FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – Portions of a secretly recorded videotape of women changing clothes in the office at a Fleming Island church pastor were released Wednesday.
This is the video that members of Berean Baptist Church were told for years did not exist.
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Co-pastor Greg Neal was accused of hiding a camcorder behind a plant in his office in the spring of 2001 while female church members changed clothes. Investigators said the tape shows Neal handling the camera before and after the women used his office to change into clothes for a music program.
A criminal investigation into what prosecutors called video voyeurism was closed last week because the statute of limitations had expired. The state attorney's office says the evidence against Neal is "overwhelming," but because the video was shot more than 10 years ago, the case is too old to prosecute.
Detectives said the VHS tape was discovered in 2002 when a church employee was viewing videos of basketball games that were given to him by Neal. The secretly recorded tape was included with the basketball tapes.
The report said the employee took the tape to Neal's father and the senior pastor of the church, Tom Neal, and was told "the matter would be dealt with in the appropriate manner." Investigators were told that both Greg Neal and Tom Neal denied to the victims and to church members that the videotape existed.
Both Neals refused several attempts to be interviewed by investigators or provide statements.
Wednesday, Channel 4 talked to Assistant Pastor David Wright, who said the church did not have a comment. He said he has not seen the video and was awaiting its release from investigators.
In light of the allegations, Wright would not say what Greg Neal's status was with the church, although Berean's website list him as co-pastor. Channel 4 was told that Senior Pastor Tom Neal was unavailable.
Document: Sheriff's Office Voyeurism Investigation
The voyeurism allegations are not the church's only problem. Berean Baptist filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2010. Court documents show that the church was more that $6.5 million in debt, with money owed to more than 50 creditors.