Ohio Pastor Who Condemned Gay Books as "Health Risk" Charged with Child Rape and Arson
Blanchester, Ohio — Silas Shelton, a Southern Baptist pastor at Blanchester Community Ministries in Blanchester, Ohio, has been indicted on 11 charges including rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, gross sexual imposition, and two counts of arson.
Shelton, 48, was arrested in October on multiple felony charges. The alleged offences involved a girl who was 14 or 15 and a member of his congregation when the abuse began in 2019, according to The Advocate.
A detective stated that the alleged victim and her family were members of Shelton's congregation. The detective leading the investigation said the alleged abuse continued until a few months ago, describing a complex dynamic where the young woman felt groomed, trapped and manipulated due to Shelton's position as a religious authority.
The alleged abuse occurred at Shelton's home in Morrow, Warren County, at Cowan Lake in Clinton County, and in local hotel rooms.
Shelton also faces two charges of arson stemming from an incident in July 2025, when he allegedly set fire to a home and an SUV.
In August 2023, Shelton spoke to the Little Miami Local School District board of education about the graphic novel Heartstopper, which he described as a health risk. "I tell you, I got sick reading that stuff," Shelton said. He also lamented that parents "aren't allowed to talk about the health risks of kids being gay."
Shelton's attorney entered not guilty pleas to all 12 charges. The magistrate set his bond at $250,000.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Silas Shelton stood before a school board ranting about the "health risks" of children reading a wholesome gay love story. While he was doing that, police say he was sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl from his own congregation for years.
He groomed her. Manipulated her. Used his spiritual authority as her pastor to trap her in abuse that lasted from 2019 until just months ago. He violated her in his home, at hotels, at Cowan Lake. Then he allegedly committed arson, burning a home and SUV.
But gay teenagers holding hands in a comic book made him "sick."
They position themselves as guardians of purity while destroying innocence.
Shelton didn't care about protecting children. If he did, he wouldn't have spent years raping one. His crusade against Heartstopper wasn't about children's welfare. It was camouflage. It was projection. It was the classic move of a predator creating noise to hide his crimes.
This isn't about being anti-gay or pro-gay.
This is about a pastor who used God's name, his position, and his authority to prey on a child.
He should face the maximum sentence for every single charge.
The church must stop giving platforms to men who hide behind righteous rhetoric while living in darkness.
TAKE ACTION
Support Victims of Church Sexual Abuse:
- GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) - Educating and empowering the Christian community on abuse
https://www.netgrace.org
Email: info@netgrace.org
Phone: 1-616-551-3245 - The Courage Conference - Supporting survivors of church abuse
https://courageconference.com
Email: info@courageconference.com - SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) - Support for abuse survivors
https://www.snapnetwork.org
Email: david@snapnetwork.org
Phone: 1-877-762-7432 - MinistrySafe - Abuse prevention training for churches
https://www.ministrysafe.com
Email: info@ministrysafe.com
Phone: 1-817-360-3590
