Thomas Fortenberry: Former Youth Pastor, 30, Admits to Girlfriend He Video'd Her and Other Girls Taking Showers Four Years Ago When They Were Teens
You think you've met the man of your dreams, a man you first knew when he was the cool and hip youth pastor at your church.
Uncomfortable conversation leads to charges.
Things seem to be moving towards marriage, and then -- well, a conversation that allegedly goes like this:
Him: "Remember that Fear Factor game where I poured honey over you and some of your underage girlfriends?"
You: "Oh, yeah, that was fun.
Him: "And I told y'all you could use the church shower to wash it all off?"
You: "Sure, what about it?"
Him: "Funny thing -- I, umm, videotaped you all. You're not mad, are you?"
The woman, now 21 but 17 at the time of the alleged incident, didn't take it well.
Thomas Fortenberry, 30, has been charged with a felony of improper recording of a minor.
Court documents say that he was youth pastor at Pasadena's Greater Harvest Community Church in November 2007 when he got the brainstorm to have a Fear Factor game.
He handpicked three girls -- one 17 and two 15 -- and as part of the game poured honey all over them.
Nothing odd there!!!!
The girls were then told they could use the shower.
It gets weirder, especially when presented in the police-ese of an affidavit:
The complainant stated that she later began to date and go out with the Defendant and when they became closer and it looked like they might be married, that the Defendant told her that he had secretly videotaped her [and two other girls] taking a shower on November 4, 2007.
Court documents say that recently the pastor of the church confronted Fortenberry, "who admitted to videotaping" the girls.
A Pasadena cop then contacted Fortenberry, "who would not deny that he videotaped the Complainant taking a shower without her consent or knowledge. The Defendant would only say he had done things he shouldn't have done."
Update: KTRK is reporting, although a link doesn't work right now, that the DA has withdrawn the charges "after noticing the alleged crime happened more than three years ago." We're trying to confirm with the DAs office.
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