Officials provide update on New Albany sex abuse investigation

Описание: The son of two New Albany megachurch leaders was indicted Monday by a Knox County grand jury on additional rape charges.

Gary Thomas Keesee Jr. was charged with 11 counts each of rape and gross sexual imposition and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to the Knox County Court of Common Pleas docket. According to the indictment, the alleged crimes happened between May 2002 to October 2011.

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The 36-year-old was charged with two counts of rape out last week. The charges stem from a monthslong investigation.

According to Mount Vernon Municipal Court records, the victim who made the initial report said the abuse happened when they were 5 and 6 years old and took place on more than 50 occasions.

During the investigation, two other victims came forward, accusing Keesee Jr. of sexual abuse, according to court documents.

Keesee Jr. is the son of Gary and Drenda Keesee, leaders of Faith Life Church. The church has campuses in New Albany and Powell and has more than 3,000 members.

On Christmas Eve, a report of sexual abuse involving a juvenile was filed with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. The report says the alleged abuse took place at two locations within the county.

Knox County forwarded the sexual abuse case to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation due to a conflict of interest. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who leads BCI, also determined that it had a conflict of interest and could not investigate the allegations of sexual abuse.

From there, the investigation was passed on to Licking County.

Asiatico Law, PLLC, a law firm representing Faith Life Church, sent a statement to 10TV on behalf of the church. The statement read in part that it "decries all forms of sexual abuse and stands with survivors of such abuse in faith and prayer.”

"The complaint alleges incidents that occurred approximately two decades ago that in no way involved Faith Life Church," the statement read. "We responded in accordance with the information available to us then, and we remain committed to transparency and truth."

The church said it plans to cooperate with any necessary legal inquiries and will refrain from further public comment as the case moves through the legal system.

He will be held in the Licking County Justice Center.