A youth leader at a South Jersey church is facing charges after being accused of sexual abuse by a teenage boy he used to mentor.
Camden County police arrested Samuel Bangs, 23, on June 9, the day after the youth reported the allegations.
Bangs, a resident of Bellmawr, N.J., is charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a minor and two counts of criminal sexual contact.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said Bangs met the boy, who is under 16, when he volunteered as a youth mentor at Grace Bible Church, located in Barrington in Camden County.
The alleged abuse occurred this spring at a number of locations, including in public parks. Bangs was no longer mentoring the youth when the alleged incidents took place.
Bangs also serves as the bookkeeper and treasurer of the Camden County chapter of the Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.
A Facebook page for Bangs describes that he is affiliated with Rutgers University.
The prosecutor’s office said it is only aware of the one victim but urged anyone with additional information to contact investigator Anthony Roccia at 856-225-8400.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
