A former Bible school teacher who admitted to having oral sex with an underage girl inside a Florida church has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
Robert Russell Browning, of Jacksonville, was sentenced on Tuesday to 7 ½ years behind bars after pleading guilty last month to charges including lewd and lascivious battery and lewd and lascivious molestation in connection to the sex acts with a juvenile female inside Cedar Creek Baptist Church, the Florida Times-Union reports.
The 60-year-old, who surrendered to police in August, was listed as a Bible teacher at the Cedar Creek Christian School, which serves as a ministry of the church at the same location. Authorities said the sexual activity took place in July, according to the newspaper.
An image of male genitalia believed to depict Browning was found on the girl’s cellphone and the image was sent from a number connected to Browning, according to an arrest warrant.
The girl’s father told authorities that his daughter reported engaging in consensual oral sex with Browning inside the church as he fondled her, the warrant continued.
Text messages on the girl’s cellphone also revealed conversations about the sex acts and Facetime chats while nude, the warrant states.
The girl was between the age of 12 and 16 during the illicit encounters, which were uncovered by her father while he perused her cellphone, according to a police report obtained by WJXT.
The church now intends to increase security measures at the facility, including to install additional security cameras, according to the station.
Browning will now be required to register as a sex offender and has been barred from contacting the victim.
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