COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus pastor accused of raping a juvenile appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to several felony charges.
George Bell, 72, was indicted on four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition with the alleged crimes reportedly happening between 2021 and 2024. According to the indictment, the victim was under the age of 10.
Bell was a pastor at Anchor Baptist Church in Columbus at the time of the alleged incidents.
The church posted a statement to its website on Tuesday that read as follows:
“As a church, we are committed to full transparency and to the truth throughout this process. We have been and continue to fully cooperate with any law enforcement and the justice system. We invite you to join us in prayer for and support of victims, their families, and individuals involved. We continue to remain loyal to God’s Word and the principles established in Scripture. We sincerely desire your prayers for us to have Godly wisdom and clear direction as we move forward.”
The church said in a statement on July 3 that Bell had resigned in front of the church on June 27, citing personal reasons.
The church later posted that new information had been brought to their attention.
“We now know that there was more to the unexpected resignation of our former pastor, George Bell, than we were originally led to believe. It breaks our heart to discover that there have been serious allegations and an indictment that have been brought,” the statement read. “Any conduct that is contrary to the Bible and our laws as citizens are unacceptable and not tolerated.”
The church said it is “cooperating fully” with law enforcement and the justice system.
Bell pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. He is being held on a $20,000 bond and was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim or witness.
He was also ordered not to have internet access and only to use a flip phone or landline phone to communicate with council.
Details of the indictment have not yet been released.
According to his biography on the church website, Bell founded the Anchor Baptist Church in Columbus in 1989. He served for almost 35 years as pastor before he resigned.