Girl Says Pastor Inappropriately Touched Her Twice

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A Bloomington pastor was charged with child molestation, accused of inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl on two occasions, but he claims he was merely comforting the girl.

Donald Leroy Robinson, 56, is the pastor at Grace Baptist Temple, which operates a private school, 6News' Renee Jameson reported.

The student said Robinson fondled her twice at the school. She told police that the second incident happened on May 2 as she waited for her mother to pick her up and take her to a doctor.

"He, on two occasions, put his hand under her shirt on her skin and touched her stomach and then moved his hand up and rubbed her on her breast," said Monroe County sheriff's Detective Brad Swain.

Swain said the girl was visibly shaken when she told investigators her story because she didn't want Robinson to get into trouble.

"She adored him and was very distraught about providing this information," Swain said. "In her mind, it was an accident."

Police said Robinson admitted to them that he had rubbed the girl's chest and stomach, but said he was just trying to comfort her.

"I couldn't quite grasp the logic. If this was an adult and it happened, it certainly wouldn't be tolerated," Swain said.

After learning of the allegations, Robinson's long-time neighbor Bob Courter told 6News he thinks Robinson is innocent.

"I really don't think there's a thing to this," Courter said. "It's just mistaken, because he wouldn't do it."

The girl no longer attends the school. Robinson has hired an attorney and is expected to turn himself in soon, police said.