FLOWER MOUND, Texas — This story has been updated to provide clarification on where the summer Kids Camp took place and to include an statement from The Village Church.
A former children’s pastor with The Village Church in Flower Mound has been charged with indecency with a child and is awaiting a Jan. 29 court date, Dallas County records show.
Matthew David Tonne, 35, was charged with the crime stemming from a 2012 incident at Mount Lebanon summer Kids Camp that The Village Church attended. Cedar Hill Police are investigating.
In Sept. 2018, pastor Matt Chandler issued a statement saying that Cedar Hill Police were investigating a report of sexual assault by an adult against a minor at the camp.
As of June 2018, Tonne no longer worked at the church. A recent statement from The Village Church's website said Tonne was removed “for other reasons”:
“We removed Matt from The Village Church staff in June of 2018 for other reasons, and we communicated those specific issues to our staff, as well as to members and volunteers in his ministry department at that time.
We have been and will continue to be in close contact with those directly involved in this situation and will continue to do all we can to assist with any request that authorities have for us."
Tonne is out of jail on a $25,000 bond and is scheduled in court on Jan. 29.
WFAA reached out to The Village Church for a statement. Here is their response, from church executive director Kent Rabalais:
"Thank you for reaching out to us for an official response. As you noted, we posted a statement on our website last Thursday. We don't have anything to add at this time but will post updates on our website when we have them. There are no adequate words that can express the pain, sorrow and grief that are wrapped up in this whole situation. We are committed to pursuing healing, truth and justice for all involved and will continue to follow the lead of the authorities in the case."