(August 10, 2007)
Two people who ran a church boot camp for teens near Banquete are now under arrest charged in connection with an alleged incident we first reported to you last month.

A San Antonio preacher named Charles Flowers, and his training assistant, Stephanie Bassitt both went before a San Antonio judge today on charges they dragged a 15 year old girl behind a moving vehicle back on June 12Th.

Nueces County Sheriff's Investigator Mike Lowrance was there to take Bassitt and Flowers to the Nueces County Jail and to face aggravated assault charges.

According to an arrest affidavit 21 year old Bassitt pinned the victim to the ground, because she fell behind while running with the group. The court documents contend, 46 year old Flowers tied the victim's hands with rope, and started dragging her behind the van he was driving.

District Attorney Carlos Valdez says his office is taking this kind of allegation seriously. "We want to take this case, and make sure we send out the appropriate messages and say, this will not be allowed, not in Nueces County."

That's what the victim's mother says she wanted to hear. She thanked the two people who came forward to report the alleged abuse to authorities. "Out of the goodness of their hearts, they came forward, to do the right thing," she says. Bobbi Greer says she lost her job after coming forward. She was a cook at the privately run ranch where the camp was held. Another man also reportedly lost his job. The victim's mother says, "My daughter was injured physically and emotionally injured and then these two people were injured also in a way that's just not fair."

Flowers' and Bassitt's bond has been set at $100,000 each.

Katy Kiser
kkiser@kiiitv.com