Victim's family speaks after man accused of raping child

GASTONIA, N.C. — A man is being held on $1 million bond after police say he raped a child in a Gastonia park.

David Glenn Scott, 51, is charged with two counts of first-degree sex offense and six counts of indecent liberties with a child.

The 9-year-old's parents came to court to see Scott, the man accused of betraying the girl's trust.

Sgt. Gene Weaver of the Gastonia Police Department said the incidents happened between Feb. 1 and June 20 at the Bradley Center Park on Modena Street in Gastonia.

The girl's mother cried and held a friend's hand as she said her daughter treasured her friendship with the 51-year-old man. Eyewitness News is not identifying the family to protect the identity of the girl.

"She loved him and she thought he was everything," the mother said.

Authorities said Scott knew the girl from Revolution Church, which meets at the Central YMCA in Gastonia.

The girl's mother said Scott gained her appreciation too.

"I trusted him. I even thanked him several times for being so kind to all of the neighborhood kids," she said.

Then the girl became frightened of him. She told he parents that he had sexual contact with her at the playground in Bradley Center Park.

"She is the real hero here for telling us," mother said.

The parents said it wasn't unusual for Scott to be alone with their daughter in a city park. They said he mentored young children from the church.

Youth detectives say they have no reports of Scott having inappropriate contact with other children, but they are concerned.

"Children that were exposed to Mr. Scott, the parents may want to talk to those children," Weaver said.

He said if they tell similar stories, parents should call the police.

This mother said her daughter still wants to go to church; her parents are taking her this Sunday.

"We promised her she would never see him again," she said.

WSOC