NEW ALBANY, Ohio — A 36-year-old Ohio man, the son of founders of two central Ohio megachurches, faces 27 felony charges related to alleged sex crimes against minors, authorities said.
Gary “Tom” Keesee Jr. of Johnstown was charged in Knox County Common Pleas Court with 11 counts of rape, 11 counts of gross sexual imposition, and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, according to court records. The Licking County Sheriff’s Office said Keesee was arrested Friday and is being held in the Licking County jail.
The accusations stem from alleged incidents between May 2002 and October 2011, court records show. Several women told investigators Keesee groomed and sexually assaulted them when they were minors, with one victim alleging abuse began when she was 5 or 6 years old and occurred more than 50 times, according to WBNS-TV.
Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp said at a Monday news conference that the investigation began in February after earlier reports from victims as early as December. “Our focus is on the victims, that’s what matters to us,” Thorp said. He noted that other agencies declined to investigate before his office took the case, citing the church’s location in Licking County.
Keesee, who resigned from his position at Faith Life Church in August, is the son of senior pastors Gary and Drenda Keesee. Authorities said there is no evidence the alleged crimes occurred at the church, though all victims were church members and knew each other as children, WBNS reported.
Faith Life Church said in a statement to WCMH-TV that the allegations involve incidents from approximately two decades ago and are unrelated to church activities. The church said it has fully cooperated with the sheriff’s investigation.
Keesee is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.