York County church, former officer accused
of child sex abuse in new lawsuits
Church members allegedly knew of abuse, didn’t take action
Morningstar Ministries sues York County, citing religious discrimination.
By Brandy Beard
Published: Sep. 16, 2024 at 2:37 PM PDT|Updated: 6 hours ago
FORT MILL, S.C. (WBTV) - MorningStar Fellowship Church in York County is at the center of lawsuits filed on behalf of three people who allege sexual abuse at the hands of church leaders.
Three lawsuits were announced Monday, Sept. 16 in a press conference held in Rock Hill. The suits have been filed against MorningStar founder and senior pastor Richard Joyner, former youth leader and former Cornelius police officer Erickson Lee, former church vice president David Yarnes, former head of security Douglas Lee, Chase Portello, and unidentified defendants.
Attorneys Randy Hood and Chad McGowan alleged that there were multiple instances of child sexual assault never reported to law enforcement. The people the sexual abuse happened to were as young as 13 years old, the suits claim.
Ex-officer Lee recently pleaded guilty to child sex crimes related to the “Young Special Forces” program he led within MorningStar.
“Erickson pitched [the special forces] program as a leadership school for young men to help them learn skills and develop team building habits,” the York County Sheriff’s Office said. “Allegedly in early 2020 Erickson began taking at least four of these juveniles and providing them alcohol, hosting parties, and performing sexual acts on them.”
The new lawsuits allege multiple church members knew about the abuse and refrained from acting. It is also alleged that two women in MorningStar University were sexually assaulted by an employee in 2000, and that no action was taken.
The suits claim another sexual assault happened to a child whose mother tried to keep the church staff member responsible away from the child. The mother reportedly told church staff to not let a defendant be around their child on a field trip. The child was reportedly assaulted by that staff member in question.
According to the lawsuit, alcohol, vapes and pornography were provided to minors by church staff.
The suits also allege Lee was drinking and driving with another child, tased them, handcuffed them, showed them videos including murder and suicide, sent inappropriate text messages, and more.
Lee also allegedly left threatening notes for some of the children, one of which with the phrase, “I am watching you” and a picture of one of the boys.
Chase Portello is named in the lawsuits as having helped cover up the abuse. Portello, along with Ryan Shuster and Zach Rowe, allegedly saw Lee giving the children alcohol and getting into a sleeping bag with them.
The lawsuits seek damages on behalf of all three victims named.
MorningStar was founded in 1995 by Rick Joyner. WBTV has reached out to the ministry for comment, and has not heard back as of this writing.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with sexual abuse, contact law enforcement or the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.
Former Newcastle (AU) church worker Brett Sorby
jailed for sexually assaulting teenage girl
A former church youth group leader has been sentenced to a maximum of 13 years in jail for repeatedly sexually and indecently assaulting a teenage girl 20 years ago.
That teenager, now a woman in her 30s, told the Newcastle District Court she endured "hell" during months of abuse at the hands of Brett Edward Sorby, 60.
"Today's a day I've waited for for so long, a day to finally be heard," she said.
"This is a chance to share my voice … to fight for the girl no-one else would fight for.
"It's a chance for that broken 15-year-old girl's screams to be heard."
In March, Sorby pleaded guilty to six counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a person aged between 14 and 16, three counts of sexual intercourse with a person aged between 16 and 17 and six counts of aggravated indecent assault on a victim under authority.
Brett Sorby cried as the person he abused 20 years read out her victim impact statement in court. (Supplied)
Sorby was charged in January 2023 and taken into custody in March this year, after entering his guilty pleas for offences that happened in 2004 and 2005.
'Who was going to believe me?'
Sorby appeared via audio visual link, sobbing and nodding his head as the person he abused delivered her victim impact statement in court.
"I'm ready to look you in the face and show you you don't get to do evil things to people and live a beautiful life," she said.
"I'm ready to give you back the shame of what you did to me."
Brett Sorby was sentenced in Newcastle District Court. (ABC News: Dan Cox)
She said he had positioned himself as a respectable man in society.
"Like you said, 'Who was going to believe me if I said anything?'" she said.
"Not the man who spent all his time helping the church and anyone who's ever needed a helping hand.
"Not the fireman who saved lives, not the youth group leader … not the husband other people aspired to be like.
Sorby appeared via audio visual link in the District Court. (ABC Newcastle: Robert Virtue)
"Not the loving man everyone knew and loved.
"Not the man who helped other sexual assault victims … [with] their healing and had done talks himself about the effects of abuse."
'Gulf' between personas
Judge Peter McGrath noted Sorby was well-regarded in the community at the time when he repeatedly sexually assaulted the teenager.
That's not at all unusual for paedophiles.
"There is such a gulf between the public presentation of someone like Mr Sorby, as people know him, and the offending for which he is before the court," Judge McGrath said.
"He was someone who did very, very good things, practical things in the community, in the church, in all aspects, but fell down in a very, very serious way with this vulnerable teenager."
The court heard Sorby dressed the victim in his wife's "lacy" lingerie and took photographs, and twice after abusing her took her to get the morning after pill.
'Calculated in secret'
Judge McGrath told the court the former church youth leader also "told her to check out my birthday suit", and another time "put on a DVD with sexualised dance moves and exposed his penis to the victim".
"The offending was quite calculated and took place in secret over a period of at least 20 months," he said.
"He was helping people in community while committing these callous offences.
"He fell far from his standards as a man of faith."
The judge accepted there was remorse and he was unlikely to reoffend.
Sorby will be eligible for parole in 2032.
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