LIMA — The Allen County Sheriff’s Office has turned the findings of its investigation into several former Teens for Christ leaders accused of misconduct over to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the agency confirmed Monday.
No state charges have been brought against the former TFC leaders, who were placed on administrative leave this summer amid an abuse investigation. But the sheriff’s office said Monday that many of the complaints it received occurred outside of Ohio, “far outside of this agency’s jurisdiction.”
The agency contacted federal authorities in July after an anonymous letter describing instances of alleged sexual assault, emotional abuse and mishandling of abuse allegations by several former TFC leaders and volunteers went viral on social media.
The sheriff’s office closed its portion of the investigation Friday, turning the findings over to the FBI.
“We do not have a timeline of their investigation,” the agency said in a press release Monday. “We understand that citizens want answers; however, as with all cases, we will not sacrifice the quality of an investigation for expediency.
“We will assist the FBI in whatever they request from this office related to this matter and we look forward to seeing it concluded with every complaint being heard, investigated and resolved in the best interest of the individuals involved and the community at large.”
Detectives from the sheriff’s office will continue to accept new complaints and information related to the investigation and will “ensure the information is sent to the appropriate personnel,” the agency said.
Board members for Teens for Christ were not immediately available for comment.
