Former California Megachurch Pastor Accused of Child Sex Abuse and Trafficking in Romania

A former pastor of a Riverside megachurch has been accused of sexually abusing and trafficking children over eight years at a shelter he ran in Bucharest, according to lawsuits filed by two Romanian men in U.S. District Court in California.

The complaints, filed Tuesday by Marian Barbu and Mihai-Constantin Petcu, allege that former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor and missionary Paul Havsgaard severely abused them and dozens of other children at the shelter. The lawsuits also name the church’s founder and senior pastor, Greg Laurie, as well as other senior church leaders, accusing them of failing to prevent abuse.

The lawsuits claim Havsgaard lured struggling street children with fast food and the promise of shelter and education. The men, now in their 30s and 40s, described enduring lasting harm, including PTSD and social difficulties, according to their lawyer, Jef McAllister.

The church provided no contact for Havsgaard, and attempts to reach him through online searches were unsuccessful. Harvest Christian Fellowship issued a statement calling the allegations shocking but asserting that Havsgaard should be the focus, not the church or its founder.

The complaints allege negligence on the church’s part, stating that Laurie and other senior leaders failed to supervise Havsgaard despite repeated red flags and reports from donors, visitors, and others about suspected sexual abuse and poor living conditions at the shelter.

The lawsuit claims Laurie kept Havsgaard in Romania with minimal oversight and that the church deposited $17,000 each month into Havsgaard’s personal bank account. Havsgaard also returned to California, bringing some of the children he was accused of abusing, to raise funds for Harvest, citing his work rehabilitating street children in Romania.

The church said it funded Havsgaard’s initiative for “a period of time,” as it has supported numerous missionaries globally. However, it called much of the lawsuit false and slanderous, stating it has tried to engage with the plaintiffs and reported the allegations to law enforcement, but the men and their lawyer have refused to cooperate.

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