Summerville pastor accused of kidnapping, raping two prostitutes (updated x2)

Updates are at the bottom:

A Summerville man named Dale Richardson, who is also a pastor at the Freedom Free Will Baptist Church in Ladson, has been accused of carrying out the abduction and rapes of two prostitutes.

On July 27th, a 20-year-old woman was abducted at gunpoint and raped after she accepted a ride from a man in a white pickup truck. The description of her horrifying encounter was strangely similar to an unsolved incident back in 2010 when a 27-year-old woman was abducted at gunpoint and raped by a man who picked her up on Ashley Phosphate Road.

Suspecting the same person was behind both crimes, North Charleston police had both women identify their attacker. Both picked Richardon out of a lineup.

According to the article in today's Post and Courier, police have charged Richardson with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He is currently being held in Cannon Detention Center with bail posted at over $1 million.

The case is still open.

Update August 5: The Post and Courier has followed up with a fleshed out story of Richardson's life, connection to Freedom Free Will Baptist Church, the ongoing investigation into the possibility of additional victims.

Hop over to the updated post

Update August 11: New information has surfaced that pastor Dale Richardson allegedly raped the two women in a single-wide mobile home at the rear of his Freedom Free Will Baptist Church.

Details described by the victims place them at the trailer and connect Richardson to both crimes.

The Post and Courier has an update with all the details; get it here.

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