HiddenMysteries: Pastor sexually abuses minors

Pastor sought to hide claims
Rankins accused of sexual relations with teenage boy

Thyrie Bland

A pastor charged earlier this week with having sex with a teenage boy pleaded with the victim's parents not to go to the police, a police report states.

The Rev. Leon Rankins III, 35, didn't know that the 16-year-old's parents already had gone to police and an officer was recording the March 27 phone conversation.

Rankins, pastor at Restoration Full Gospel Baptist Church on Cervantes Street, surrendered to Pensacola police on Tuesday and was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child.

It is the second time the pastor, a registered sex offender, has been accused of having sex with a young boy, records show. Rankins was 17 years old at the time of another sex abuse allegation in 1989; the victim was an 11-year-old boy. In 1994, Rankins pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual battery and was sentenced to two years of house arrest and two years of probation.

"I have been dealing with some personal issues since I was a child, and I am willing to go to counseling," Rankins was heard telling the alleged victim's mother in the recording. "We have moved to Georgia, and I am willing to leave the church if I have to."

Rankins, who initially was jailed without bond, was in court Wednesday. Bond was set at $10,000.

Rankins remained at the Escambia County Detention Center on Wednesday night.

A judge set restrictions on Rankins once he is released, including wearing a monitoring device. He also must live with his mother, who resides in Pensacola.

Those who know the pastor say they won't pass judgment on him in the wake of his latest arrest.

The Rev. Sylvia Tisdale, pastor at Epps Christian Center on North Pace Boulevard, said Rankins has preached at her church.

"To my knowledge he has always been there to help people and encourage people," Tisdale said. "I know that he has a flourishing ministry."

In the past, Rankins' church has taken a van around town and passed out food to people on the streets and in homeless shelters.

"He has been there to help and support," Tisdale said. "I was really shocked (about the arrest), and I am really praying for him."

Margaret Ruffin, 71, lived near Rankins when Rankins, his wife and two children lived on Tujaques Place in Pensacola. Tujaques is in the Marcus Lake Estates subdivision.

Ruffin, a former teacher, said she knew Rankins was a convicted sex offender. She said she had come across his name on the state sex offender registry.

Ruffin said she twice has visited Rankins' church.

During one visit, Rankins talked briefly about the past allegations.

"He said all of that was behind him," Ruffin said. "I felt it was something in the past, and he had moved beyond that. My impression was he had been unjustly accused of whatever happened in the past."

In the first abuse case, according to a police report, Rankins allegedly sexually abused a child who previously had been physically abused by foster parents.

The latest allegations came to light after the victim told his parents Rankins had been molesting him for two years, according the police report.

The teenager later told police he met Rankins at a Wal-Mart when he was 13 years old, the report said.

The teenager said the abuse began when Rankins picked him up at his home one time.

"The teenager stated ... when he got into the car he put his hand on the armrest (and) Rankins put his hand on top of his," the report said. "(The victim) then said that Rankins parked the car along the side of the road and performed oral sex on him."

Rankins told a different story in the taped conversation with the teenager's parents.

Rankins said the teenager had asked to be picked up one night, and when the teenager got in the car he touched Rankins' genitals.

During the conversation, Rankins asked the alleged victim's parents what he could do to prevent them from going to the police, the report said.

Rankins went on to say he would pay for counseling for the teenager.

"Rankins continuously asked (the mother) to try and encourage (her husband) not to go to the police," according to the report. "Rankins spoke with (the husband) and told him he would do whatever he had to do to keep (the husband) from going to the police."

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Pastor sexually abuses minors

Friday, April 06 2007 @ 01:09 AM CDT