Photo of two pastors arrested for sex trafficking of children

 The FBI has arrested two pastors on charges of sex trafficking of children in Toledo, Ohio.

Cordell Jenkins, 46, and Anthony Haynes, 37, were taken into custody by FBI agents on Friday morning, April 7th.

Jenkins is the pastor of Abundant Life Ministries in Toledo. Haynes rented a space at the University Bible Fellowship as the pastor of Greater Life Christian Center until 2016.

Federal documents accuse the men of recruiting, enticing and transporting people they knew were under 18 to engage in sex acts for pay. An agent’s criminal complaint says the alleged activity started three years ago with a girl who was then 14.

The affidavit says Haynes and a woman on multiple occasions engaged in sex acts with the victim at local hotels. Haynes is accused of paying her money to keep the encounters to herself. Prosecutors also said Haynes introduced the teenager to others who paid the girl for sex.

Jenkins is allegedly one of those adults. Prosecutors said he had sex with the girl at a Red Roof Inn in Toledo and in his office in a nearby church.

A U.S. magistrate judge Friday ordered Jenkins and Haynes held without bond until an April 13 hearing.

Jenkins shook his head “no” as charges were read and indicated he will hire an attorney. Haynes told the magistrate he needed a court-appointed attorney until he “made some phone calls.” 

"We have charged two individuals, but not with any affiliation with the church," said FBI spokesperson Vicki Anderson.

Ms Anderson said FBI received information a few weeks ago regarding allegations of the sexual misconduct involving minors and began an investigation. The crimes are alleged to have occurred over a few years, she added.

Full statement released by FBI: 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cleveland Division, Toledo Resident Agency, and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, announce the arrest of Cordell Jenkins, age 46, and Anthony Haynes, age 37, pursuant to a federal complaint and arrest warrant for sex trafficking of children.

Agents placed Jenkins and Haynes into custody early this morning at their residences in Toledo without incident. Additional law enforcement activity occurred today in regards to this ongoing investigation.

Jenkins and Haynes are accused of knowingly recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person(s) that the defendants knew was less than eighteen years old to engage in commercial sex acts. In addition to the above, Haynes is also being charged with Obstruction of Justice and Jenkins is being charged with sexual exploitation of children. Both men will have their initial appearance in U.S. District Court later today.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Perrysburg Township Police Department, Lima Police Department, Oregon Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Lucas County Sheriff's Office.

Source: WTOL-TV