The arrest of a man identified by several sources as a former pastor in a Fort Smith church finds the suspect remaining in the Sebastian County Detention Center on two charges of Rape in lieu of $200,000 in legally sufficient bonds.
Isaiah James Thompson who was affiliated with Christ of the World Church and Bobby Hogan Ministries in Fort Smith until he was fired in 2018, was the featured inmate on the November 11 cover for the Sebastian County Mugshots for arrests made on November 10.
The entire, heavily redacted case file can be viewed by downloading this file:
Thompson was arrested after an investigation that lasted almost ten months. According to information in paperwork obtained by Today in Fort Smith, investigators were initially investigating another suspect when information was developed incriminating Thompson came to light. The allegations are that Thompson was involved with several relationships involving underaged males during his employment with the church.
One victim related that he was involved with Thompson sexually from the time he was seven-years-old until Thompson was fired in 2018. It is thought that abuse occurred for 17-18 years. That victim also told investigator the name of a second victim who is now an adult and is in jail in another part of the state.
That man told law enforcement officials he had started attending the church at the age of three and Thompson had abused starting at around the age of twelve.
The supplements to the original; report filed by Detective Jeff Taylor revealed that Thompson "nodded his head" and confessed to the improper conduct during an initial interview, but called off the session and asked for a lawyer when the name of the first victim was mentioned.
At one point, Thompson lived with the Hogan family and is referred to on at least existing online source as Isaiah Thompson-Hogan. Both Pastor Bobby Hogan and his wife Teresa were interviewed. Theresa Hogan told told investigators "they treated him as if he was one of their children". Bobby Hogan told detectives "if God would have told me, I would not have believed it" concerning the allegations against Thompson.
The investigation was started after a Hogan family member went to police in January of this year with the allegations of widespread sexual misconduct within the church.
Bobby Hogan told investigators Thompson was a "volunteer" at the church but he is listed as a "pastor" on an online page for the church and also listed in documentation for the churches youth ministry before he was fired in 2018.
Thompson is slated for his first court appearance on the charges on April 5, 2021 according to booking information.
