Retired GA Pastor Clarence Caldwell Arquitt Jr., 86, Accused of Child Molestation & Sodomy

Clarence Caldwell Arquitt Jr., 86, arrested & charged with child molestation and sodomy of girl several times over eight year period starting at age three until 11.

Lee County Jail (NC)

Pastor Clarence Caldwell Arquitt Jr., 86, of Sanford, NC, has been accused of molesting a girl several times over an eight-year period. According to the AJC, Arquitt, who has held positions at various churches in the South, including North Cobb Church of Christ, has refused to return to Georgia to face charges of child molestation and sodomy, Lt. Steve Rose with the Sandy Springs police said.

Instead, Arquitt was arrested and booked into the Lee County, N.C., jail, but was released after posting $30,000 bond, Rose said. Arquitt is fighting being extradited to Georgia.

The victim, now in her 20s, told police Arquitt molested her from the time she was 3 years old until she was 11, Rose said. The molestation occurred at Arquitt's Woodstock home and later at his home in Sandy Springs, police said.

Investigators have determined that Arquitt has held positions at churches in metro Atlanta and throughout the Southeast, Rose said. Arquitt previously worked at North Cobb Church of Christ, Olive Street Church of Christ and Piedmont Road Church of Christ in Cobb County, and Woodstock Church of Christ in Cherokee County.

After helping found North Cobb Church of Christ in 1988, Arquitt served as the church's minister until he retired at the end of 1996, according to the church's website. In 1999, he was selected as the founder and initial director for the Georgia School of Preaching and Biblical Studies. Source

If the allegations are true, Clarence Caldwell Arquitt Jr., deserves to rot in prison for the rest of his life, which shouldn't be too long, considering his age. A person is innocent until proven guilty, so we will continue to follow this case as it makes its way through the court system.