Weaver, a youth pastor at Highlands Church of Christ in Lakeland, had an inappropriate, informal relationship with the teen for several months, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference.
At one point, Weaver met the victim at the church in late December and took her to a motel in nearby Mulberry, where he had rented a room, WTVT reported.
Weaver admitted to investigators that he drove the girl to the motel room, and Best Western records verify the timeline, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
“Last week we became aware of allegations of our student minister being involved in criminal conduct and we reported this to the Florida Department of Children and Family and to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement said.
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