A Trenton pastor charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old used a substance in an unmarked bottle to incapacitate the teen on two occasions, authorities said.
Charles B. Brinson, 64, was arrested on Feb. 19 at his home in the 300 block of Brinton Avenue following an investigation by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Trenton Police Department.
Brinson, who serves as bishop of the Brinson Memorial Church, is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a helpless or incapacitated victim and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Trenton police were called about 6:35 p.m. on Feb. 16 to Capital Health Medical Center Hopewell for an initial report of the sexual assaults, authorities said.
The 16-year-old told officers the first assault occurred in mid-January and the second on Feb. 12 at Brinson’s home on Brinton Avenue, according to an affidavit filed by police in support of the charges.
Both assaults occurred in the pastor’s bedroom, where Brinson kept “a bottle of a clear substance and a black top with no labels on it,” authorities said.
Brinson placed the substance to the 16-year-old’s nose, which caused the teen to lose consciousness, authorities said.
In the second assault, the substance was already on Brinson’s fingers when he approached the victim and Brinson “swiped the substance across the victim’s nose, and (the teen) immediately lost consciousness,” the affidavit states.
The teen regained consciousness during the second sexual assault, authorities said.
Brinson was held at a local jail ahead of a court hearing. Attorney information for the bishop was not contained in online court records on Monday.
The investigation remains ongoing. Officials asked anyone with information to contact Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit Sergeant Sherika Salmon at 609-960-3119 or Detective Michael Staton at 609-989-6350. Tips can also be sent via email to mcposvu@mercercounty.org.
In 2008, Brinson was charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy he allegedly picked up in Philadelphia and brought with him to Burlington County.
A judge later dropped a sexual assault charge, citing a lack of evidence.
Stories by Anthony G. Attrino
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.