A teenage girl who looked to Anthony Haynes as her father was sexually assaulted and groomed to be used by other men, federal prosecutors told a jury during opening statements Monday at the former Toledo pastor’s trial.
Anthony Haynes, 40, who led Greater Life Christian Center, agreed to let the 14-year-old girl live with his family in 2014 after she was neglected by her biological mother, U.S. Assistant Prosecutor Michael Freeman said in U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio.
Mr. Haynes is charged with conspiracy to sex-traffic children, sex trafficking, sex exploitation of a minor, and obstruction. The jury, selected Monday morning out of 60 prospective jurors from Northwest Ohio, heard testimony from the girl’s school counselor, as well as from FBI agents who executed search warrants on April 7, 2017.
It wasn’t long after the girl moved in that she soon realized her relationship with Mr. Haynes would not include a father-daughter bond, the prosecutor told the jury.
Weeks after moving in with the Haynes family, Mr. Haynes took the eighth-grade girl to an apartment where he engaged in oral sex with another woman in front of the teenager, Mr. Freeman told the jury. Days later, Mr. Haynes took the teenager and the same woman to his church, where he ordered them to engage in sexual acts with each other, which Mr. Haynes recorded on his cell phone.
Mr. Haynes then took the girl to his church by herself, Mr. Freeman said.
“At the place of worship, when she’s 14 years old, he had sex with her,” the federal prosecutor said.
Mr. Haynes later introduced the girl to another pastor, Kenneth Butler, who has pleaded guilty to having sex with her.
The teen later moved in with a new guardian and began attending Abundant Life Ministries, Cordell Jenkins’ church. Jenkins expressed an interest in the girl, and Mr. Haynes encouraged her to have sex with the fellow pastor — coaching her with what to say in text messages, Mr. Freeman said.
Aside from the victim testifying, federal prosecutors said they will show text and voice messages from former county administrator Laura Lloyd-Jenkins to Mr. Haynes, warning him of an upcoming investigation after she met with the girl and her guardian one evening at a pizza shop.
The girl’s guardian looked through her phone and saw the racy text messages and confronted Lloyd-Jenkins at the restaurant, Mr. Freeman said.
Callie Haas, a counselor at Penta Career Center, testified the girl showed quite a change in personality the next day at school — going from an outgoing student ambassador who gave tours of the school facility to someone who seemed “numb.”
While in Ms. Haas’ office, the girl disclosed information that she had been performing sex acts with pastors for years and she “felt like she was ruining church families as well as the pastor’s family,” the counselor testified.
Ms. Haas took the girl to the school resource officer to report the incident, and the case was turned over to Toledo police and then the FBI.
During the search warrant execution on April 7, 2017, at Mr. Haynes’ Ventura Drive home, FBI agents had to force entry. Agents testified Monday they found Mr. Haynes hiding in a crawl space under the stairs.
Investigators also testified Monday that evidence of semen linking to each pastor was found on various items in their homes and churches, and there was evidence of receipts linking to Jenkins and Mr. Haynes to area hotels.
Mr. Haynes’ co-defendants — Cordell Jenkins, Laura Lloyd-Jenkins, and Kenneth Butler — all have entered pleas and will be sentenced at later dates.
During opening statements, defense attorney Peter Wagner asked the jury to keep an open mind despite the upsetting nature of the charges. Mr. Wagner also noted that, though Mr. Haynes’ co-defendants have entered pleas, this is Mr. Haynes’ case and the jurors must focus on the evidence related to his case at hand.
Mr. Haynes sat back in his chair throughout the morning in a wrinkled and untucked dress shirt.
Visiting Judge Bernard Friedman is overseeing the case, and the jury will hear additional testimony on Tuesday.
A separate case involving Mr. Haynes’ wife, Alisa Haynes, and his stepdaughter, Alexis Fortune, is pending in federal court. They are accused of trying to get the victim to not testify against Mr. Haynes.
Mrs. Haynes also appeared before Judge Friedman Monday, requesting to be released from custody with conditions.
The judge denied her request, noting her failure to appear in previous court hearings in Toledo Municipal Court, adding there is evidence she might be a serious threat to the community.
First Published March 25, 2019, 3:41 p.m.
