Tipton County pastor faces 47 charges for alleged underage sex crimes
By Luke Jones, March 7, 2018, News Channel 3
ATOKA, Tenn. – A Tipton County pastor was booked into jail Tuesday afternoon, one day after a grand jury indicted him on 47 charges related to sexually abusing minors.
Ronnie Gorton, the former pastor of Awakening Church in Atoka, has been accused by three people so far, Tipton County Sheriff Chief Deputy Billy Daugherty confirmed.
One of Gorton’s alleged victims was under the age of 13, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Walking into jail Tuesday, 39-year-old Gorton kept his head down and wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions.
Gorton’s former Drummonds neighbors said he was known for keeping to himself, but they also couldn’t help but notice all of the young people who frequented the home he shared with his wife.
“We knew he had a church and, you know, he had boys over there a lot,” said neighbor Donnie Overbeck.
Sonja Young also remembers seeing boys at Gorton’s house going back several years and ending earlier this year.
“They were different boys. I mean, they would have a couple of them for a few months,” Young said.
“When they’re cutting the grass, three or four at any given time,” said Overbeck.
But Overbeck said it never struck him as anything sinister.
“Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We thought, ‘Hey, he’s doing something good. He’s taking these kids in and doing good things,’” he said.
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Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director