A Carlsbad pastor is in jail after being arrested on charges of child molestation. Sheriff's deputies took 43-year-old Matthew Tague into custody Wednesday, charging him with 16 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14. He's was taken to the Vista Detention Facility and is locked up on $1.9 million bail.
Tague was a pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel, and lives in San Marcos with his wife and children. Deputies say there is no indication that there are other victims, and that the charges are not related to his position at the church.
The church immediately terminated Tague's after the accusations surfaced. They released this statement on their website:
We are deeply grieved to share that early this week we learned that a pastor at North Coast Calvary Chapel, Matthew Tague, was reported to have acted inappropriately with a minor, off church property, and outside of church ministry activities.When our staff learned of the allegations, we immediately reported the accusation to our Sherriff’s Department and terminated Mr. Tague’s employment.
On Wednesday May 31, Mr. Tague was arrested on suspicion of the offense. The investigation of the accusation is now in the hands of law enforcement.We ask you to please pray for the victim, as well as the family involved in this tragic matter. Please pray for law enforcement as they determine the facts. We also ask you to pray for justice and restorative healing to take place for all involved.We are utterly heartbroken by these events.
We have strict requirements and procedures in place for hiring pastors and staff including professional background checks and exhaustive interviews. In this case, Mr. Tague had no previous record of arrest or criminal charges. It goes without saying that we are cooperating fully with law enforcement.
As we as a church family process this tragic event, we know that you will have questions. Please meet with our pastors, all of whom will make themselves available to you, or contact Executive Pastor, Bob Mackenzie: bob@northcoastcalvary.org; 760-929-0029 ext. 104.
Photo and Video Provided By 10 News