A local Pastor's Wrongdoing

Hattiesburg, Miss. - A local pastor has set bond for a shameful act he did 20 years ago.

Pastor Earnest Blount Jr. has served parishioners at Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church for years, but now is facing the consequences of what happened.

Hattiesburg Police Officer, Lt. Jon Traxler said, "We took the report December 16, 2015 of a sexual battery that occurred almost 20 years ago to a victim who was 15 years of age at the time. The victim did come to us. It happened at 510 Dumas Ave. where the suspect, Earnest Blount was the pastor in his office there. The victim reported that after seeing the suspect, Mr. Blount continue to preach, the victim just couldn't take it anymore and was having a lot of anxiety issues; therefore, in order to relieve themselves of that pressure, that's why they came forward and reported it."

Traxler explains what will happen next as the investigation moves forward.

"We'll finish the case, we'll forward it to a district attorney's office. They'll then take it to the grand jury and once the grand jury, if they indict, then it will go to trial."

The investigation is still ongoing.