International Pastor Denies Beating Daughter

International Pastor Denies Beating Daughter

The founder and leader of a Georgia megachurch — who was arrested last week on charges of choking his teenage daughter, slamming her into the ground and hitting her with a shoe — told churchgoers on Sunday that he did not beat her.

"The truth is, she was not choked, she was not punched," Creflo Dollar, the pastor, said before delivering his Sunday sermon at World Changers Church International in Atlanta on Sunday.

Police in Fayette County were called to Dollar's home at 1 a.m. on Friday. Based on the police reports, Dollar's 15-year-old daughter said he "put his hands around her throat and began to choke her ... then slammed her to the ground, punched her and beat her with his shoe." There was a scratch on her neck, police said.

"There were not any scratches on her neck," Dollar said. "The only thing on her neck was a prior skin abrasion from eczema. Anything else is an exaggeration and sensationalism."

"The truth is that a family conversation with our youngest daughter got emotional," he said. "And emotions got involved and things escalated from there." His daughter told police the argument was over whether she could go to a party the next night.

Dollar was arrested on charges of battery, family violence and child cruelty. He spent the night in Fayette County Jail before posting $5,000 bail. He was released early Friday.

He criticized police for rushing to judgment.  Dollar has five children to Taffi, his co-pastor and wife.  Apparently, his followers believe him because he allegedly received an ovation on Sunday.

According to CNN, the World Changers Church International is "an $18 million sanctuary that resembles a golden-domed spaceship atop a hill."  It has 30,000 members.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday June 12 2012, 5:56 AM EDT. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0