HOLIDAY, Fla. (WFLA) – An elderly Holiday man is accused of molesting a child in a church parking lot while church services were going on.
Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies say on Huiell Crawford Denton Jr., 65, approached an 11-year-old boy at the Calgary Baptist Church in Holiday and told the boy he had a gift for him in his car. Denton then allegedly walked with the victim to his car which was in the church parking lot.
Denton sat in the driver’s seat of the car and had the victim lean over him to reach a bag that contained a gift on the front passenger floorboard, according to an arrest affidavit. Denton allegedly admitted to detectives that he molested the boy.
“This is a sick individual,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said, holding up a picture of Huiell Crawford Jr. during a news conference. “This is absolutely a sick individual. This is somebody that we want to warn people about.”
Denton, who goes by “Derk” Denton, is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under age 12 and luring or enticing a child. Denton is being held in the Pasco County Jail on no bond.
Investigators said Wednesday that Denton was convicted in 1990 of lewd act on a child and criminal sexual conduct with a minor in South Carolina, serving one year in prison. The sheriff said they are fearful there could be other victims.
“In our opinion it’s very strange for somebody just to have committed this offense in 1990 and just do one recently and there’s nothing in between,” Nocco said.
Denton taught Sunday school for adults at the church and also interacted with the congregation – including children – through a program in which he would have individuals pull items out of a bag and then teach a brief lesson based on it, investigators said. Denton’s wife also worked there until she recently resigned, a detective said.
The church’s pastor, Rev. Douglas Kirk, released a statement to News Channel 8 saying: “Upon advice of council we are fully cooperating at this time with Law Enforcement and hope to see justice served.”
Denton was arrested on June 23 and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 and luring or enticing a child. He is being held without bond in the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. The arrest affidavit said that Denton is employed a sales associate at Badcock Furniture in Largo.
