SARASOTA -Sarasota Police have announced that a local Sarasota pastor, has been charged with an additional count of Sexual Battery with a Child under 12.
72–year–old Henry Porter Sr., founder and Bishop of Westcoast Center for Human Development, is now facing two counts of sexual battery of a child. The second charge stems from abuse a victim says took place between April and November 1990 when the victim was attending school at Westcoast Center for Human Development. In October 2019, Sarasota Police received notification of a video being viewed through social media regarding alleged abuse. The accuser stated he had been sexually abused as a child by a Bishop
According to Police, the first accuser was first molested as a young boy in 1989, and the abuse continued for several years. 14 additional victims have shared their story with police, but this is only the second charge due to the statute of limitations.
Porter was arrested on January 2nd by Sarasota Police Department. Multiple SPD investigations found evidence of more than four decades of children and adult sexual abuse.
Assistant State Attorney Ryan Felix asked the judge to look back at Porter’s history citing other child abuse investigations in the past. “As you can see from the PCA, your honor, that Mr. Porter has been sexually abusing children for decades it spans multiple generations and as far as we can tell it started in the 1970s,” said Felix.
Porter founded the Westcoast Center for Human Development on N. Washington Blvd in 1971 but stepped down as bishop in 2016. The affidavit states some of the victim abuse started among children as young as 11 years old with the abuse taking place at Porters home and inside Porter’s private office at the church.
SPD conducted similar investigations in 1990 and early 2000’s however all victim statements were outside the state of limitation, so no charges were filled.
The Porter, who’s wife reportedly committed suicide several years ago, remains in the Sarasota County jail and is being held without bond. If convicted Porter faces two counts of sexual battery of a child under 12 years of age. Each charge is first degree felony punishable by up to life in prison.