Pastor highlighted in Star-Telegram investigation is arrested on sexual abuse charges
An independent fundamental Baptist church leader was arrested and charged Monday with sexual assault in Maryland.
Cameron Giovanelli was one of the pastors highlighted in the Star-Telegram’s December 2018 series “Spirit of Fear,” which found hundreds of allegations of sexual misconduct going back decades in independent fundamental Baptist churches and their affiliated institutions.
Giovanelli was arrested by Baltimore County police and charged with sexual abuse of a minor, perverted practice and fourth degree sexual offense that occurred in 2007, according to court records.
Giovanelli is accused of sexually abusing Sarah Jackson when he was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Dundalk, Maryland. Giovanelli is an associate pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Florida, but was not listed on the church’s ministry page as of Wednesday.
A woman who answered the phone at Immanuel Baptist Church said they had no comment.
Jackson said Giovanelli sexually abused her when she was a teenager.
“I have cried. I have prayed. I have been thru hell and back watching my character, my integrity and my family’s character being shredded for speaking up,” Jackson posted on her Facebook in response to the arrest. “Today, God’s timing was revealed.”
She did not respond to requests for further comment.
Before she went public with her accusations last year, Jackson told the pastor of her former church, Stacey Shiflett, that Giovanelli had abused her. At the time, Giovanelli was president of Golden State Baptist College in Santa Clara, California.
When no one at the college called him for six days, Shiflett started to worry that the college was trying to cover up Jackson’s accusations, he said in an interview Wednesday.
“They were more busy trying to protect themselves as opposed to finding out what happened,” he said Wednesday. “I was worried they were about to say he was innocent and falsely accused, and I insisted this was not going to get covered up.”
Giovanelli was transferred to Jacksonville and, in May, he and Pastor Greg Neal announced plans to open a college in north Florida. Giovanelli was to be the president of the school when it opens in 2020.
“They’re pretty much in denial that it happened. They’re attacking me, and they’re attacking the victim. They crucified that girl,” Shiflett said.
Police investigated Neal in 2011 over allegations that he videotaped unsuspecting women as they changed their clothes in his church office a decade earlier. By then, the one-year statute of limitations on the allegations had run out.
On Wednesday, Giovanelli’s name no longer appeared on the administration page for the college. The school did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After Giovanelli’s announcement in May 19, Jackson spoke about the abuse on a podcast. On Thursday, Giovanelli denied Jackson’s accusations in a public statement.
Giovanelli wrote that Jackson “is a liar and her day of dragging my name through the mud is done! For over one year I have allowed her to smear my name, seek to destroy my reputation, and harass my family through social media.”
Shiflett said he is relieved Giovanelli was charged and credits Jackson’s bravery for speaking out.
“I’m really glad the detectives sunk their teeth into this, because I knew if they did, they would find probable cause,” he said.
Shiflett said Giovanelli turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On Tuesday, Giovanelli was released from jail on recognizance — a written promise saying he will show up for future court appearances and not engage in illegal activity.
This story was originally published August 7, 2019 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Pastor highlighted in Star-Telegram investigation is arrested on sexual abuse charges."