Former Baptist pastor indicted
Minister who left Flower Mound in 2001 faces sex charges
By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News
February 8, 2003
A former Flower Mound Baptist pastor has been indicted by a Denton County grand jury in connection with sexual misconduct involving a 14-year-old girl and a woman in her 30s.
Grand jurors issued two indictments this week against Michael Wayne O'Guin, 34, who left The Church at Wichita Creek in Flower Mound amid allegations of misconduct in August 2001.
Mr. O'Guin, who arrived at the church in fall 1999, now lives in Tennessee.
Denton County District Attorney Bruce Isaacks said his office will seek to extradite Mr. O'Guin to Texas.
Mr. O'Guin was indicted on charges of the sexual assault of the girl and the attempted sexual assault of the woman. Officials say the later incident took place at the church.
Mr. O'Guin declined to comment Friday. He works at an insurance company in Dyersburg, Tenn.
He referred questions to his attorney, Knox Fitzpatrick, in Dallas. Mr. Fitzpatrick could not be reached for comment.
The girl was raped in spring 2001, said Flower Mound police Lt. Wendell Mitchell. The incident occurred at a residence on Devonshire Court in Flower Mound, according to police reports. Mr. O'Guin at one time lived on that street, Lt. Mitchell said. The girl reported the incident in September, he said.
The incident involving the woman occurred in fall 2000 at the church on Wichita Trail, Lt. Mitchell said. She reported the crime to police in October, he said.
Attempted sexual assault is a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison. Sexual assault is a second-degree felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
"He is innocent until proven guilty, but any time you have an allegations of a sex crime involving a minister, that's fairly egregious," Mr. Isaacks said. "Any allegations like this tears up a church. This church, from what I understand, has pretty well recovered. They're moving down the road, but nevertheless, it had to be done."
The church's current pastor, David Sylvester, said in a written statement that the church is cooperating with authorities.
"The pastor and leadership group of The Church at Wichita Creek in Flower Mound has only recently been informed by local law enforcement officials of the pending legal charges against Mr. O'Guin," said Dr. Sylvester, who joined the church in June. "As church leaders, we are fully cooperating with all requests from legal authorities and trust that this matter will be resolved in a manner fully consistent with the law."
He said the Flower Mound church, which has about 175 members, is recovering and counseling is being offered.
"The church is a healthy church that has experienced growth in recent days and has a bright future," Dr. Sylvester said. "Our primary concern and prayer as a church is for the full restoration and spiritual healing of all the individuals who may have been involved in this matter."
Lt. Mitchell said he did not know why the women did not alert police sooner.
Two weeks after the second report was made, Flower Mound detectives traveled to Tennessee to question Mr. O'Guin, Lt. Mitchell said. He was arrested on the two charges and taken to the Dyer County jail.
Lt. Mitchell declined to say whether Mr. O'Guin gave investigators a statement.
Mr. O'Guin was released after posting a $1,000 bond the same day, Dyer County jail officials said.
Mr. Isaacks said that he was surprised when the Tennessee court set such a low bail for Mr. O'Guin.
"I'd be shocked if a ... [Texas] judge released someone like that on a $1,000 bond," Mr. Isaacks said.
He added that Mr. O'Guin's father-in-law is the Dyersburg police chief. The chief did not return phone calls Friday.
Mr. O'Guin was formerly a minister in Brookport, Ill., and also has lived in Missouri and Arizona, Mr. Isaacks said.
E-mail jtrahan@dallasnews.com
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/020803dnmetpastor.a4158.html
SNAP Note: The Church at Wichita Creek in Flower Mound, Texas is shown as an SBC-affiliated church.