Two Baltimore ministers have been charged with obstructing a police investigation into suspected child abuse at a church-run camp in Carroll County.
The Revs. Raphael Gamalial Warnock, 33, and Mark Andre Wainwright, 30, of Douglas Memorial Community Church are accused in court documents of trying to prevent a state trooper from interviewing counselors at the church's Camp Farthest Out in Eldersburg.
A state trooper assigned to the case said neither of the clergymen is a suspect in the child abuse investigation, but the officer would not describe the nature of the suspected abuse.
Warnock, who is senior pastor of the West Baltimore church, said yesterday that the alleged abuse is not sexual. Because the investigation is continuing, he refused to further discuss the accusations of child abuse.
The ministers interrupted a police interview of a counselor Wednesday in a room at the camp and, after investigators moved the interview to a nearby picnic area, interfered again and subsequently tried to prevent a camper from directing police to another potential witness, according to charging documents.
"I've never encountered resistance like that at all," said Trooper Diane Barry of the state police Child and Sexual Assault Unit in Westminster. Barry said the counselors consented to the interviews after being told they were free to go at any time and were not obligated to answer her questions.
After being arrested and charged, the two men were released on their own recognizance to await trial, scheduled for Oct. 30.
Warnock denied any wrongdoing in his interaction with police, saying he was only asserting that lawyers should be present during counselor interviews.
"Reverend Wainwright and I acted well within the framework of the law, and I am confident that we will be exonerated. It's just unfortunate that our children had to see their pastors carried away in handcuffs," he said. "My concern simply had to do with the presence of counsel. We cooperated fully with their investigation. We have nothing to hide."
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