MOUNT VERNON — The Knox and Licking County sheriff’s offices are jointly investigating allegations of sexual misconduct connected with the Faith Life Church in New Albany.
The church and its more than 3,000 members are led by co-pastors Gary Keesee, and his wife, Drenda Keesee, who recently took office as Knox County commissioner.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office confirmed the allegations include crimes that involve juvenile victims.
“Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp is going to assign one of his detectives to be the primary investigator for the case,” Knox County Sheriff Daniel Weckesser told Knox Pages.
“The Knox County Sheriff’s Office will have a detective assist in the investigation.”
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Knox County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Scott McKnight confirmed Monday the allegations include sexual assault.
According to documents from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, allegations include assault and attempted assault; inappropriate relationships with young girls; inappropriate texting; and “grooming.”
McKnight said the allegations go back several years and confirmed the investigation will include talking to church leaders.
That list of those to be interviewed, he said, includes, but is not limited to, Tom Keesee, former chief media officer for Faith Life Church, and the adult son of Gary and Drenda Keesee. It also includes Gary and Drenda Keesee, and Executive Pastor Timothy Keesee, another adult son of the co-pastors.
No one has been charged in the investigation.
“Certainly (Tom Keesee) would be part of the investigation because he was part of the church at the time,” McKnight said.
“Anyone who has had any affiliation with the church at the time of these allegations will be interviewed to see if they have any information.
“I’m sure there will be others that will become involved as far as the staff as part of the church investigation,” McKnight said.
News of the joint investigation broke last week after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost declined to probe the allegations, claiming a conflict of interest due to his friendships with Gary and Drenda Keesee.
Attorney Katie Taber of Asiatico Law PLLC said Monday that Faith Life Church is aware of the “serious allegations concerning past conduct involving a member of our church leaders’ family.”
“In light of recent discussions and media coverage, Faith Life Church wants to clarify that there are no allegations against Pastors Gary and Drenda Keesee or any of our other pastors,” she said in an emailed statement to Knox Pages.
“While no formal charges have been filed, we take any allegations of misconduct seriously. Our leadership and pastors are fully committed to truth and transparency and are prepared to cooperate fully with law enforcement in any way necessary. We are seeking guidance from legal counsel to navigate this situation responsibly and in a manner that prioritizes truth and healing.
“We want to express our deepest compassion for those who have come forward and for anyone who has experienced harm. We recognize the courage it takes to speak out. We encourage anyone impacted to seek appropriate support and to report concerns to the proper authorities.
“As we navigate this difficult time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that Faith Life Church continues to be a place of safety, healing, and worship for all. We ask for prayers for all those affected and for our church family,” said Taber, a partner in the law firm based in Texas and Florida.
Weckesser said his Knox County Sheriff’s Office became involved on Dec. 24.
According to the report, a Columbus Police Department detective contacted KCSO to report an incident of rape/sex abuse involving a juvenile.
The incidents were reported to have taken place in Mount Liberty and a residence on Sharp Road, both in Knox County. Gary and Drenda Keesee own 104 acres on Sharp Road and reside on Sharp Road.
The report notes the KCSO tried to forward the case to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, citing Drenda Keesee’s role as a county commissioner.
A local law enforcement and/or a county prosecutor’s office must request the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to conduct an investigation.
A spokesperson for Yost’s office confirmed that on Jan. 23, the KCSO requested the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to investigate the allegations due to an undisclosed conflict.
BCI reviewed the case and determined it also had a conflict, according to Yost. Steve Irwin, spokesperson for the AG’s office, said there were two recusals in the case.
“The Knox County Sheriff’s Office had a conflict because Ms. Keesee is a [county] commissioner,” he said. “Our office had a conflict because AG Yost is friends with (Gary and Drenda Keesee).”
Yost put out his own written statement on his decision to recuse himself from the case.
“I’ve spent my life fighting for the survivors of sexual abuse, both as a prosecutor and as attorney general,” said Yost, whose office oversees BCI.
“If my office had accepted this investigation, one of two things would have occurred: a charge, or a or a decision to not charge for a lack of evidence.
“Either way, the credibility of the investigation would have been called into question – either by my critics who would claim my friendship prevented a thorough investigation, or by defense counsel at trial, who would try to claim that I am overreacting and targeting his client to prove my integrity for political purposes.
“The victims in the situation deserve better than that. An independent third-party must perform this investigation. By declining to perform an investigation in which I have personal conflict, I am honoring the victims, the process, the public at large and the cause of justice.”
In his statement, Yost didn’t identify which friendship posed a conflict.
BCI notified the KCSO on Feb. 3 that it could not take the case and told the county sheriff’s office, “your request should be forwarded to other suitable federal or state law enforcement agencies for investigation.”
Weckesser said that response from the OAG was a first in his law enforcement career.
“We, to my knowledge, have never been denied assistance from the Bureau Of Criminal Investigation whether their role is (investigating) or assisting in the 21 years I have been in law enforcement, so this is new for us.
“But we will work through the problem and find a solution,” the sheriff said.
The KCSO requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take the case. However, late Thursday afternoon, the FBI advised Weckesser the case does not reach the threshold needed for the federal law enforcement agency to handle the case.
On Friday, Thorp agreed to take the lead in the case.