COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A former Cobb County church leader was arrested after allegedly molesting a 15-year-old boy who attended the church several times in August, according to a warrant obtained by 11Alive.
Marcus Turner faces three counts of felony child molestation and one count of felony child molestation, the warrants revealed.
According to Worship with Wonders Church in Marietta, Turner served as the director of operations for the church -- a position that ended in December 2021. He does not currently hold any position within the church, they said.
Warrants allege that Turner drove the boy to both Kennesaw State University's campus and Frozen Cow Creamery on Aug. 19, where he kissed him in two separate incidents.
Two days later, Turner is accused in the warrants of driving the boy to a shopping center off Cumberland Parkway in Atlanta, where he sodomized him and performed acts of oral sex.
The church made a statement regarding Turner's arrest on Saturday, saying they called law enforcement to report the suspected abuse based on what they had heard.
"We have never tolerated (and will never tolerate, cover, or condone) any sexually immoral action between an adult and a minor who attends our church," pastors Myles and Delana Rutherford said in a statement posted to the church's Facebook page.
The church also stated that Turner was not responsible for the care of any minors during his time employed there and that they did not arrange any relationship with any minor who attended the church.
"We only became aware of this situation when it was brought to our attention, and we took immediate action," church leaders said in a statement. "We are not aware of Marcus Turner having inappropriate involvement with any other minors."
11Alive has reached out to Cobb County to receive Turner's mugshot, but we are waiting to hear back.
