Youth pastor Charlie Mabern Hamrick (54) was arrested and charged with over 40 counts of capital sexual abuse of children under the age of 12 and other heinous charges. The abuse spanned decades. Hamrick was a youth pastor at Pine Forest United Methodist Church in Pensacola, lead a youth group as a volunteer at Harvest Christian Center in Cantonment and was a football coach at Tate High School in Pensacola.
The stories of his abuse are disturbing…
- Hamrick allegedly told the boy to grab his erect penis, saying it was the safest way to ride (an ATV).
- Hamrick used educational video sessions with groups of boys to introduce videos featuring explicit scenes of sex and male masturbation.
- Hamrick gave unlicensed youth physicals which included examining genitalia.
- Hamrick took a boy home from his youth group and molested him under a blanket while his wife was in the room.
There is a thread of religious enablement in the stories too. Apparently the abuse was reported when Hamrick was caught in the act of abuse and the church promised he would not work with children again.
