A pastor is being held in jail for raping a 15-year-old girl who he was supposed to be teaching piano lessons.
Pastor Camerius J. Mills
A Baptist minister from Georgia is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl who is a member of his congregation.
Camerius J. Mills, 29, of Edison faces three counts of second-degree rape, one count of second-degree sodomy and three counts of travelling to meet a child for the purpose of having sex.
There could also be pending felony charges since police believe that at least one of the offenses occurred on federal property.
Mills originally stated that he was meeting with the child under the pretence of teaching her piano lessons. He is being held at Henry County Jail and after a hearing on Thursday was assigned $445,000 bond.
Sheriff’s investigator Keith Cauthen, who arrested Mills, said the sheriff’s office launched an investigation after officials with the Henry County Department of Human Resources reported the alleged offense in October.
"He was a pastor and he had befriended this young lady in his congregation," Cauthen said. "He picked her up under the pretences' on teaching her the piano."
Police say that Mills, who has been a pastor at St. Paul Baptist for three years, only gave the child one piano lesson.
"I questioned him, and he eventually admitted to everything. He knew better, he was a pastor. He befriended her and he took advantage of her, " Cauthen said.
If convicted of the crimes, Mills faces 10 to 99 years or life in prison.
See video of Mills' court arraignment: