Saginaw clergyman used position to coerce, sexually assault woman, police say
A Saginaw religious leader is accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside a synagogue, according to court documents.
Rabbi Mark Aaron Griffin, 47, was indicted on a sexual assault charge in December 2020. A search warrant filed by the Saginaw Police Department on March 31 provided more details into the case.
A woman told police in September 2020 that Griffin sexually assaulted her inside the Sar Shalom synagogue on Bluebonnet Street, according to court documents. Griffin wanted her to be his concubine and used religious texts to try and convince her that she should be his second wife, she said, according to the search warrant. He told her God had given her to him as a gift.
On one occasion, she told him “no,” and he sexually assaulted her, according to the search warrant. The detective on the case wrote in the search warrant that he believed Griffin used his influence as a clergyman to coerce the woman into sex.
Sar Shalom Synagogue preaches Yeshua Centered Judaism, a sector of Messianic Judaism, according to the group’s website. Messianic Jews believe that Jesus was the Messiah, aligning their views more with Christians than the traditional Jewish faith. Griffin self-identifies as a rabbi, but some mainstream Jewish groups do not recognize Messianic leaders as rabbis.
The search warrant was filed in order for Saginaw police to swab Griffin’s saliva in order to compare his DNA to that of semen found inside the church. In September, police found evidence of semen on the floor of Griffin’s office and another room inside the synagogue.
On Thursday, police took the DNA sample from Griffin.
The Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC is representing Griffin.
“We believe strongly in the presumption of innocence, and we believe that it absolutely applies in this case,” the firm said in a statement said. “Unfortunately, because it is a pending case, we cannot comment on the facts or circumstances surrounding the case at this time.”’
This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
