A New Jersey pastor is facing sexual assault charges after he allegedly drugged and assaulted a 16-year-old teenager, local authorities said in a statement last week.

Charles B. Brinson, the bishop of the Brinson Memorial Church in Trenton, New Jersey, has been charged with two counts first-degree aggravated sexual assault of an incapacitated victim, and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

He was arrested at home on Feb. 19 by the Trenton Police Department.

Brinson, 64, allegedly assaulted the teenager a total of two times in January and February last year at the pastor’s residence, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The victim told Trenton Police that Brinson administered “an unknown substance” that caused the teen to lose consciousness.

Brinson’s house is located just down the street from his church on Brinton Avenue, local TV news station WPVI reported. Following the second assault, the victim received an examination at the local hospital.

The victim first reported the allegations to police in February 2024, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Brinson pending a trial, the office announced in its statement. Brinson is currently in jail with a court hearing scheduled for later this month, according to New Jersey court records.

Brooke Baker, a woman who lives close to Brinson Memorial Church, told WPVI that she was shocked when she learned about the arrest.

“I’ve never seen him come out and do anything for the community, to come out and introduce himself to the residents or anything,” Baker said. “To know that we had somebody that close that’s doing things and we didn’t know? It’s kinda freaky.”

The Roys Report (TRR) reached out to the church for comment but did not hear back prior to publication.

On its Facebook page, Brinson’s Church lauds itself as “the perfect church for an imperfect people.”

Brinson arrested nearly two decades ago

Brinson reportedly committed a similar crime nearly two decades ago, according to TV station  10 Philadelphia. 

In September 2008, he was arrested after picking up a 15-year-old boy in Philadelphia in his van and driving him to his then-home in Florence, New Jersey. There, authorities said Brinson molested the teen.  

Brinson had allegedly connected with the teen through an online chatroom, according to the Trentonian.

In 2009, Brinson negotiated for a lesser plea of one count of corruption of a minor, according to 10 Philadelphia. He was sentenced to four years of probation and required to register on the sex offender registry.

Brinson made headlines in 2021 when he was involved in local controversy in Trenton, according to the Trentonian.

The Trenton City Council unanimously voted to rename a street after his parents to honor them for their large impact on the town, the publication reported. The council chose to change the name of a part of Brinton Avenue to be Brinson Memorial Drive.

However, the Trentonian interviewed several local pastors in 2021, who said they were unaware that the Brinson family had any influence on the area. Soon after this, the council learned about Brinson’s 2008 arrest and rescinded the vote.

The Trentonian also reported that Charles Brinson is known in the town for his lavish style and attire. He is frequently seen wearing fur coats and driving vintage luxury cars.

“The Brinson flamboyance includes a religious compound named Brinson Memorial Church, Inc. located on 200-204 Brinson Memorial Dr. in Trenton,” a 2022 Trentonian columnist wrote. “The unbridled and unbowed Brinson pitch plays perfectly in an age of egocentrism and selfies.”

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