HCSO: Youth pastor and softball coach both arrested for sex crimes involving minors
TAMPA, Fla. - A youth pastor and a softball coach were recently arrested in Hillsborough County for sex crimes involving minors, according to detectives.
"Two youth leaders in our community took advantage of a parent's trust to prey on our children," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
Officials say that David Robinson, 34, texted two minors sexual content that was considered harmful between January 2023 and June 2023. After an investigation, detectives discovered the text messages between Robinson and the victims.
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Sheriff Chronister said initially, Robinson would send the victims Bible verses.
"But after the Bible verses was where it would get inappropriate," Sheriff Chronister said. "He would ask questions, ‘Are you sexually active? Have you ever been pregnant? Have you ever been penetrated?’"
Authorities say that he was a youth pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Plant City and volunteered at various Christian schools in east Hillsborough County. The sheriff’s office said Robinson was arrested in Polk County and is being held at the Polk County Detention Center.
Galhouse and Robinson were both arrested for sex crimes involving minors. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office also arrested 40-year-old Matthew Galhouse. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office had previously arrested and charged Galhouse on Aug. 25, 2023.
Galhouse was charged for sex crimes on an underage victim. Pasco detectives said they believed he had also committed similar crimes at his home in Hillsborough County and alerted HCSO.
During the investigation HCSO said they confirmed the accusations. Galhouse received additional charges for his crimes in Hillsborough County.
Chronister says, over the course of the last three months, Galhouse would invite the victim to his home in Hillsborough County.
"Not only did he bring her back to the house to have sex with her at his house here in Hillsborough County, he also then said, 'I feel comfortable, I'll hire you to be the babysitter for my child.' So when she would babysit, he took that as an open invitation to have sex with her," the sheriff said. "So whenever she would babysit for his child, there was sexual intercourse that happened."
Officials say that Galhouse was a softball coach at the time of the abuse.
"As parents, we almost don't want to send our children to school," Chronister said. "Nonetheless, the church, nonetheless, the extracurricular activities, we have to let children be children. And I think that's what makes these two cases so disgusting is the fact that we as parents have placed you in positions of trust."
Anyone with information regarding these cases is asked to call teamHCSO at (813) 247-8200.