MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- Disturbing allegations have sent a Magnolia preacher to jail.
Deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Conroe Police have arrested Ronald Wayne Mitchell and charged him with sexual assault of a child.
Deputies who raided his home also retrieved a large cache of weapons.
Mitchell’s church is the Body of Christ Ministry. The small church operates out of his home where many of his parishioners also reside.
One of them agreed to talk but asked not to be identified.
“We are a close congregation,” the man said. “We’re going through hard times with the economy being the way it is. So he opened up his house. And we all came at one time into the house.”
Some members called Mitchell a father figure and blamed the allegations on a woman who used to live in the house but chose to leave because she didn’t want to follow the rules.
“It’s just wrong,” said Celexia Smith. “Why would you accuse someone who’s completely innocent and ruin his life? Why would you do something like that?”
Through the years, Mitchell has lead his church from other locations surrounding Houston and investigators believe there could be more victims who have yet to come forward.
But church members aren’t buying it.
“It’s based on lies and it all will fail,” a member said.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Mitchell posted bond Wednesday night but has not yet been released from jail because the judge has required him to surrender his passport and wear a GPS ankle monitor.