Associate youth pastor at Excelsior Springs Baptist Church charged in alleged child sex crimes case

An associate youth leader at Excelsior Springs Baptist Church was arrested and charged this week in connection with alleged sex crimes involving a minor dating back to 2023, according to KSHB 41 News.

Court documents say Excelsior Springs police interviewed a female victim on Wednesday morning, Nov. 11, who alleged multiple instances of sexual assault involving the suspect. She told police the alleged crimes began in 2023, when she was 15 years old, with the first alleged incident occurring in July 2023. She also described additional alleged assaults in December 2023 in a classroom at the church, when she was 16.

On Thursday, Nov. 13, police located the suspect, identified as Donald Axtell, 37, on U.S. 69 Highway and took him into custody. Court documents state that Axtell initially denied any sexual relationship with the victim but later admitted to one during further questioning.

On Friday, the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Axtell with statutory rape, statutory sodomy, furnishing pornographic material to a minor, and possession of child pornography. These are charges, not convictions, and Axtell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. As of Friday afternoon, he remained in custody at the Clay County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said in a news release Friday: “The alleged offense not only constitutes a serious violation of the law, but a grievous betrayal of the trust placed with an associate youth pastor to shepherd our community’s children.” Protecting children from abuse, particularly in a church setting where they are entrusted to adult leaders, is central to the concern raised by these allegations (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Police say their investigation “remains active.” Anyone with information may contact the Excelsior Springs police at 816-630-2000.

Source: Read the original report