A former professor at the Brite Divinity School has been arrested for possession of child pornography.
Charles Bellinger, 62, was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on Oct. 3, according to jail records
The Brite Divinity School operates on the Texas Christian University campus but is an independent institution from the university.
Fort Worth police said in a news release its internet crimes against children unit, TCU police and the U.S. Secret Service served a search warrant on Bellinger's house in Arlington and at his TCU office.
Fort Worth police said the investigation is ongoing.
Attorney information for Bellinger was not immediately available Friday.
Vanessa Daley, director of communications for Brite Divinity School, said in a statement that Bellinger's alleged behavior is "repugnant and the antithesis" of Brite's values and mission.
"When Brite administration was made aware of these allegations, we immediately initiated our own investigation, cooperated with law enforcement, shut down his access to school technology, personnel, and facilities, and placed him on immediate administrative leave before terminating his employment shortly thereafter," Daley said.
Daley said the school is fully cooperating with law enforcement with the investigation.
Bellinger's arrest is the latest in a string of arrests and allegations made against people affiliated with religious institutions.
Earlier this week, an outreach church leader in Collin County was arrested on a family violence charge.
A Denton church youth director was arrested on child sexual abuse charges in September.
And last month the Trinity Bible Church of Dallas removed its lead preacher after church elders discovered an “inappropriate relationship."
This summer, Gateway Church founder Robert Morris was accused sexual abuse in the 1980s of a then 12-year-old girl. He later resigned and church leaders obtained legal counsel to conduct an independent review of the allegations.
During a Texas House committee hearing on Wednesday, Cindy Clemshire — who accused Morris of abusing her when she was 12 — said she turned down a nondisclosure agreement that would have kept the alleged abuse secret.
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