Longtime Children’s Pastor Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges After Decades of Allegations
Oklahoma City — Oklahoma authorities have arrested a longtime children’s pastor on child sex abuse charges, a major development in a case that alleged victims say they have pursued for more than 40 years.
The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday that Joe Campbell, 68, a Pentecostal preacher who ministered to children across multiple states for nearly half a century, has been charged with first-degree rape and lewd or indecent acts involving a child under 16. If convicted, Campbell could face life in prison.
U.S. marshals arrested Campbell Wednesday morning at Camp Bell, a Christian youth camp he founded and operated in Elkland, Missouri, before taking him to a local jail ahead of extradition to Oklahoma.
Arrest Follows Investigative Reporting
The charges come months after an NBC News investigation detailed a pattern of child sexual abuse allegations against Campbell dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, as well as repeated failures by church leaders, police, and prosecutors to intervene.
Prosecutors say the rape charge is linked to allegations made by Kerri Jackson, who says Campbell sexually abused her for years in Tulsa, Oklahoma, beginning when she was about 9 years old. Jackson, now 53, described learning of Campbell’s arrest as overwhelming.
“After all these decades, it feels like a miracle,” she said.
A multicounty grand jury in Oklahoma City returned the indictment last week after prosecutors presented evidence in the case.
How Prosecutors Revived a Decades-Old Case
Earlier attempts to prosecute Campbell stalled after authorities said the statute of limitations had expired. However, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office now argues that the statute of limitations was paused when Campbell moved out of Oklahoma in the 1980s.
Officials are relying on a rarely used legal provision that stops the clock when a suspect leaves the state. Prosecutors have recently used the same legal approach in other high-profile clergy abuse cases in Oklahoma.
Multiple Allegations Over Several Decades
In the NBC News investigation, five women said Campbell sexually abused them as children while he was an Assemblies of God minister. Nine additional people, including four men, alleged that Campbell exposed them to pornography, made sexually explicit comments, or touched them inappropriately during the same period.
Former victims described Campbell as a charismatic preacher who gained the trust of children and parents before allegedly abusing victims in church nurseries, his vehicle, and his home while family members slept upstairs.
Several said they reported Campbell’s behavior to church leaders and law enforcement while still teenagers, only to watch him deny the allegations and continue working with children for years.
Church Action Came Years Later
Campbell was eventually expelled from the Assemblies of God denomination in the late 1980s after another teenage girl reported sexual abuse. Criminal charges were filed at the time but later dropped when the victim declined to testify, citing harassment and emotional distress.
Despite his removal from the denomination, Campbell later founded a nondenominational church and continued operating Camp Bell, where he ministered to thousands of children over the years. He later gained national exposure through the PTL Television Network, which quietly removed his sermons following questions raised by NBC News.
In a statement after Campbell’s arrest, Assemblies of God leaders said allegations against him had been reported to authorities when first known and expressed hope that justice would now be served.
Officials Expect More Victims to Come Forward
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond described the alleged crimes as “horrific” and said investigators expect additional victims may come forward.
“If you exploit your authority to harm children, no matter how long ago it happened, we will find you and prosecute you,” Drummond said.
U.S. marshals said Campbell surrendered without resistance during his arrest. Court records did not immediately list an attorney representing him, and the investigation remains ongoing.
For the alleged victims, Campbell’s arrest marks a long-awaited step toward accountability.
“We just needed someone to believe us,” Jackson said.
Sources
- NBC News investigative report by Mike Hixenbaugh pasted
- Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Oklahoma court charging documents