MARATHON, FL – A 62-year-old pastor from Florida was apprehended by law enforcement after accusations surfaced of him allegedly drugging a 15-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her in a church library, according to officials on Monday.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip from a caller who claimed to have overheard a teenage girl confide in an adult about a sexual assault. The caller further reported that the girl, along with her grandmother, had left the area on a small boat towards the harbor.
In the midst of the search for the alleged victim, the suspect, identified as Monte Chitty, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Marathon, contacted the sheriff’s office. Chitty expressed his intention to address the accusations he anticipated would soon be leveled against him.
Chitty informed the deputies that a young girl from his congregation had consumed alcohol and lost consciousness on a couch in the church library. He insisted that he had merely assisted her to lie down and had not touched her thereafter.
Authorities were able to locate the teenager on the boat where she resides. She accused Chitty of providing her with an alcoholic drink which she suspects was laced with a substance that caused her to feel weak and lose consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, she alleged that Chitty was sexually assaulting her.
Further investigation revealed text messages exchanged between Chitty and the victim on their respective phones. In these messages, Chitty allegedly discussed engaging in sexual activities with the girl while she was under the influence.
Chitty was taken into custody at the Monroe County Detention Center, facing charges of sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bail was set at $75,000. The sheriff’s office also revealed that Chitty had registered as a volunteer, offering pastoral services in April 2023, but has not served since.