Former Social Worker Arrested For Sexually Abusing Child

 

 

A former social worker and church worship leader is accused of sexually abusing a child over several years, and detectives believe there may be more victims.

 

Dexter Carl Pleasure, 51, of Rancho Cucamonga, was arrested Monday and charged with oral copulation of a child under the age of 10 and continual sexual abuse of a child under the age of 10.

 

Pleasure worked for more than 20 years as social worker with a private foster care agency, and had access to numerous children over the years, according to the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department.

 

Neighbors at Pleasure’s apartment complex, where he lived with his wife and four children, said they were not surprised at the news.

One woman, who did not want to be identified, said she told her daughter to be cautious around Pleasure.

"Whenever my daughter would go in and out, he'd follow her," she said. "I'd say 'keep your eyes open, girl.'"

She also said she doubted his churchgoing activities.

"I never saw him get dressed to go to church," she said.

Mike Clark said he got into an argument recently with Pleasure over how he was treating his children.

"As far as parenting skills, terrible," Clark said. "And the wife — I lived in those apartments seven years and I only saw her three times."

A background check showed no previous convictions, and a former supervisor at the foster agency in Corona where Pleasure worked said he was a "paper pusher" and did not have access to children.

Pleasure was arrested after a tipster reported that he had confessed to abusing a child over a long period of time.

Clark said he hoped the arrest would help any other possible victims come forward.

"Encourage you to come forward. Please take that step and stop this," he said.

Pleasure is being held in lieu of $350,000 bail.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Ryan Ford of the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department at 909-477-2800. Anonymous tips can be made by calling 800-78CRIME.

Published at 10:09 PM PDT on Apr 29, 2015