Apostle Jackson Mokoena of the Word House Global Church in Carltonville and Soweto has been arrested following charges of alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in his congregation.

ARRESTED

A case was opened against the 42-year-old pastor by the parent of 17-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually harassed by the pastor several times. "He lives between Carltonville, Soweto and Lesotho. The police arrested him in Protea Glen,' said the mom of the victim. The mom says the alleged sexual assault had been happening for some time and she was unaware until this weekend. "I did not know he had been doing this to my daughter for a long time. He had been making advances at her, touching and sexually assaulting her.' The mom who cannot be identified for fear of victimisation says she noticed changes in her daughter's behaviour recently. "But I never expected anything of the sort. I thought she was being a teenager until she confessed that Jackson had been harassing her.'

LOST TRUST

The mom says the pastor had been close to her and her children. "He was a father figure and would drive with them to church, like he does with other kids,' she says. "He would take them to other churches and events. He and I were slightly close because he would assist me when I needed help at the church, so my children trusted him only for me to find out he had been preying on my daughter.' The mom says he allegedly touched her daughter inappropriately several times. "In the car when they were driving and in my house, when I was in a different room at times.' She does not want to reveal more details about the assault. "He told her she is beautiful; he loves her and wants to be her man; he will take care of her and do everything for her. She did not tell me. My daughter blocked him and he begged her to unblock her and asked her not to answer the phone in front of me. He requested nudes.'

ANGRY MOM

The mom says the advances went on until her daughter could not take it anymore. "I trusted him, my kids trusted him. I brought him into the house, and when I heard the things, he had been doing, I lost it,' she says. "It went on until she could no longer take it and my daughter shared her traumatic experiences with that man. Right now, I am happy he is behind bars, we never know how many children he has done this to." The mom says she has since received confessions from several victims who have shared stories with her about Apostle Jackson allegedly assaulting them. "I am so angry; he needs to be an example to other dirty pastors.' Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed to ZiMoja that a case has been opened at Protea Glen Police Station. "Police can confirm that a case of sexual assault was opened at Protea Police Station and the 42-year-old man was arrested. He is expected to appear before Protea Magistrates Court on Monday, 8 April 2024."