A Florida pastor accused of sexually battering a 15-year-old girl in his church is now reportedly on the run, prosecutors told a local news station.
Monte Chitty, pastor at First Baptist Church in Marathon, Florida, failed to appear at a scheduled arraignment Monday. Prosecutors said Chitty fled in a white van with out-of-state plates and is no longer believed to be in the Florida Keys.
“Our understanding is that he’s already on the road and he’s left the state of Florida,” Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward told Local 10 News.
The 62-year-old pastor faces charges of sexual battery on a minor, lewd and lascivious behavior, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Monroe County court records. On Monday, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest, the court records said.
The Roys Report reached out to First Baptist Church for comment but did not hear back prior to publication.
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Chitty had recently been released on a $75,000 bond after his arrest in March, according to court records.
Chitty was arrested after an anonymous caller alerted police of the alleged sexual assault, according to a Facebook announcement from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The caller said they had overheard a teen girl tell an adult that she had been raped.
While deputies attempted to find the victim, police received a call from Chitty. In an attempt to “get ahead” of the allegations, the pastor claimed that a young girl at his church had been drinking and had passed out on a couch in the library of the church. He told police he helped her to lie down on the couch and did not touch her after that.
When police found the girl, she said that Chitty gave her alcohol that she suspected was “spiked” with something. After drinking it, she said she felt weak and lost consciousness. She said she woke up to find that Chitty was sexually molesting her.
Police also discovered lewd text messages between the girl and Chitty. In those messages, which were found on both his and her phones, Chitty made references to having sexual relations with the girl while she was impaired.
Additionally, Chitty used a cat emoji to compliment the girl’s genitals and asked her what she remembered about the assault, according to Local 10 News.
“I prefer you pass out after I play not before,” Chitty reportedly texted, according to Local 10 News. “You can’t even remember what I did.”
In court on Monday, lead investigator Chris Vanhoose said that detectives had inspected Chitty’s search history and found incriminating evidence, Local 10 News reported. Chitty had allegedly searched “how to make sex for a virgin less painful.” He also looked up the effects of mixing alcohol and Ritalin, a medication the victim takes and that can be dangerous when combined with alcohol.
Vanhoose added that several recorded jail telephone calls gave detectives further cause for concern.
While Chitty was in custody, he called his wife and told her to not pay any bills and to have a yard sale to earn cash. Vanhoose said this signaled Chitty’s intention to flee.
Vanhoose also said that Chitty has lived in 25 states where the pastor could have places to hide out.
State Attorney Ward echoed Vanhoose’s concerns.
“This guy’s a former cop from Alaska and a preacher and he violated a 15-year-old girl,” Ward said. “So, I’m concerned about everybody in this guy’s path.”
Chitty was also a registered volunteer with the Sheriff’s Office, according to the sheriff office’s Facebook post.
“Our concern is not only for this community, but where’s this guy going to go?” Ward said. “We want to get this guy and we will bring him into custody.”
While Chitty’s church does not have a children’s ministry, the church’s website describes itself as a “family friendly” environment.
First Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention—a denomination that’s been embroiled in a sex abuse scandal for years.
Freelance journalist Liz Lykins writes for WORLD Magazine, Christianity Today, Ministry Watch, and other publications.
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15 Responses
The more correct term would be “absconded”. Chitty absconded, thus forfeiting the $75,000 bond.
Which of course was put up by a bail bond company (after Chitty gave them 10% of the 75K). Time to send in the bounty hunters. And for those who think bounty hunting is illegal, here is the relevant text of the SCOTUS decision in Taylor v. Taintor;
“When bail is given, the principal is regarded as delivered to the custody of his sureties. Their dominion is a continuance of the original imprisonment. Whenever they choose to do so, they may seize him and deliver him up in their discharge; and if that cannot be done at once, they may imprison him until it can be done. They may exercise their rights in person or by agent. They may pursue him into another State; may arrest him on the Sabbath; and if necessary, may break and enter his house for that purpose. The seizure is not made by virtue of new process. None is needed. It is likened to the rearrest by the sheriff of an escaping prisoner. In 6 Modern it is said: “The bail have their principal on a string, and may pull the string whenever they please, and render him in their discharge.” The rights of the bail in civil and criminal cases are the same. They may doubtless permit him to go beyond the limits of the State within which he is to answer, but it is unwise and imprudent to do so; and if any evil ensue, they must bear the burden of the consequences, and cannot cast them upon the obligee.”
The bail bond company typically pays 10 – 20 percent of the value of the bond to the bounty hunter when he brings back the bail jumper alive and able to stand trial (“He won’t be permanently damaged.” to borrow a movie quote).
This man may elude the law and judgment for years, but he will not elude the final judgment before the bar of Almighty God. I cannot even fathom how anyone doing this could be a real Christian. My only concern is for the young girl, for how she is going to perceive God, the church, and other Christians after this. Tragic doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Dude, this guy has got to be shown to LOSE in the here-and-now instead of the Hereafter, even if all we can do is expose him for what he really is.
Otherwise, all we’re doing is sitting quietly with folded hands mouthing Pious Platitudes.
Of course he’s on the run. He’s from Marathon.
There is absolutely nothing about this terrible crime that warrants any attempt at humor.
I am so sick of grown Men who are predators and are willing to harm Children! I’m sick of hearing about it. I’ll say it again: If a Man must cheat on his wife or if he is single, and he wants to have sex with a Woman, why is it so hard for him to commit his sin with another grown-up? I’m telling all of you, if that were my child, I would be out of the Ministry for what I would do with perverts like this so-called cowardly Pastor! I mean it with EVERYTHING within me!
I watched him preaching a sermon at his church on You Tube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ4QQl5so-I ). It boggles my mind how someone can sound so sincere, so evangelical, and can quote the Bible so authoritatively, all the while being so corrupted inside. When you read his texts to his young victim, it is such a stark contrast to his public persona in that Southern Baptist Church.
It’s disorienting and frightening, to be honest.
pretty convenient that church made sure to get all the comments turned off on that youtube video. The church is doing a great job of damage control! Not acknowledging his rape or in any way offering support to the victims. It would not surprise me for a minute if one of the church members were hiding him in their home. There is no way this is his first offense. People like this do not ,suddenly, at his age start this behavior, it has been covered up for decades.
That just proves the point that Jesus made of “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt 7). They can look and sound like sheep hence the warning. The statement also that “you will know them by their fruits” should probably have raised some concerns among the church congregation.
Successful Sociopaths and Predators are masters of camouflage.
What do you think that Rabbi from Tarsus was saying when he penned “For Satan himself can transform himself to appear as an Angel of Light”? Some Deep SPIRITUAL thing?
Thank you Liz and Roys Report for this story. God bless you, “soldiers in His army”. I pray for all the victims of the criminal.
Churches and schools attract the same ilk. My anger is that churches and schools when the ilk rises, always make excuses at why the proper legal authorities are never contacted. Hey JMAC sound familiar.
@William – “predators are going to predate” and can be found pretty much in any organization or institution – tragically. It is the result of an evil heart.