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Former pastor charged with sex assault

The former pastor of a Baptist church in Bucks County was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting a girl more than 20 years ago, police said.

The former pastor of a Baptist church in Bucks County was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting a girl more than 20 years ago, police said.

Scott B. Sechrist, 61, served as pastor of the Morrisville Baptist Church and lived in the Levittown section of Bristol Township, where the assaults occurred, police said. Sechrist allegedly knew the girl's family from his church.

The alleged assaults began in 1989 when the girl was about 9. She reported the pastor in 1992, court records show, but no charges were filed at the time. Bristol Township Lt. Terry Hughes said an explanation will come out in court but declined to comment further.

Sechrist faces charges that include involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony. District Judge Robert Wagner released Sechrist on $500,000 unsecured bail.

A call to the church on Thursday was not returned.

- Ben Finley