Kidnapping Attempt Reported Near First Baptist Church

Officers from the Canton Police Department and the Cherokee Sheriff's Office are scouring the area searching for the suspect.

UPDATE: Kidnapping Attempt Reported Near First Baptist Church

Officers from the Canton Police Department and the Cherokee Sheriff's Office are scouring the area searching for the suspect.

UPDATE (1:40 p.m.): The Canton Police Department has released more information about the attempted kidnapping outside the First Baptist Church in Canton. According to a department release, an adult woman was walking on the sidewalk of Reservoir Drive near the church when a man exited the woodline near the sidewalk and approached her. The woman told authorities that the man threatened to abduct her, and was allegedly carrying a hand gun. The woman immediately crossed the street, flagged down a passing motorist, and called 911. ORIGINAL STORY (12:45 p.m.): The Canton Police Department and the Cherokee Sheriff's Office are on the hunt for a man who allegedly attempted to kidnap an adult from the First Baptist Church in Canton. According to …

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'The Church Will Continue to Pray'

First Baptist Canton responds to a civil suit that claims a teenage boy was allegedly sexually battered and the church could have prevented it.

First Baptist Canton has released a statement after the church, its senior pastor and two former employees were named in a civil lawsuit that claims a teenage boy was allegedly sexually battered and the church could have prevented it. "The church was made aware of these allegations more than two years ago, and has fully cooperated with law enforcement in their investigations. To our knowledge, the criminal case remains pending, and the accused has not been tried on these charges. The church takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure the safety of all of its members and attendees, especially children and youth. The church has referred the matter to legal counsel and will vigorously defend itself and its employees against these claims…

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Lawsuit: First Baptist Canton 'Enabled' Sexual Abuse

The parents of one of the victims, who was 14 years old at the time he was abused, have filed a civil lawsuit in Cherokee County Superior Court.

First Baptist Canton allowed a fired employee with a history of suspected sexual misconduct against children to return to the church as a volunteer, a misstep that led to the sexual battery of a teenage boy, the parents of the alleged victim claim in a civil suit. The boy's parents are suing the church, senior pastor George Anderson and former church employee Shawn Finch, alleging that they not only failed to properly supervise the volunteer and the children in their care, but tried to "downplay" the abuse in a meeting at the church. A Cherokee County grand jury in April 2011 indicted the volunteer, 29-year-old Matthew Brent Sheffield of Canton, in the alleged June 2010 sexual battery of the boy, who was 14 years old at the time. Sheffield…

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Giving Canton Kids a Chance

Saturday, a Cherokee County program handed out backpacks, haircuts, clothes, shoes and more to low-income families.

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