Former Megachurch Pastor in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Re-arrested on New Charge as Second Alleged Victim Comes Forward

Gabriel “Gabe” Mills, a former guest experiences pastor at Journey Church, a megachurch in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was arrested on a new charge seconds after his preliminary hearing on earlier charges, according to a statement from the Kenosha Police Department. He now faces three counts of Class 1 Felony capturing an intimate representation without consent.

The earlier accusations were made in a criminal complaint filed the previous week. The complaint alleges that Mills sent nude photos of a woman from her husband’s phone to Mills’ own phone. It further alleges that Mills searched for the intimate photos on the husband’s phone during a church life group meeting at Mills’ home and then sent them to himself via AirDrop. These remain allegations.

Police reported that a second victim has now come forward with similar allegations. Detectives said they found evidence on Mills’ phone that substantiated the second victim’s claims. Josh Hecker, a lieutenant with the Kenosha Police Department, told 12 News on Wednesday that another person had come forward on Oct. 5 and believed they were also a victim. “You will see a lot of similarities between the two cases,” Hecker said. “There isn’t much difference there.”

Several search warrants have been executed against Mills, and “many items of evidence have been seized,” police said. The seized items, which include mostly electronic devices, are being processed to identify other potential victims. The investigation is ongoing, and police are asking anyone with information to come forward, a step that reflects the call to protect the vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The Roys Report (TRR) reported that Mills, 41, was fired from his role at Journey Church on September 29, one day after church leadership learned of the allegations against him. Church leadership sent an email to congregants informing them of the termination. The email, obtained by the Kenosha County Eye, said, “This news has come as a great shock to our church and school community,” and “Gabe is entitled to due process, and we will cooperate with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”

The criminal complaint, however, alleges that church leadership has not been fully cooperative with police. According to the complaint, Lead Pastor Kevin Taylor told police that he spoke with Mills on September 28 and 29 about the allegations, and that he terminated Mills on September 29 because the “allegations were believable enough.” When police asked Taylor for a formal statement of those conversations, he declined. “Kevin indicated that he had spoken to Journey Church’s attorneys and he would not provide a statement,” the complaint states. TRR said it contacted the church for further comment but had not received a response before publication.

Journey Church belongs to the Assemblies of God and operates four campuses nationally and one in Lithuania, according to its website. The church has limited comments on its Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Mills entered a plea of not guilty yesterday to the first two charges against him, according to court records. He will next appear in court in December.

Source: Read the original report