A 62-year-old pastor in Florida was arrested after he allegedly gave a 15-year-old girl a spiked beverage and sexually assaulted her in the library of a church, authorities said Monday.
An anonymous caller reported overhearing a teen girl telling an adult that she had been raped, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller said the girl and her grandmother had boarded a dinghy and headed out into the harbor.
As deputies worked to locate the alleged victim, the suspect, Monte Chitty, who is the pastor at the First Baptist Church in Marathon, called the sheriff’s office and said he wanted "to get ahead of" accusations he believed were about to be levied against him, the sheriff’s office said.
Chitty told deputies that a young girl at his church had been drinking and passed out on a couch in the library of the church. He claimed that he helped her to lie down on the couch and did not touch her after that.
Deputies tracked down the teen on the boat where she lives and listened to her account.
The girl accused Chitty of giving her alcohol that she believed was "spiked" with something that made her feel weak and lose consciousness. She told deputies that when she woke up, Chitty was molesting her.
Detectives investigated and discovered text messages between the victim and Chitty on both of their phones. In the texts, Chitty referenced having sexual relations with the girl while she was impaired, according to the sheriff’s office.
Monte Chitty had called the sheriff's office, saying he wanted "to get ahead of" accusations that may be made against him, authorities said. (Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
Chitty was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center on charges of sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bond was set at $75,000.
The sheriff’s office also disclosed that Chitty was a registered volunteer with the sheriff’s office, offering his services as a pastor in April 2023.
He has not done any service for the office since that date.