Lafayette County Pastor Charged With Sexual Battery

SENATOBIA, Miss. (AP) – A 71-year-old Mississippi pastor remains in jail on a $1 million bond after he was arrested on charges of sexual battery of a child. He is accused of having sex with a boy who is now 18.

The Commercial Appeal reports (http://bit.ly/YRdr6p ) Larry Singleton, pastor of Bay Springs Baptist Church in Abbeville, Miss., was arrested by investigators with the Tate County Sheriff’s Department Monday after they received a complaint days earlier from the victim, who accused Singleton of forcing him to have sex.

Sheriff Brad Lance said the sexual abuse allegedly began when the victim was 11 years old and continued for several years.

Singleton made his first court appearance Tuesday where his bond was set.

It was unclear whether Singleton has an attorney.