Man accused of sexually assaulting boys in church bathroom

SPLENDORA, Texas -- A Montgomery County man is in jail and accused of sexually assaulting at least three young boys in a church bathroom.

Juan McKinney, 21, is accused of aggravated sex assault of a child and three counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Investigators say the attacks occurred inside the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Splendora between December 2012 and May 2015. Those boys were between 6 and 9 years old during that time period, according to court documents.

One of the boys told investigators they were forced to do "...gross stuff, nasty stuff...." Each told detectives how McKinney would allegedly lure them into the church bathroom with a game he called "Vampire and Wolf." Inside a stall, they claim, McKinney would touch them and force them to inappropriately touch him. They said the attacks happened sometimes even during church prayer.

For months, the boys silently endured these sessions, only later telling investigators McKinney threatened them.

"If you tell, you would get beat up," McKinney allegedly said.

Prosecutors say deputies only discovered the sex assaults after one of the boys went to a church elder with an outcry.

"I think his (expletive) ought to be cut off!" said Betty Jordan, who lives in a home next door to church.

She can't imagine someone hurting a child like this.

"Any man that molested a child needs have it cut off," she said.

McKinney was arrested in November.

"What they talking about down there is not true about him," said a man who answered the door at the home where authorities say McKinney was living.

A neighbor, who has sons of his own, says in the six years he's known McKinney he's never felt uncomfortable with him around.

"I never once thought that he was a child predator of any sort. I never once noticed him look at any child," said John Lopez.

Church of the Lord Jesus Christ Pastor Ray Dickerson says McKinney did not work at the church, nor did he volunteer there. He was just a member seeking spiritual guidance.

"I guess when you let your guard down, you never know what a person might do," Dickerson said.

McKinney is in the Montgomery County jail, held in lieu of a $300,000 bond. His attorney did not respond to calls for comment.