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation on Friday.
Two PBSO detectives took a sworn statement from the girl, who said she met Edwards Jr. about a month ago while shopping at a discount store, the affidavit said. He asked for her phone number and “if they could be friends.” The two began communicating through Instagram messages.
On one occasion, the two met on a Friday morning in the parking lot of an address that is redacted in the affidavit. In his car, he gave her a vape pen she asked him to bring. Edwards Jr. then said “he wanted something in return” and performed a sexual act. They met again a week later at a trampoline park and a similar incident happened in his car, the affidavit said.
While with detectives, the girl called Edwards Jr. and discussed the times they met, according to the affidavit, as well as the difference in their ages. He allegedly told the girl he believed she was 18 and “that if he had known she was 15, he would have never touched her,” the affidavit said.
Detectives think there might be other victims, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Monday.
Edwards Jr. was released from jail after posting bail, court records show. He was ordered not to contact the 15-year-old victim, court records show.
The Sheriff’s Office urged anyone with information or anyone who may be a victim to contact Detective Dove at DoveC@pbso.org or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
