Pastor charged with abusing teen

MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A Chester pastor, 70, is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly recording sexual encounters with a girl, 17, on his cellphone while paying her $ 2,000 to keep quiet.

“Like every case of child abuse, this is about the abuse of power,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Monday. “The defendant spotted this young girl in the check- out line at a grocery store and, over a period of months, he groomed her, initially by flirting, and then by more sexually explicit encounters.”

An affidavit of probable cause written by Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division Detective Mark Bucci details how Edward Lilly, pastor of the Christian Church of Chester at 308 W. Third St., allegedly recorded himself sexually abusing the girl at his home, in a rented recreational vehicle, at hotels and at Henry Johnson Park in Trainer.

Lilly, of the 4100 block of Kates Glen Drive in Boothwyn, is charged with 10 counts each of child pornography and knowingly photographing or videotaping a person under the age of 18 engaging in sexual acts, all felonies of the second degree, as well as one first- degree felony charge of communicating with a minor to facilitate sexual abuse, one count of criminal use a communication facility, a thirddegree felony, and one misdemeanor count of corruption of minors.

“The defendant targeted this young person, knowing full well her age, as well as knowing the legal age of consent,” said Stollsteimer. “Moreover, he used money to buy the victim’s silence, and he instructed her in the deletion of text messages and images from her phone.”

The alleged victim, now 19, spoke with Bucci and CID Sgt. Robin Clark on Aug. 13, according to the affidavit. During that interview, she recounted how Lilly began showing her attention in 2017 during her shifts as a cashier at an Upper Chichester grocery store he frequented. She was 16 years old at the time, a fact Lilly was aware of, according to the affidavit,

Lilly allegedly flirted with the girl, asking if she had ever had sex, the affidavit says. At one time, he allegedly put a vibrator in her hand and asked if she knew what it was. He also gave her a $ 100 bill for her 17th birthday, according to the affidavit.

The alleged victim told investigators that Lilly pestered her for her phone number and used it to text her when she finally relented. He learned her work schedule and showed up before her shifts beginning in early 2018, the affidavit says, twice inviting her into his car to talk.

In one of those discussions, the girl said she told Lilly she was upset because she had a falling out with her father. He allegedly placed a hand on her thigh, told her he was sorry to hear about her troubles, and then kissed her on the lips.

In the spring of 2018, the girl told Lilly she was running for her high school track team and would run down Township Line Road to Henry Johnson Park, according to the affidavit. Shortly thereafter, Lilly joined her at the park to run with her but took her to a secluded area and had intercourse with her, the affidavit says.

Lilly allegedly recorded that first instance on his phone, images of which were recovered from his laptop, according to the affidavit. The sexual relationship allegedly continued for several months thereafter with numerous meetings at various locations.

Lilly allegedly showed the girl pornographic videos and asked her to reenact them, asked for and sent sexually explicit photographs over a cellphone he bought specifically for the relationship, suggested she buy sex toys so he could watch her use them on herself, and asked for and received her used underwear, which he placed into a ziplock bag, the affidavit says.

During this period, Lilly provided the girl with about $ 2,000, which she told investigators felt like a way to buy her silence. He also allegedly told her not to tell anyone about their relationship and to delete text messages and other data.

Investigators recovered several devices while serving a search warrant on Lilly’s home Aug. 26, according to the affidavit. Forensic examiners used tools to recover deleted data that included a video of Lilly and the girl in an upstairs hallway of Lilly’s home Sept. 24, 2019, according to the affidavit, when the alleged victim would have been 17 years old.

Stollsteimer said the sexual relationship continued from 2018 through some point in 2020. He commended the alleged victim for coming forward and said she has been very cooperative with the investigation. Stollsteimer also applauded the work of investigators and the forensic team in bringing the arrest. He said Lilly may have groomed others in the same manner and urged anyone who suspects their child may have been victimized to call his office at 610- 8914161.

Often in “grooming” cases, the defendant will insert themselves into the victim’s life by expressing a shared interest, then making themselves indispensible as a trusted mentor and friend to try to make them feel comfortable, Stollsteimer said. References of a sexual nature will then be inserted into conversations where they don’t belong in an effort to normalize that talk and break down the barrier to having sex, he said.

It may be uncomfortable or difficult to maintain lines of communication with teenage children, but Stollsteimer and Clark said it is critically important that parents be involved in their lives and know who they are talking to and where they are going.

“You have to check the cellphones, you have to check the tablets, and you have to really engage with your kids,” said Clark. “Let them feel as though ( you are) their best friend. You can tell mom and dad everything, not that somebody on the outside is closer to them than you are.”

Lilly was arrested at his home Monday morning and preliminarily arraigned before Magisterial District Judge R. Griffin. He was released on $ 100,000 unsecured bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 10.

Defense attorney Arik Benari had no comment Monday. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Boggs, head of the Special Victims Unit, is prosecuting.