HARRISBURG, PA – Robert David Fenton, 55, a former youth pastor from Bradford County, has pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault, announced Attorney General Michelle Henry on Thursday.
The plea comes after an extensive investigation revealing that Fenton sexually abused a child between 1996 and 1998 when he served as a youth pastor at Abide in the Vine church. The abuse began when the victim was just 14 years old.
Following the crimes, Fenton fled to Australia to evade prosecution. However, he was eventually apprehended in April 2024 while attempting to enter the Philippines, marking a pivotal moment in a case that required international cooperation for justice.
“This trusted mentor figure used religion to get close to, and exploit, this child for his own sexual gratification,” stated Attorney General Henry. She commended the efforts of investigators who pursued Fenton across borders to hold him accountable for his crimes committed nearly thirty years ago.
The investigation uncovered that in a disturbing manipulation of faith, Fenton had approached the victim’s parents with a claim of having received a divine vision that he and the child were destined to marry. This led to an agreement among Fenton, the child’s parents, and church officials for a betrothal, which Fenton used to perpetrate the sexual assault.
Fenton now awaits sentencing, which will be determined after he undergoes an evaluation by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board in Pennsylvania. This case underscores the long arm of justice and the commitment of law enforcement to protect the vulnerable and prosecute those who exploit positions of trust.
