An American pastor working with Focused Community Strategies (FCS) a 501c(3) serving underprivileged communities, has been charged with sexual assault of a minor.
According to Daily Beast, Corrigan Clay, 43, moved to Haiti to “teach impoverished residents marketable job skills.” FCS profiled his work in 2015.
In addition to teaching, Clay led and established an evangelical preschool and adopted two Haitian orphans.
Last Thursday, Federal agents arrested Clay, according to a recently unsealed indictment obtained by the Daily Beast.
The Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section will prosecute Clay for “engaging in illicit sexual conduct” with a child.
Authorities charged Clay with sexually abusing an unidentified child between January 2014 and December 2017.
The Daily Beast reports the filing included “no further details…except that the alleged victim was under 18.”
Clay’s ex-wife told The Daily Beast on Friday that the illicit conduct involved one of their biological children.
Shelley Jean Clay separated from Clay about ten years ago. Shelly and Corrigan have two biological children in addition to the two Haitian children they adopted.
Shelly, who now coordinates a Haitian-focused crafts market in Florida, declined further comment but emphasized that she was unaware of the illegal activity at the time.
“It was my child,” Shelly told The Daily Beast, “but I don’t think I am at liberty to talk about it because the court case is in process. I’m not opposed to the truth coming out, but I don’t want to jeopardize the case.”
Shelley did not specify which of her four children was sexually abused.
Clay initially moved to Haiti to work with a group called the Apparent Project. Their stated goal is “building future leaders in Haiti.” He parted ways with the organization in 2013, according to Shelley.
Clay is in custody at a Pennsylvania facility; his court hearing is scheduled for today.
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