Education

'I'm right': Sermon by NC pastor claiming women wearing shorts are to blame for rape goes viral, draws anger

Pastor Bobby Leonard, who heads the Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Monroe, said he wouldn't vote to convict a man who's accused of raping a woman if she wore shorts.

Posted 2024-02-25T12:36:37+00:00 - Updated 2024-02-25T12:36:37+00:00

'I'm right': Sermon by NC pastor claiming women wearing shorts are to blame for rape goes viral, draws anger

Matthew Ablon

, WCNC

Editor's Note: This story discusses sexual assault. While no acts are explicitly described, reader discretion is advised.

The lead pastor of a small church in Monroe, North Carolina, is facing widespread criticism after a previous sermon was widely shared online this week.

A clip of the sermon delivered by Bobby Leonard of Bible Baptist Tabernacle was shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The account that shared it is called Bad Preacher Clips, which posts clips of sermons shared primarily by preachers leading independent fundamental Baptist congregations.

The account owner told WCNC Charlotte the video came from a live-streamed service on Aug. 16, 2023. While the video had originally been shared on the church's YouTube channel, the church appears to have deleted the channel entirely, along with its Facebook page.