5년간 사역, 피해자 3명

버지니아주 페어팩스 카운티 경찰(FCPD)은 지난 4일 버크 지역에 위치한 필그림 교회에서 전도사와 청년부 목사를 맡았던 홍성우(37·Sung Woo Hong) 씨를 미성년자에 대한 가중 성범죄혐의로 기소했다고 밝혔다.

기소장에 따르면 ‘샘 전도사’로 불렸던 홍 씨가 2015년부터 2019년까지 교회 청소년 활동 및 밴드 디렉터로 사역했다. 추행은 2016년부터 2019년 사이에 한적한 교회 사무실에서 일어난 것으로 드러났으며, 한 피해자의 폭로 이후에 2020년부터 수사가 시작됐다. 조사 과정에서 추가 피해자가 확인됐으며, 2021년 10월 카운티 법원은 체포 영장을 발부했다.

그러나 홍씨는 이미 한국으로 귀국한 뒤였다. 이 사건을 인지한 교회측은 2019년에 홍 씨를 해고했고, 이후 미국을 떠난 것이다. 경찰은 그를 페어팩스 카운티로 송환해 재판에 회부하기 위해 FBI를 통해 한국 수사당국에 인도 요청한 상태다.

 A former Virginia pastor has been charged with multiple sex offenses.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Sung Woo Hong – known as "Pastor Sam" at the Pilgrim Community Church in Burke – committed several sexual assaults inside a secluded office in the church between 2016 and 2019.

The 37-year-old South Korean native served as an intern pastor at the church from 2015 to 2018.

Hong was assigned as the pastor of youth activities and taught the church’s youth band in 2018, according to police records.

After Hong stopped working with the church in 2019, authorities say he returned to South Korea.