Pastor arrested for felony sexual abuse

An Anchorage pastor accused of molesting a teenage girl he led in worship has been arrested. The Anchorage Police Department said Pastor Dwight Greene turned himself in Wednesday afternoon.

Late Tuesday, police had actually sought the public's help in finding Greene on suspicion that he was intentionally evading them. Greene, who leads the Calvary Chapel of Anchorage, is now in jail and waiting to appear before a judge to answer charges of felony sexual abuse.

"There is a warrant for felony sexual assault of a minor," said APD spokesperson Anita Shell.

Greene is accused of sexually abusing a teenage member of his congregation, a young person he taught in bible study. APD said she was a 15-year-old member of the church who had cataloged sexual abuse by Greene in her diary and that her father discovered the confessions in the diary. The girl wrote, "Today he told me he wanted to kiss me. When he does this stuff I don't even know what to do or say. It's scary but I can't tell anyone."

According to police, the abuse also involved sexual touching.

Police had sought Greene at his personal business, Instant Imprints, and been conducting surveillance there in hopes of making the arrest there.

"There are plastic garbage bags that are covering all of the windows [at Instant Imprints]," said police.

Police, thinking that was odd behavior, thought Greene might be hiding out inside. But a search came up empty handed. Police said Greene has not cooperated much since the investigation started, but they did say he made an admission during a recorded phone call with the girl's father. In it, the father confronted Greene about the diary entries and he is said to admit touching the girl's breast.

"Are you out to hang me because I made a mistake? You should walk in my shoes, about how I have felt about that. This thing has eaten me like a cancer," Greene said to the girl's father in a telephone call.

It appears Greene's attorney had hoped to avoid his arrest by arranging to have him appear voluntarily in court, but a judge denied that request.

Meanwhile, worship services for Calvary Chapel are suspended until further notice.

Greene, who is 50 years old, has been married 28 years, has adult children and has spent his life in Anchorage. He also recently lost a discrimination lawsuit in which he sued FedEx Kinko's, claiming he had been fired because of his race and religious beliefs. The case is under appeal.