ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — St. Louis County police say a woman who was considered a mentor to a child has been charged with multiple sex crimes, according to court documents.
Brandi James, 25, was charged on Tuesday with two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy and one count of third-degree child molestation. She is being held on a $300,000 cash-only bond.
According to the St. Louis County Police Department, the mother of the girl her daughter’s diary. Inside it, the child had written that she had been sexually involved with a 22-year-old church mentor. Police said information found on the girl’s phone supported the allegation and they had engaged in sodomy on at least two occasions in 2022.
The victim told police that they had engaged in sexual contact over their clothes.
"It's hard to hear, and it should be hard for us to hear because our kids shouldn't have to endure these victimizations by adults," said Amy Robins, the Forensic Services manager at the Children's Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis.
Police said James met the 13-year-old girl while at the House of Deliverance Church in the 9300 block of St. Charles Rock Road.
Pastor Eric Battle of the House of Deliverance Church said James has never been involved with the church in any capacity besides being a member occasionally.
"Abuse starts with first looking for a vulnerable child that they can build that relationship with, and then what we would call manipulate or grooming the situation or the environment to make sure that they can take advantage of them in those ways," Robins said.
According to court documents, James told other people about the incidents but refused to speak to police.
Robins said that 90% of the time, a child is victimized by someone they know or trust.
"Typically, it's not strangers who abuse our kids. It is individuals that the children have a relationship with, are part of their family, are within that inner circle, and have that trust and access to that child or teenager to perpetrate those acts on them," Robins said.
Detectives believe the incidents happened between Jan. 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022. The church has cooperated with the investigation, police said.
The St. Louis County Police Department Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is leading the investigation.
Detectives asked anyone who thinks they may have been victimized by James to contact the St. Louis County Police Department Child Abuse Unit at 314-615-5400.
"If people believe that there are potentially other victims in the case, I want parents to know that the Child Advocacy Center of Greater St Louis is a support to help navigate this conversation with your children. We encourage parents to have that conversation early and often with their children so that this topic is normalized and that it isn't something that they feel ashamed of or uncomfortable going to parents about if they find themselves in a situation like this," Robins said.
Pastor Battle said James was a college student who would come to church on her breaks. He said that once the incident was brought to his attention, he made it clear it needed to be reported.
Battle released the following statement:
"Brandi James is not now, nor has ever been, an employee nor mentor at the House of Deliverance Church. Her relationship with the alleged victim took place outside of the church without any involvement with the church. All employees and volunteers at the church are required to submit and pass a criminal background check. The church is, and has been willing to assist in the investigation in any way we can."
