NJ Minister Used Exorcisms​ To Sexually Abuse Men, Reports Allege

Church leaders say they've investigated allegations against a Presbyterian minister in New Jersey that he sexually abused three men during an alleged Native American exorcism ritual. The minister has since left the church, officials said.

The Rev. Leslie Dobbs-Allsopp, interim leader of the Elizabeth Presbytery, told Patch that the church investigated allegations earlier this year that Rev. William Weaver, former pastor of Linden Presbyterian Church, allegedly performed oral sex as part of the ritual.

The allegations that were first reported by mycentraljersey.com claim Weaver would have men undress, place gemstones on them and perform oral sex on them. The ritual was supposed to free the men of evil spirits, the report said.

Dobbs-Allsopp said Weaver was scheduled to face an internal church trial. In January, however, he renounced the jurisdiction of the Elizabeth Presbytery after he was accused of sexual misconduct, she said.

Dobbs-Allsopp said it would now be the Union County Prosecutor's Office's responsibility to investigate the matter criminally, and the men could also pursue the allegations through the civil courts.

Dobbs-Allsopp said "we had a process we followed it" and that the church believes in transparency. But the church's investigation is over, she said.

"If they want to pursue it as a criminal or civil matter, they can do that," she told Patch.

Weaver spent 40 years as pastor of Linden Presbyterian Church, according to nj.com. He used gemstones, feathers, metal strips, an angel coin and plastic bags in an “exorcism” ritual he said was taught to him by Native Americans, according to the mycentraljersey.com report.

The men said Weaver sexually abused them dating back to 1999, according to the report.