Mandarin student minister out on bond

A student minister at Christ’s Church in Mandarin is out on bond.

38-year-old David Lawson is charged with four counts of lewd/lascivious molestation on a 15 year old.  The police report says the incidents happened between September 27 and December 16 of last year on the church grounds on Greenland Road.

“At Christ’s Church we are all shocked and totally surprised at the situation that has come to light,” says Attorney Kelly Mathis, who is speaking on the church’s behalf.

The report says JSO first received allegations against Lawson mid-December, but just Wednesday corroborated that information.  Lawson was picked up at the church and taken to the Sheriff’s Office.

Police say he confessed and expressed suicidal thoughts relating to the incident itself, so they issued a Baker Act.

He was released on bond around 8 PM Tuesday.

Mathis says the church itself is investigating circumstances around this incident.

“Our investigation reveals that this was a single, isolated incident,” he says.

A Christ’s Church employee tells WOKV Lawson was terminated effective Friday, and they are “shocked” about the allegations.