Robert Fenton

Overview

Robert Fenton, 55, youth pastor at Abide In the Vine Fellowship in Owego, New York, in the late 1990s, was arrested in April 2024 after attempting to flee from Brisbane, Australia to the Philippines. …

Description

Robert Fenton, 55, youth pastor at Abide In the Vine Fellowship in Owego, New York, in the late 1990s, was arrested in April 2024 after attempting to flee from Brisbane, Australia to the Philippines. He had told a 14-year-old girl’s parents he was ‘meant to be with her,’ and with church leaders’ approval, conducted a ‘courtship’ under strict conditions. Fenton frequently assaulted the underage girl during his two years at the church. He pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault, both second-degree felonies, and was sentenced to 6 to 12 years in prison.