Stunning allegations in Polk County

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Shocking news has rocked the congregation at Real People Church of God in Waverly and the surrounding neighborhood.

The founder and pastor of the church, 52-year-old Rubin Thankful Thompson Jr., has been charged with five counts of incest for allegedly fathering his own grandchildren with his daughter.

Thompson's daughter told a Lake Wales police about her father fathering her two boys and two girls.

"And she confided in him (police officer) and told him that she had been molested by her father since she was the age of 17," said Lake Wales Police Detective Lynette Townsel.

Townsel says the now 32-year-old victim kept it a secret for 15 years because she was fearful and ashamed, and didn't think anyone would believe her word over the word of her father.

"How do you tell someone you're being molested by your dad?" said Townsel. "And how do you tell someone I've had his children? Especially when he's a minister. I think that's what took her so long."

Stephanie Marshall and her two daughters have attended Thompson's church for the past 13 years.

"It hasn't really sunk in, you know," said Marshall. "It just hurts me 'cause you know, I feel there was a lost of trust."

Marshall says her minister was a father figure to her and her family, which is one of the reasons why she defended him when he was accused of molesting his daughter in the past.

"It was rumored," said Marshall. "But I always said I knew it wasn't my pastor. My pastor could never do this. And when I just found out yesterday, I couldn't do nothing but shed tears 'cause it hurt me to my

The church is located on Carver Street in Waverly in Polk County.

heart."

Detectives in the case say it took nine months to get an arrest warrant for Thompson because they were waiting on the results of DNA tests on the victim's children. Also, Thompson is a long-distance truck driver, which made it difficult to contact him at times.

Thompson was arrested Dec. 8 and is at the Polk County Jail on $250,000 bond.

The mother and children, ages 13, 11, 9 and 7, are being cared for by the Department of Children and Families. Bay News 9 is not releasing the names of the alleged victims because the state of Florida considers all five to be victims of a sex crime, and Bay News 9 does not identify sex crime victims in accordance with our Crime Guidelines.

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