Pastor accused of raping juvenile girl

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Robin Whitehead, 35, was arrested yesterday morning and charged with sexual battery on a victim between the ages of 12 and 18.

At about 2:46 a.m. on Sunday morning, a Shands pediatric nurse reported a sexual battery on a juvenile victim; the incident reportedly occurred early Saturday morning at a home attached to a church. Although the name of the church is redacted in the arrest report, the incident location is next to Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church, and a recent Gainesville Guardian article reported on Whitehead’s second anniversary as pastor of the church. The arrest report also notes that some of the people in the home had traveled there on Friday to celebrate the second anniversary of the church; according to another article, Whitehead drives from Sopchoppy every week to serve as pastor of the church.

Whitehead allegedly asked the girl to sleep in his bed and then raped her; she reportedly said that she used the excuse of needing a drink to get out of the room, and she told another adult about the incident later that day.

The other adult reportedly told the investigating Gainesville Police Department officer that she confronted Whitehead, and he asked if things could be fixed. When she said no, she said Whitehead asked to be left alone with the victim to speak with her, and the adult said no.

Post Miranda, Whitehead reportedly denied touching the victim at all. However, his story reportedly changed several times: he initially denied that the victim had come to Gainesville with him but later listed her as one of the group that came; he initially said all the juveniles slept in their own rooms, then said the victim had come to his room but did not sleep there, then said the victim had gotten into bed with him.

The officer spoke with the other adult after speaking with Whitehead, and she reportedly said Whitehead had apologized for the situation and “for his role in putting them there,” but he never admitted sexually battering the girl.

Whitehead has several misdemeanor convictions for traffic offenses in Wakulla County; he was charged with battery in 2020 and sentenced to probation, which he completed in October 2022. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered Whitehead held without bail, pending a hearing on a motion to hold him without bail until trial.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.