Charles Nyarko faces Brisbane District Court for sentence

A religious pastor has been sentenced in the District Court after he sung and prayed as he sexually assaulted a young woman north of Brisbane.

Pastor Charles Nyarko prayed and sang as he sexually assaulted a woman in Caboolture. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

A religious pastor sung and prayed shortly before he sexually assaulted a young woman north of Brisbane.

Pentecostal predator Charles Nyarko, 45, was sentenced in Brisbane’s District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

Nyarko was a pastor at the Kenmore Pentecost Church when he and his wife met the victim, who was visibly upset, in the street.

Pastor Charles Nyarko prayed and sang as he sexually assaulted a woman Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Nyarko spoke to the woman, who was in her early 20s, gave her a pamphlet and talked to her about the church.

She provided her mobile number and over the next 18 months Nyarko sent the woman a bible message almost daily.

In 2022 they made plans to meet up in person with the woman expecting Nyarko’s wife to be present as well.

Nyarko came alone to the park north of Brisbane and tightly hugged the woman who could feel his penis through his pants which she waived off as an accident, the court heard.

He sat close to her and held her hands as he sang and recited passages from the bible.

They then discussed her sexuality and Nyarko began praying for her “ trying to cast out what you considered to be imposed thoughts.”

As her eyes were closed Nyarko kissed her aggressively and licked the bottom of her face for about 10 seconds, the court heard.

“She pointed out the obvious to you, and that is that you had a wife, she was hoping that this reminder was enough to pull you up but unfortunately it was not,” Judge Jennifer Rosengren said.

Nyarko said if the victim was aroused by the kissing she should say “daddy please, Charles please”.

He then began praying.

The court heard the victim was attempting to get away from Nyarko but he was persistent and kept asking her out to lunch.

Pentecostal pastor Charles Nyarko.

He pulled her close and as she tried to move away Nyarko kissed her again but more aggressively and grabbed her breast which he continued to squeeze.

“At this point, she could not move, and she froze and began shaking as she felt your tongue on her face,” Judge Rosengren said.

The victim managed to get away but Nyarko continued to try and make contact with her “sending her Bible messages about sex related sins” which she ignored.

In a call recorded by police he “begged her not to tell her mother or her therapist, hoping that all had been forgiven”.

Judge Rosengren said the victim had described the offending’s impacts “in a very eloquent way”.

“She talks of the predatory nature of your offending and the significant emotional impact it has had on her.

Barrister Daniel Boddice said his client now lived in NSW and has travelled overseas to undertake humanitarian work.

“So he’s most certainly someone who but for this offending, that’s not to minimise it … takes a proactive role within the community to the betterment of the community,” he said.

His client was also willing to offer compensation to the victim.

Nyarko came to Australia in 2022 from Ghana and has completed his citizenship application reducing the likelihood of deportation, the court heard.

Judge Rosengren said he was “very fortunate” that he still enjoyed his wife’s support.

She accepted his pleas of guilty were timely and that he had apologised for his offending a short time after it occurred.

She said character references indicated Nyarko had some positive attributes and he was community minded having continued to various cultural organisations.

Nyarko was sentenced to six months prison wholly suspended and ordered to pay the victim $5000 in compensation.