HARRISBURG, PA Attorney General Michelle Henry said Thursday that Robert David Fenton, 55, a former Bradford County youth pastor, had entered a guilty plea to charges of statutory sexual abuse and aggravated indecent assault.
Following a thorough investigation that found Fenton sexually molested a kid while serving as a youth pastor at Abide in the Vine church from 1996 to 1998, the plea was made. The victim was only 14 years old when the abuse started.
Fenton escaped to Australia after the crimes in order to avoid being prosecuted. But in April 2024, he was finally caught trying to enter the Philippines, which was a turning point in a case that needed international assistance to be resolved.
Attorney General Henry said that this child’s trusted mentor exploited religion to approach him and take advantage of him for his own sexual pleasure. In order to hold Fenton accountable for his actions from almost thirty years ago, she praised the efforts of investigators who followed him across international lines.
The investigation revealed that Fenton had approached the victim’s parents, claiming to have received a supernatural vision that he and the child were meant to marry, in a troubling exploitation of religion. This resulted in a betrothal arrangement between Fenton, the child’s parents, and church authorities, which Fenton used to carry out the sexual assault.
Fenton is currently awaiting punishment, which will be decided following an assessment by Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board. This case demonstrates the reach of justice and law enforcement’s dedication to safeguarding the weak and bringing those who abuse their positions of authority to account.
