Pastor charged with sexually abusing teenager

Ralphael J. Robinson.
(Kane County state's attorney's office)

Ralphael Robinson, head pastor at Kingdom Church, faces one count of criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. The alleged abuse took place Monday at the church, which is on Lincolnway and described in its promotional materials as a "multi-cultural truth assembly."
Prosecutors said Robinson, 39, knows the teenage victim and the charges indicate that he had a "position of trust" in her life. Sources said the alleged victim's parents were friends with Robinson for years but did not know that he was listed as a "sexual predator" on the state's registry.

The victim confronted Robinson about the alleged incident, and secretly recorded their conversation before going to police, sources said. The teen decided to come forward in the hopes of protecting others, according to sources familiar with the case.

According to a biography posted on the church's now-defunct website, Robinson started Kingdom Church with his wife. It also says he has a master's degree in Christian education and a doctorate in divinity, but does not provide the names of the schools where he studied.

 "He functions under a strong apostolic mantle to declare truth, destroy deception and is set for the defense of the Gospel of His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," according to the biography, which the Tribune accessed through a version of the website that was cached in March.

 The head pastor at Kingdom Church in North Aurora has been charged with sexually abusing a child, according to Kane County prosecutors. (Tony Scott, Beacon-News) The website does not mention Robinson's criminal history, which includes a 2004 conviction for sexually abusing a 16-year-old victim in Cook County.

He is listed as a "sexual predator," a term used to identify people who are subject to lifetime registration. In 2013, Kane County prosecutors charged Robinson with failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.

 Court records show he was sentenced to six days in jail, six months of electronic home monitoring and 150 hours of community service. He also has been convicted of drug, firearm and armed robbery charges, according to Cook County records.

obinson, who was arrested Friday, remains in Kane County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond. His next court date is Thursday. The church's leadership has called a meeting for Monday night to discuss Kingdom's future, members said. A sign posted on its door Saturday read "NO SERVICE TODAY GOD BLESS," while both its website and Facebook page have been taken down.