Deputies: Pastor facing sex charges promised teens NFL contacts

| The Tampa Tribune

A Belle Glade minister, at New Life Tabernacle Church, who was arrested in
Brandon on Wednesday told students he could help with their football careers
and then filmed them involved in sexual acts, Palm Beach deputies say.

Rev. James R. Harris, 61, is charged with unlawful sexual activity with a
minor, lewd or lascivious battery, child abuse, showing obscene material to
a minor and promoting sexual performance by a child. All of the incidents
took place in Palm Beach County, according to authorities.

Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter referred questions
to Palm Beach County deputies. The investigator handling the case said she
wasn't sure why Harris was in Brandon this week but that he often frequents
the area.

Rev. Harris told young male athletes that he knew professional athletes ‹?
including Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis ‹ and promised to help the
children with their careers, deputies say.

A 16-year-old boy told deputies that Rev. Harris had promised to make a
"highlight tape" of his football plays and that Harris claimed to have a
phone filled with contacts and could get him into a college. Rev. Harris
asked the boy what he would do to go to college, and Rev. Harris later
performed sexual acts on him, a sheriff's office report states.

In another instance, a 16-year-old athlete told deputies he met Rev. Harris
when he was a seventh-grader and that Rev. Harris told him he could help get
him a career in football. Harris said he knew professional football players,
according to deputies. In May 2008, the boy said, Rev. Harris brought a
13-year-old girl home and filmed the boy and girl having sex without their
knowledge.

Rev. Harris was arrested about 9:20 a.m. Wednesday by the United States
Marshals Service Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force and Hillsborough
County Sheriff's Office after they received a tip he might be in the Brandon
area. He was found sleeping in his vehicle off Williams Road, just south of
Broadway.

Rev. Harris remained in Orient Road Jail today awaiting extradition to Palm
Beach County.

The Palm Beach investigation began last month after a woman called deputies
to report a friend might have stolen five videos from Rev. Harris' home. She
told deputies that three of those videos had sexual conduct on them
involving juveniles.

Deputies watched some of the videos, which they determined had sexual acts
involving children. They say they didn't see Rev. Harris on that portion of
video but heard Rev. Harris' voice and recognized Rev. Harris' home. Later,
they say, they determined part of a video included sex activity where Harris
could be seen.

A woman told investigators that the children in the videos play or have
played football in the Glades area.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/apr/16/deputies-pastor-arrested-sex-minors-
charges-promis/




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