Bible Teacher Allegedly Had Oral Sex With Minor Inside Church, Exchanged Nudes

A Bible teacher at a Christian school in Florida was accused of having oral sex with an underage girl inside a church, authorities said. Robert Russell Browning, who surrendered to the police, faces multiple charges including lewd battery on a person between the ages of 12 and 16.

The incident came to light after the girl's father told investigators at Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that he found inappropriate text messages, including nude photos, exchanged between Browning and his daughter last month. Other charges against Browning include lewd and lascivious molestation and transmission of material harmful to minors. Browning, whose bail is $250,000, has his next scheduled court date on Aug. 28, jail records show.

According to an arrest report obtained by WJXT, the girl's cellphone showed an image of male genitalia sent from a number associated with Browning. Text messages on the girl’s cellphone also contained conversations referencing video FaceTime chats while nude, according to the arrest warrant.

The underage girl, according to the arrest report, said she performed consensual oral sex on Browning as he touched her inappropriately inside Cedar Creek Baptist Church, which operates Cedar Creek Christian School. According to the church's pastor, Browning has since been fired, but his name remained on the school’s faculty page as of Wednesday.

“Of all people, I would have never, ever thought that something like that could have happened,” Pastor John Montgomery told a local TV station. “We live in a fallen world, and people do things that absolutely shock you.”

Montgomery said Browning had passed an FBI-involved background check when he was hired six years ago as a Bible teacher. He added that as a precaution in the future, the school is installing additional surveillance cameras on its grounds.

Meanwhile, the girl’s father said he is concerned someone in a position of trust allegedly victimized his daughter.

“It’s torn my family apart,” he told WJXT. “My daughter doesn’t want to speak to me anymore. I’m actually glad this is getting out because this is so sick and people really need to pay attention to who they’re hiring and who their kids are with. We live in a sick world.”