The retiring director of IPFW’s Community Research Institute received Indiana’s top honor during a surprise party Tuesday at Parkview Field, the university announced.The pastor of a Fort Wayne church was arrested Wednesday on charges he repeatedly molested a foster child in his care.
James M. Burton, 50, was booked into the Allen County Jail shortly after 2:45 p.m. on four counts of felony child molesting. He was being held in lieu of $70,000 bail.
Burton, of the 5900 block of Tanager Boulevard, had been serving as pastor of Greater Faith Baptist Church, according to the church’s Facebook page. Calls to the church on Wednesday were not answered.
Burton is accused of inappropriately touching a girl younger than 14 between June 19, 2009, and Jan. 31. The girl was a foster child who was in his care, court records said.
Documents said the child told an employee at her elementary school that her foster father had been molesting her. The girl told investigators the molestations began when she was six or seven years old.
Burton’s wife told investigators the child and her sister had been living with the couple for more than two years and had recently been removed from the Burtons’ home, court records said.
jcrothers@jg.net
