BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Thomas Pinkerton Jr., a former Baltimore County youth pastor, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor on Monday, according to a spokesperson with the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.
Pinkerton, 52, was apprehended in August 2025 in connection with allegations stemming from 2006 to 2010, in which he allegedly committed sexually abusive acts at his Perry Hall home and at the church.
Police say Pinkerton worked at the Central Christian Church located in the 7400 block of Rossville Boulevard in Rosedale.
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According to court documents, an official investigation was launched in late October 2024, after police received a call from a man living in West Virginia who reported that he was victimized by Pinkerton.
The caller said the abuse started with massages, hand holding, and Pinkerton whispering things such as "I love you, son."
Pinkerton's acts escalated further, with the victim reporting that Pinkerton touched his genitals on multiple occasions, "in a joking manner."
Charging documents say police interviewed seven men who were potential victims of Pinkerton, with some recalling similar experiences, and many even considered him a mentor or "spiritual father" figure.
One victim remembered Pinkerton saying that if anyone found out, "it would destroy everything."
"Victim #4 took that to mean that Victim #4 would be exposed too," detectives noted in charging documents. "Victim #4 clearly struggled with talking about this particular aspect of Pinkerton's abuse, including the timeline and frequency, due to the long history of abuse by Pinkerton."
After speaking with the victims, police obtained an arrest warrant for Pinkerton, who had to be extradited from Georgia, where he was living at the time, to Maryland. One of the seven victims reported being assaulted by Pinkerton in Georgia, while all other alleged events occurred in Baltimore County.
Following his arrest, Pinkerton faced 24 criminal counts, 14 of which were felonies.
In a previous statement sent to WMAR-2 News, Larry Kirk, the Lead Pastor at Central Christian Church, called the allegations "deeply heartbreaking."
"We are committed to walking alongside these young men with compassion and support. The church has offered counseling and spiritual support to those impacted and has fully cooperated with law enforcement while this case remains under investigation," added Kirk. "There is absolutely no place for abuse - ever - in the church."
Kirk added Pinkerton left Central Christian more than 15 years ago to start his own ministry.
According to the State's Attorney spokesperson, Pinkerton pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse, with the state seeking four years of imprisonment.
Pinkerton's sentencing date has been set for December 14.
