Dawson James Brown, 27, was arrested on Friday, July 17, on multiple charges, including one count of statutory rape, two counts of sexual battery, and one count of human trafficking, after police in Pearl River, Mississippi, received information that a 14-year-old girl was pregnant.
Dawson’s mother, Sabrina Brown, 54, was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, attempted tampering with physical evidence, and felony child neglect, specifically “intentionally and knowingly permitting the continuing sexual abuse of a child.”
Authorities said in a statement that the girl, who was 13 when the alleged crime took place, was living at the time with the pastor’s family. The pastor, whose name was not revealed, serves at New Heights/College Heights Baptist Church in Poplarville. The church’s website has been deactivated.
Investigators say Sabrina conspired with the girl to tamper with evidence by instructing her how she could fabricate and submit a false DNA-related document to investigators.
Court documents say Dawson’s text messages to Sabrina appear to reveal that she “attempted to coerce, direct and instruct” the girl to give this false information regarding Dawson’s DNA to authorities.
The girl’s mother also reportedly provided a statement that she received money and favors from Dawson.
Online, rumors are circulating that the church even held a baby shower for the teen – something officials are investigating.
“We’ve heard that, and we are working to verify the facts,” PRCSO Chief Deputy Freddy Drennan told WLOX. “That is part of what we are looking into.”
In a Facebook statement, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department shared that it “received a law enforcement referral from the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services regarding a fourteen-year-old female juvenile, who was reported to be pregnant. The reporting party was anonymous.”
The department said the investigation is ongoing, and did not rule out the possibility of more arrests.
“This investigation does involve a juvenile victim, and we are asking the public to respect the victim’s privacy and not share or release the juvenile’s identity,” the statement continued, while also asking anyone with “credible and relevant information regarding this active investigation” to contact them.