WILMINGTON, Ohio —

Silas Shelton, a 48-year-old pastor in Blanchester, Ohio, is now an inmate at the Clinton County Adult Detention Center and facing four felony charges, including rape, after police say he began abusing a then-teenage girl six years ago.

Before he was arrested without incident in Blanchester on Wednesday, Shelton served as the pastor of Blanchester Community Church. Wilmington police reported that in the fall of 2019, Shelton allegedly began inappropriate sexual contact with a girl who was 14 or 15 at the time. A detective involved in the case stated that the alleged victim and her family were members of Shelton's congregation. Advertisement

WLWT's Todd Dykes' attempts to reach someone at the church, located next to fast-food restaurants on Main Street in Blanchester

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