Another young woman has come forward with allegations that a local self-proclaimed pastor sexually abused her several years ago.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland said a woman aged 19 or 20 told investigators recently that Randall “Danny” Russell, pastor of Acts II church located at 12825 Mulberry Road in rural Neosho, sexually abused her beginning when she was 11 years old and ending when she was 14.

“She is willing to testify,” Copeland said. “We have taken a report on that and are in the process of giving it to the prosecutor. It’s just a matter of these young kids being willing to come forward, and give closure to this. They need some justice, certainly, to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else.”

A probable cause affidavit was unavailable from the prosecutor’s office this morning, as today is a state holiday. Copeland was not in his office, but spoke to the Daily News via cell phone.

The allegations come on the heels of accusations last week from a young woman who said Russell had sexual intercourse with her several years ago when she was under age.

“What’s going on so far is he apparently was grooming these young kids, so to speak, and draw them into his web,” Copeland said. “That’s about the age he starts with them, 11 or so. By 15 or 16, he would start to have sexual intercourse with them.”

Another young woman who currently lives on the West Coast has also talked with investigators and the Neosho Daily News. The woman, who asked that her identity not be revealed, said Russell fondled her several years ago when she was 15 years old.

The woman told the Daily News she told authorities about the incident at the time, but nothing was done about it. She said she was angry no one listened to her at the time, as it may have prevented other incidents from happening.

The young woman talked with two investigators, both of whom are no longer with the department. Copeland said he did not locate any records of her discussion with investigators, but talked with Duane Allen, who is now retired from the department, and he recalled talking with the young woman in the fall of 2002. Copeland said he also discussed the issue with a Division of Family Services employee who worked on the case.

“Both Duane Allen and the DFS said she did not want to testify at the time,” Copeland said. “I’m not disputing what the young lady told the Daily, but all I know is what the investigators told me. I wasn’t with the department at the time, but I’m here and we will take care of it and send it to the prosecutor.”

Copeland said the woman told him recently she would be willing to cooperate, but was worried about the expense of coming back to Newton County to do so.

“We do provide transportation for victims,” the sheriff said.

The woman also called the Neosho Daily News recently, and said she’d misidentified one of the investigators she’d talked with several years ago. She said that person was not Scott Watson, former Newton County prosecutor, but a detective with the department named Scott Whitman.