PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A pastor in Delaware County has been charged with 22 felony counts of sexually abusing a teenager over the course of two years.
According to the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Edward Lilly, the 70-year-old pastor of the Christian Church of Chester — formerly the White Rock Christian Church — met the victim in 2017 when she was a 16-year-old grocery store worker.
He was a frequent customer at the store and quickly befriended her, portraying himself as a mentor. He was 67 at the time.
When the girl turned 17, Lilly gave her cash as a birthday gift. Soon after, officials say he initiated a sexual relationship with her.
“He began to use the techniques of grooming,” said District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. “He showed an interest in subjects she was interested in. He gave her over $2,000 in cash and other items.”
According to Stollsteimer, Lilly became worried his gifts would be interpreted as payment for sex, so over the summer, he made police aware of their relationship.
When officials investigated further, they discovered Lilly had recorded many sexual acts between himself and the minor on his cellphone, which he specifically bought to record their relationship.
“He would take her to a hotel room, parks, a recreational vehicle that he rented, and he even used his own home,” Stollsteimer said.
Lilly was arrested Monday morning. He was charged with child sexual abuse, contact with a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual abuse, and the criminal use of a communication facility — all felonies — as well as one count of corruption of a minor.
He is currently free on $100,000 bail.
“The making of pornographic videos could also have federal implications as well, but we are going to deal with this one step at a time,” Stollsteimer added. “We are charging him here in Delaware County, are bringing him to justice in Delaware County, where he committed these awful, horrendous acts.”
Lilly, who had been a pastor at the church since the 1990s, does not have a prior criminal record, but investigators are probing if he was involved in any other alleged cases of abuse.
He is expected to make his first court appearance in early November.