PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A camp director was placed on administrative leave immediately following his arrest by federal officials on August 2.
Reverend James Parkhurst, of Beaverton, was arrested in Multnomah County. He is accused of producing child pornography.
He was hired in April 2015 as the Executive Director of Camp and Retreat Ministry Programs for the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church.
A letter from church officials says the charges are not related to his work for the Oregon-Idaho Conference or the camp and retreat program. It says in his role, Parkhurst oversees staff and operations, but does not interact with campers regularly.
Parkhurst will be transported from the Multnomah County jail to Colorado.
The church statement included the following message:
Safety of campers is the highest priority of the Camp and Retreat Ministry program. Polices and guidelines are in place to assure that camp experiences are places of physical and emotional safety for all involved. All Camp Directors, Staff and volunteers routinely undergo background checks.