PLAIN TWP. ‒ A 41-year-old Canton man who served as an elder at a township congregation is being accused of inappropriate behavior.
The man is accused of a pattern of conduct with three victims to entice and/or solicit the victims for sexual activity while at the Star in the East, a Messianic congregation.
He faces six counts of grooming and one count of sexual imposition, all third-degree misdemeanors. The Canton Repository typically does not name individuals charged with misdemeanors.
The alleged victims are now 19, 18 and 17. The man is accused of grooming the 19-year-old when the victim was a juvenile.
He is also accused of having sexual contact with the 18-year-old at the teen's Plain Township residence.
He is accused of doing these acts from Jan. 12, 2023, to March 30, 2026.
Star in the East Rabbi Michael Oyler said the man was loved, an excellent father, and respected in the community.
"It's unfortunate and a surprise. It would be the last person you would expect this behavior from," Oyler said.
Oyler said the victims came to him about the alleged incidents on March 30. He then discharged the elder within hours and went to authorities the next day.
Oyler said none of the incidents were witnessed and leadership would have acted immediately if they had been. The man had been a member of the congregation for a decade.
"We all have sinned and fallen short; he will bear the consequences," Oyler said.
No court date is set, and the man has no attorney listed in court records.
Reach Aaron at 330-580-8428 or [email protected]. On X: @AaronHughe2
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ex-Plain Township congregation elder accused of grooming worshippers