The Oklahoma Multi-County Grand Jury has indicted former pastor Joseph Lyle Campbell, 68, on one count of first-degree rape and one count of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16. The indictment, announced by Attorney General Gentner Drummond, alleges the crimes occurred in 1984 while Campbell was the youth pastor at the Eastland Assembly of God Church in Tulsa.
Between May 1 and Oct. 1 of 1984, he allegedly raped a girl age 11 or 12 in the garage of his home. In addition, he is accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl at the church, which allegedly occurred between March 1 and Dec. 1.
Drummond commended the work of the grand jurors who considered the evidence saying, “The crimes alleged in the indictment are horrific. There can be no tolerance for child sex predators, particularly adults who exploit their positions of authority and the faith of their victims. My office will vigorously work to ensure justice is served for the women who have carried this trauma for decades.”
More recently, Campbell has been a pastor at Morningside in Blue Eye, Missouri.
Individuals arrested and charged are presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.