Texas Youth Pastor Sentenced for Assaults

In Ellis County, Texas, former youth pastor Marvin Scales was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault involving minors, including a case where a 14-year-old girl gave birth to his child. Scales, already a registered sex offender, used his position to exploit children in his congregation, and evidence from his home security system confirmed the assaults. Separately, Denton police arrested Craig Stone, a youth director at Willowwood Church of the Nazarene, on charges of possession of child pornography and indecency with a child. Stone admitted to both touching a male teenager inappropriately and possessing naked images of another victim. Both cases highlight serious breaches of trust by church officials and underscore the ongoing challenges in protecting minors from abuse within religious institutions.