[garyspk]

Whoa...on this one! This just ran on Channel 11's website in DFW:


(CBS 11 News) FORT WORTH Thirty-five women are accusing a Fort Worth pastor of abuse. Several of the women said he used a paddle on them, and then the abuse turned to sexual assault.

The accused pastor has been removed from the pulpit by his national church.

Davina Kelly says she went to Pastor Sherman Allen for religious counseling.

According to Kelly, beginning in 2001 she started working for Allen - cleaning the church he founded, The Shiloh Institutional Church of God in Christ, in East Fort Worth. Kelly says she also cleaned Allens' $1.5 million dollar house and guesthouse that spreads across nine acres in Mansfield.

In a lawsuit, Kelly accuses the pastor of, "assaulting her with various paddles", with the "beatings being disguised as scripturally justified."

"Initially he started, after the one time he paddled me with pants on. After that it went from there to just, then he paddled me with underwear a couple times. Then it was nothing on waist down," says Kelly. "Eventually there were times he would just direct me, 'just take everything off'. There were a couple of times he had me take everything off."

Eventually the mother of three says eventually the paddling turned sexual. "He told me to tell him - let him know when I couldn't stand it anymore. At that point, when I let him know, he jumped on me… and raped me," Kelly said.

Kelly isn't the only one to come forward, according to her lawyer. Attorney Matthew Bobo says he's received calls from more than 30 women, including several other parishioners who claim Pastor Allen also abused them.

"I just call it a spiel, for lack of a better word, but he's got a system down and he draws those in that who are vulnerable, who come to him for different types of counseling, and he's able to manipulate 'em to whatever different states he can take 'em to," Bobo explained.

The Shiloh Institutional Church of God in Christ is now in bankruptcy.

CBS 11 News contacted Allens' attorney but was told while he couldn't comment on pending litigation, he was not aware of any criminal charges being filed or of a criminal investigation.