An Indiana pastor was arrested on Monday for molesting a 5-year-old child, according to Steuben Superior Court records

Rodger Daily Strong, the senior pastor at Orland Church of the Nazarene in Orland, Indiana, has been charged with three counts of level 1 felony child molesting and two counts of level 4 felony child molesting, court records show.

Strong was removed from his role of pastor on March 6, said Tim Kellerman, the District Superintendent of the Northeastern Indiana District Church of the Nazarene, which oversees Orland Church.

Kellerman told The Roys Report (TRR) via email that he first learned of the investigation against Strong that same day.

“Upon hearing Rodger was being investigated, I met with him, removed him as pastor and subsequently closed the church the next Sunday as the 7 remaining members are unable to provide the resources necessary to keep the church open,” Kellerman said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and family.”

Kellerman added that the Church of the Nazarene “condemns this alleged misconduct. Such behavior is inconsistent with who we are as a Church.”

Stong, 69, is currently being held at the Steuben County Sheriff’s Jail, according to inmate records. His bail has been set at $200,000.

TRR called Orland Church for comment but did not hear back prior to publication.

Strong assaulted 5-year-old

Strong’s charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred between May and January 2024, according to a probable cause affidavit, which was originally reported by KPC News.

Strong allegedly assaulted his 5-year-old granddaughter during this time frame, the affidavit said. The alleged abuse was first discovered by the victim’s parents.

The parents told police that their daughter had started displaying strange behavior at school, such as pulling down her pants and asking boys to touch her. The young girl also had experienced several urinary tract infections, the affidavit said.

In May 2024, the girl’s mother asked her if she had ever been touched in her vagina area. The girl shared that she had been touched there under her pants by her “Papaw.”

The victim’s mother and father then confronted Strong with these allegations, the affidavit states. The parents recorded the conversation.

While Strong initially denied what happened to the parents, he later changed his story and said that the touching was accidental and blamed the 5-year-old victim for it. He said she had allegedly pulled her pants down and put his hand there, according to the affidavit. He argued that he told his granddaughter not to do this.

The mother then brought the victim out from the girl’s room and the mother asked her to say what occurred. The victim allegedly said, “He is lying mommy,” the affidavit said. Strong allegedly responded to this by urging the victim to agree with his version of the story.

The mother then took the victim back to the girl’s room. When the mother came back, she told Strong that, “it sounds as if he is blaming their daughter for something he did.”

According to the affidavit, Strong replied, “If you want me to say I did, then I did it.” He then claimed the touching “was not intentional.”

The mother reportedly replied, “You don’t unintentionally touch a kid’s vagina.”

The parents then contacted police.

In an interview with police, Strong continued to insist that the victim was lying, the 27-page long affidavit reported.

Police urged Strong to confess by reminding him of his faith and role as a pastor. One officer advised Strong that he is 70 years old, and the victim is now 6 years old and “has a whole life ahead of her.”

Police also noted that the victim had shared her story three times over the course of nine months. Each time the story did not change. While “kids can tell lies,” the consistent detail of this story lends to its credibility, police noted in the affidavit.

The officer told Strong he just wanted the truth and noted that Strong “had already told me that he had done it, but he is making it out as if a little 6-year-old is forcing him to do these things.”

Eventually, Strong admitted that he had touched the girl five times, including three times that involved vaginal penetration, according to the affidavit.

“After talking with Mr. Strong, I escorted him out of the room, as we were walking out, he shook my hand and tells me, thank you,” Officer Matthew Teusch wrote in the affidavit.  “He advises me that he really is not a bad person. I told him that I don’t think he is a bad person, but he is one that has made some bad mistakes.”

Strong also told police he had served as a pastor for 40 years, the affidavit said. Strong said he planned to “retire” on Sunday, March 9.

According to an Indiana legal firm, the Level 1 and Level 4 felonies against Strong carry sentences of 20-50 years in prison and two to 12 years respectively.

*This article has been updated.

Liz Lykins is a correspondent covering religion news for The Roys Report, WORLD Magazine, and other publications.