A former pastor of a Lutheran church in Belmont County was arraigned Friday on kidnapping and rape charges.

The charges of sexual misconduct against Peter Pilger, 36, include a period of time while he was pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Martins Ferry.

Pilger is accused of sexually abusing a girl over the past six years, including a year while he was pastor of the Martins Ferry church between 1999 and 2003.

After he left Martins Ferry, Pilger became pastor of churches in Massillon and New Albany, Ohio.

Stark County prosecutors filed the charges after the girl told her friends about the abuse and they encouraged her to tell her mother, a Canton newspaper reported.

Pilger has been in the Stark County Jail since his arrest on July 2.

The current pastor of the Martins Ferry church said his congregation had two different reactions when they heard the news about Pilger.

"(They either said), 'I really don't believe it,' or 'I always thought he was strange,'" said Philip Van Dam, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church.

An official with the Northeast Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church said council members voted to terminate Pilger in April, then voted to terminate him last week, meaning he is no longer a pastor.

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