A Baptist pastor who had been previously arrested on charges of sexual assault has had the charges dropped.
Frank Noe, the pastor of Bennett's Fork Baptist Church in Middlesboro, KY was arrested and charged with five accounts of rape in October 2020 filed by Noe's son, Asher occurring nearly 25 years ago.
The attorney stated that the charges were dropped due to events in question happening outside the statute of limitations.
Todd Gray, executive director-treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, told the Baptist Press that they are "grieved by this information" and looking into the allegations' specifics.
Randy Davis, executive director-treasurer of the Tennessee Baptist Convention, echoed these claims, stating that "Every situation where there has been possible abuse of any kind should raise great concern." Davis encourages churches to do their "due diligence in all their hiring and training practices."
According to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, Noe had served at several churches, including Cedar Fork Baptist in Tazewell, TN, Chadwell Station Baptist in Ewing, VA, Barnards Grove Baptist in Bean Station, and Dogwood Heights in Tazewell, TN.
