A father of four young girls said he is proud they came forward with indecent assault allegations against the former pastor and of how they spoke at the pastor’s sentencing Monday, June 16, about the emotional struggles they have endured.

The father, mother, three of the four girls and an adult female who also was assaulted spoke about the impacts of those assaults committed by Herman C. Rushing Jr., 69, of Butler. Rushing was sentenced in Butler County Common Pleas Court to serve 12 months of house arrest followed by three years of probation, and will have to register with state police for the rest of his life as a Tier 3 sexual offender under Megan’s Law.

The former pastor of By His Grace Christian Ministries in Butler, Rushing pleaded no contest to two felony counts of indecent assault of a person younger than 13 years old which state police filed in 2022 in two cases on behalf of the girls, and one misdemeanor count of indecent assault filed in 2021 in the woman’s case. Rushing was found to be a Tier 1 offender with a 15-year registration requirement in the misdemeanor case.

The Butler Eagle does not identify people who have been sexually assaulted.

Rushing inappropriately touched the girls, and touched and tried to kiss the woman, according to police.

Three of the girls — who are now 17, 15 and 12 years old — their parents and the woman addressed Rushing and the court before the sentence was imposed. The youngest girl, who was 9 at the time of the incident, did not speak in court, which was filled with family members.

The girl’s mother said Rushing married into the extended family and formed a connection with her children and family. But he was grooming the girls while building trust with the family, she said.

In October 2023, one of the girls told her about what Rushing had been doing, she said. She described him as a “wolf in sheep clothes.”

She said she tried hard to protect her daughters and would check the Megan’s Law list to see if anyone they would come in contact with was on the list. She said her confidence as a mother is shaken.

After the assaults were brought to light, she said she had to quit a job she loved because she had to take her daughters to counseling and therapy sessions.

Rushing’s no contest plea shows he has an “unrepentant heart,” she said.

The girls told the court Rushing earned their trust before violating it. They said they were good students before the assaults, but their grades plummeted afterward, and nightmares and flashbacks prevent them from sleeping.

“He pretended to care about me, and it was just an act,” the 15-year-old said.

The 17-year-old girl said she feels shame, disgust, guilt and believes she failed her younger sisters.

“This is a man who was fully accepted into our lives,” the father said.

Rushing studied the family for 13 years, learning their likes and dislikes, he said

“It turned out he was using this information to prey on our family,” he said.

The assault caused upheaval as the family had to work with police, lawyers and therapists, and had regular checks by Children & Youth Services, he said.

“We will never be the same,” he said.

He said his daughters had weekly counseling session and couldn’t sleep at night due to nightmares.

“All I could do is hold my girls as they cried themselves to sleep,” he said.

But he said his daughters are brave and will grow stronger.

“As a father, I could not be more proud of them,” he said.

The woman said she moved to the county for a fresh start after having endured previous sexual assaults, and Rushing made her feel like she belonged.

“I trusted you fully,” she said.

She said she is now wary of relationships with people of authority.

“You told me I was called to ministry … you victimized me,” she said.

After imposing the sentence, Judge Timothy McCune told those assaulted that closure might not be possible, but the incidents shouldn’t control their lives.

After the hearing, the girls’ father said justice has been served, but wished Rushing would have received a prison sentence. He said he’s glad Rushing is subject to Megan’s Law.

He said Rushing was going to plead guilty at a hearing in February, but he changed his plea to no contest at the last minute and has shown no remorse. He said the district attorney’s office told him the change in pleas wouldn’t impact the sentence.

This story was updated June 17, 2025 to reflect that Herman C. Rushing Jr. is a former pastor. A previous version of this story said he was the family’s pastor; this information was not confirmed.