Youth pastor charged with robbing, sexually assaulting women on South Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A south suburban man is facing charges of robbing five women and sexually assaulting two of them.
Justin Deloney, 36, made his first court appearance on Wednesday. CBS 2's Marissa Perlman has learned the suspect is also a youth pastor.
We spoke with the suspect's wife of 11 years, Samantha, outside the courtroom Wednesday afternoon. She said she is shocked to hear the charges against her husband – especially the ones connected to sexual assault.
She said her husband has been a leader in his community for 11 years, and has been a youth pastor for 19 years.
Deloney is promoted on Facebook as a "virtual preacher" with New Faith Outreach Ministry. His history as a youth pastor was brought up in court.
But prosecutors outlined a laundry list of robberies and criminal sexual assaults – all involving women and some of them at gunpoint.
Deloney was arrested on Sunday in the 300 block of Madison Avenue in Calumet City, police said. He is charged with crimes that happened on the city's South Side from late June to mid-July.
The crimes were described with the same modus operandi. Prosecutors said eth suspect would approach a woman, engage in conversation, and try to lure the woman into his car.
If the woman refused, he would steal her purse and take off, prosecutors said.
Police said Deloney targeted a 44-year-old woman in the 2300 block of East 79th Street on June 2, a 58-year-old woman in the 400 block of West 113th Street on July 9, and a 45-year-old woman in the 10200 block of South Wentworth Avenue on July 18.
He is also charged with the criminal sexual assault of a 47-year-old woman in the 12300 block of South Emerald Avenue on June 25, and a 34-year-old woman in the 9300 block of South Lyon Avenue on July 10.
One of those cases involved a homeless woman who took him up on the ride. Police said he sexually assaulted her at knifepoint before stealing her belongings.
Prosecutors said police found the women's IDs and credit cards inside the suspect's car, and arrested Deloney.
Deloney was ordered held without bond Wednesday. He will be back in court later this month.
