Liberty County officials have announced that they have arrested and charged a pastor with child sex crimes.
George Finney, who has been the pastor of New Life Kenefick in Liberty County since 2016, is accused of several offenses, including sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14.
Chief Deputy Billy Knox of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office said that Finney was apprehended without incident after an investigation that started in response to what Knox called a public outcry. The report on Finney was filed on June 19 after an adult, alerted by a juvenile victim’s plea for help, went straight to the police.
Finney was arrested on Monday and charged with indecency with a child, assault on a family member, restricting breathing, and ongoing sexual abuse of a child, according to jail records. Investigators have said that the abuses began in January 2024.
Finney is currently booked in the Liberty County Jail with a total bond of $150,000.
The district clerk has not made details of the court records for this case public yet, outside of the three separate charges. The sheriff’s department has not announced that there are more victims, but is not ruling out the possibility.
New Life Kenefick is a non-denominational parish in Dayton, Texas, about 45 minutes from Houston. New Life Kenefick Church has yet to comment publicly on the arrest and charges. As of writing, Finney’s name and photo are still on New Life Kenefick’s website, where he is described as a “loving, fun, and energetic Pastor.”