PHOENIX -- A Phoenix father suspected of sexual molestation and two of his family pastors accused of failing to report the incident were arrested by police on Wednesday.
A 16-year-old girl told her neighbors on July 9 that her father had been molesting her for several years, according to Phoenix police.
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The neighbors confronted the father who admitted he knew it was wrong but said he had never actually penetrated his daughter, police said. The neighbor took the child to a nearby church where they were able to flag down patrol officers, police said. At that time, the child reported the offense to the officers.
The girl told police about one instance of actual sexual intercourse and several acts of sexual contact over an almost five-year period, according to the police report. Detectives said they also were told the victim's now 19-year-old sister had been molested by their father, causing her to move out when she turned 18.
The father has admitted to numerous counts of sexual abuse with both victims, police said. He has been arrested on one count of sexual abuse, two counts of child molestation, and 11 counts of sexual conduct with a minor.
Police said the 19-year-old daughter told her pastors, Daniel and Laura McCluskey, that she was being touched inappropriately by her father. The conversation occurred at the church and included the two pastors and the father, police said.
The pastors told the victim that because the father was repentant, she should forgive him and restore their relationship, according to the police report.
After this conversation, the father stopped sexually abusing the older daughter but continued sexually abusing the younger daughter, police said.
The younger daughter continued to be sexually abused for the next one to two years, according to police.
Under the Arizona Revised Statute, the pastors had a duty to report the incident to Child Protective Services or police. The pastors were both arrested on one count each of failure to report sexual abuse.
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