JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE: New police reports show Paul Dyal’s actions of sexual assault that led to his arrest.
The man behind The Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ is now behind bars charged with capital sexual battery, which involves a victim 11 years old or younger.
Two other suspects, Jerome Teschendorf and Vernon Williamson, have also been arrested in Oklahoma on the same charges in connection to the case.
RELATED STORY: Local pastor’s arrest comes 19 years after report, police say abuse ongoing for decades
According to the church’s website, which has since been deleted, Dyal lived in Jacksonville with his wife of more than 50 years.
He founded Jacksonville Assembly in 1976. It started as a small church with about 15 people and was once housed in a building at the corner of Old Kings Road and Tina Street.
Dyal talks about the church’s history in an old YouTube clip.
“When we started, we were very small. Very, very small. Just a couple families,” he said.
The church has since grown to at least 78 people and moved to its current location at 6350 Old Kings Road in 1995. The facility, which is worth about $2 million according to the property appraiser, has eight buildings including a church and school.
A local pastor, Rev. Jerry Mullaly, told Action News Jax’s Robert Grant that he knew Dyal during his work in a gospel group.
Jacksonville Assembly has a band of about 35 members, according to its website. Dyal ran a music store, which Mullaly said helped supply several local gospel groups.
“He was always a polite man. Always outgoing. Always wanted to help someone in need,” Mullaly said. “Never did any kind of red flags come up. But I’ll say this — you never know who’s sitting beside you.”
RELATED STORY: Jacksonville pastor, 2 others arrested in child sex abuse that went on for decades, police say
Mullaly said he was shocked to hear the news but added he’s praying for the alleged victims and Dyal.
Dyal’s bio said he traveled to nearly every state and about 20 countries to make speeches. Action News Jax spoke to a member of a church in Texas, which is part of the same network of churches where he often spoke.
“He was just always very aggressive. He was the type of person that you didn’t look forward to getting up and speaking. He was crass and rude,” she said anonymously. “At first I was like ‘oh my gosh’ and then the more I started thinking about it I’m like, well I’m not really surprised,” she said about his arrest.
Dyal also ran a blog. He posted Wednesday — the day he was arrested — about devils, saying in part, “...emissaries of God created and commissioned by God to do evil.”
He also has several books for sale on Amazon that were published between 2007 and 2018. Some are about ancient history and events of the Bible.