SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) - Police in Rhode Island arrested a retired church pastor and charged him with second-degree child molestation.
A woman told the Smithfield police department that Archie Emerson, the former pastor of the Ocean State Baptist Church, molested her when she was a child between the ages of 6 and 11, police said on Friday.
Officers arrested Emerson, 75, and searched his residence, seizing a computer, police said.
An attorney for Emerson said he denies the charges.
“Pastor Archie Emerson has devoted his life to his family, his community and his church. He is shocked that someone would levy such horrific allegations against him,” John E. MacDonald said in a statement to the Providence Journal.
A judge set bail for Emerson at $50,000 and released him with an order not to contact the plaintiff. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.
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