Police have arrested a deacon they say inappropriately touched a teenage girl who attends his church.
Willie Clarence Harvard, 58, of St. Petersburg, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of simple battery, St. Petersburg Police Department spokesman George Kajtsa said. He is accused of fondling a 17-year-old girl through her clothing on Nov. 14.
Police are asking that anyone with similar complaints step forward.
"The investigation revealed similar types of inappropriate behavior by Harvard in the recent past, and for that reason we believe there may be other victims out there who have not reported it to the police," police spokesman Bill Proffitt said.
Today, Harvard denied the allegation.
"All those allegations our false," he said. "I don't want to hear nothing else about these allegations. We are going to fight this in court. That's all."
The Rev. Robert Ward, who is the pastor of the church at 3500 18th Ave. S., was dismayed by the allegation.
"When I first heard about it, I was very shocked and thought it was certainly unbelievable, because I have known Deacon Harvard for 21 years," Ward said. "I've never had something of that nature brought to our church concerning any of our spiritual leaders in the church, so I was quite surprised and quite shocked that such an allegation would be made."
Harvard has been a deacon at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church since it was founded 21 years ago.
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