Why Was Pastor Stephen Bates Arrested? Charges Of Child Abuse And Sexual Misconduct On Nashua Baptist Church

Pastor Stephen Bates of the Nashua Bible Baptist Church was arrested in accusation of child sexual abuse and pedophile charges. Learn more about the incident, as we investigate the matter in depth.

The pastor of Bible Baptist Church, Stephen Bates, 46, was arrested on Tuesday at the church’s Caldwell Road location.

The Nashua Police Department was told by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2016 that child sexual assault photos had been accessed by an IP address associated with this church, according to police. According to authorities, similar tips were received in 2017.

Why Was Pastor Stephen Bates Arrested? Nashua Bible Baptist Church Child Abuse Case

After Homeland Security Investigations in Denver, Colorado conducted an online sexual exploitation investigation, officials said an IP address associated with the Bible Baptist Church received photographs in 2019.

According to officials, in 2020, the Tallahassee Police Department in Florida linked an IP address associated with the Bible Baptist Church to an investigation into publicly available sexual assault photographs on the internet.

Homeland Security in Blaine, Washington linked a social media chat regarding a suspect and an unknown individual’s common interest in having sexual contact with minors to an IP address associated with the Nashua church in 2021, according to the Nashua Police Department.

Pastor Stephen Bates Sexual Abuse Charges On A Child

After a year-long investigation, Stephen Bates, the pastor of a church in Nashua was arrested and charged with collecting child sexual assault photographs.

The inquiry encompassed several agencies, including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. According to investigators, those investigations in numerous states over the last three years have all pointed to IP addresses associated with the Bible Baptist Church.

Investigators claimed they had gathered enough evidence to get a search warrant.

Lt. Brian Trefry said, “We established touch with Pastor Bates.” “During a search of his person, we discovered some thumb drives or flash drives on him, which we were able to examine on the spot and found to contain child pornography,” said the officer.

Bates was released on $3,000 cash bail late Tuesday afternoon and returned to his house on the church grounds.

More charges are expected, according to police.

Who Is Pastor Stephen Bates? His Wife And Family Details

Pastor Bates began his ministry at Nashua Bible Baptist Church on August 7, 2005. He was bonded in holy matrimony with his wife Stephanie. They have three children: Charity, Megan, and Rachel.

Pastor Bates grew up in a Baptist pastor’s home in Tampa, Florida, and attended a Christian school throughout his elementary and high school years. He enrolled at Bible college the same Fall after graduating from high school in 1993 and graduating in 1997.

His wife Stephanie Bates was born and raised in the city of South Bend, Indiana. She was also scripturally immersed at a Community Baptist Church in South Bend after being saved at a young age.

Stephanie and Pastor met in Bible college, where Stephanie graduated in 1996. On July 19, 1997, they married in South Bend, Indiana. They have three lovely daughters, who are all grown up.