Pastor charged with rape

A St Catherine pastor was charged with three counts of rape and obtaining money by false pretence on Thursday.

Winston Campbell, 56, who has been under investigation for years, was charged by the St Catherine branch of the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse.

Three persons made reports to the Spanish Town police last month. It is reported that between 2014 and 2018, the three, who were members of Campbell's church in Point Hill, confided in him about illnesses they were experiencing.

They all visited him on separate occasions. One was charged more than J$200,000 by Campbell, for supplies and rituals needed to cure her of her 'illness', which he claimed was caused by evil spirits.

Allegedly, he then had sexual intercourse with her. The other complainants also paid Campbell, and were told to have sexual intercourse with him to be cured of their illnesses and freed from evil spirits.

Actions not right

Ronnie, a St Catherine obeah man, told THE WEEKEND STAR that he is appalled by those actions.

"Them actions not right! If you a pastor or reader man, you caa take money from people or abuse dem. Yuh a nuh Christian either ... cause when you be a Christian, yuh nuh business with dem thing there. We are spiritual people. God call we and God gi we power and we don't take advantage of people," he said.

Just last month, an 82-year-old obeah man in Manchester was arrested and charged with raping a woman and her 14-year-old daughter. He allegedly convinced them that he had to have sex with them in order to remove ghosts.

Ronnie says there are many other false prophets in Jamaica.

"Dem a fool the people dem and dem a gi we bad name. Dem give reader people bad name ... people think seh all a we a the same. The real reader people dem or pastors nah go question yuh. The fake ones ask yuh bare questions and get information outa yuh. Yuh have to watch out for them. Real spiritual don't have to ask no questions ... dem will read up any problem yuh having," he said.

Meanwhile, Pastor Gary Buddoo - Fletcher said that if guilty, Campbell must be punished.

"Individuals will fail ... they have failed in the Bible and they will continue to fail. That's why people must put their faith in God. We cannot rest our faith on persons," he said. "The justice system grinds slowly sometimes, but it's sure. And when people have done the crime, they must do the time. There is no exception. No profession is exempted ... nobody is above the law."

Campbell is to appear in the St Catherine Parish Court on Friday, July 31.

Meanwhile, the police are asking anyone who may have been a victim of Campbell, to contact the Spanish Town police at 876-984-2305, Crime Stop at 311 or police 119 emergency number.