Newville pastor charged in connection to sex trafficking bust of massage parlors - WHP Harrisburg

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CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — A Cumberland County pastor is facing charges related to prostitution following an investigation into human trafficking at multiple Cumberland County spas.

Stephen Melton, 65, of Mechanicsburg, is charged with one felony count of patronizing a victim of human trafficking and one misdemeanor county of patronizing prostitutes.

Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack confirmed that Melton, a Newville pastor, is facing charges in connection to an ongoing human trafficking investigation that recently revealed two Carlisle spas were providing sex acts to customers for payment.

READ MORE | 2 more Cumberland County spas investigated for human trafficking; owner charged

According to the church's website, Melton has worked as a pastor at the Big Spring Presbyterian Church, located in Newville, since October of 2022.

McCormack announced Tuesday that over 20 individuals were facing charges following investigations into Li's Asian Spa and GL Massage in Carlisle. The spas were investigated as part of the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force's "Closed2Trafficking" operation, which began in 2023.

READ MORE | Over a dozen more arrests made in Carlisle massage parlor sex trafficking busts: DA

The recent charges come after a previous bust in September of 2023, where officials said that 10 massage parlors were investigated across Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties for providing sex acts to customers for payment.

Court documents indicate that Melton's offenses occurred in April of 2023.

CBS 21 reached out to Melton who said that he was familiar with the case but that he was surprised that he was being charged.

He also stated that he is now focused on getting a lawyer.

This is a developing story. Stay with CBS 21 for updates.