Harvey pastor indicted on charges of rape, sexual battery of young girl

A Jefferson Parish grand jury has issued an indictment charging a pastor from Harvey with raping and sexually abusing a young girl over the course of three years, court records show. 

Dolhman Brown Sr., 59, was charged May 26 with first-degree rape of a victim under 13 and sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13. 

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Brown on Sept. 24 last year following an investigation into allegations that he'd had inappropriate contact with a girl between 2016 and 2019, the Sheriff's Office said. 

The victim told investigators the abuse began when she was about 9. Brown would allegedly touch her through her clothing, authorities said. Later began touching her genitals directly, investigators said. 

The abuse escalated to rape. The girl also told investigators he once offered to pay her $100 to perform oral sex, authorities said. 

Brown, who formerly served as the pastor of First Emmanuel Baptist Church in Gretna for 17 years, was known to the victim's family. It was not immediately clear Tuesday whether Brown was still leading a congregation. The girl revealed the abuse to a relative in 2020. But the family member didn't believe the girl after Brown denied the allegations. Relatives did, however, did take the precaution of no longer allowing Brown to be around the girl, authorities said. 

In June 2021, the victim confided in a doctor about the abuse. The medical staff contacted the Sheriff's Office, which opened an investigation. 

After his initial arrest, Brown was released from jail on a $350,000 bond. He was rearrested Monday after the indictment. The court increased his bond to $600,000.

Brown was being held Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.