PHOENIX -- Phoenix police arrested a man for allegedly molesting his two daughters and two pastors were arrested for not reporting the abuse to authorities.
According to Phoenix police Detective James Holmes, a 16-year-old girl told a neighbor that her father had been molesting her for several years. The neighbor confronted the man, who reportedly admitted he knew what he did was wrong.
azfamily.com is not releasing the father's name to protect the victims' identities.
The neighbor and victim contacted Phoenix police officers. The teen reported at least one instance of sexual intercourse and several acts of sexual contact over nearly five years.
Detectives learned the victim's older sister, now 19 years old, had also been molested by the suspect, which caused her to move out when she turned 18.
Holmes said the suspect admitted to numerous counts of sexual abuse with both victims. On July 9, he was arrested and charged with one count of sexual abuse, two counts of child molestation and 11 counts of sexual conduct with a minor.
During interviews with the victims and witnesses, detectives learned that in 2008, the older victim told her pastors, Daniel and Laura McCluskey, that she was being touched inappropriately by her father.
Holmes said the conversation occurred at the Church on the Word at 83rd Avenue and Camelback Road in Glendale and included the two pastors, the 19-year-old victim and the suspect.
Holmes said the suspect admitted going into the victim's room at night and touching her. The pastors told the victim that because the father was repentant, she should forgive him and restore their relationship.
After this conversation, the suspect stopped sexually abusing the older victim but reportedly continued sexually abusing the younger sister.
Based on the pastors’ failure to report the abuse, Holmes said the younger sister continued to be sexually abused for the next one to two years.
As mandatory reporters under Arizona Revised Statue, Holmes said the pastors had a duty to report to CPS and/or law enforcement that this was occurring.
The pastors were both arrested Tuesday and booked on one count each of failure to report sexual abuse.
