'Torture Prison': Former RivCo Pastor Accused Of Child Sex Abuse In Romanian Shelter

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A former Riverside megachurch pastor was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking children for years at a shelter he operated in Bucharest, Romania, according to lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in California.

The complaints, filed Tuesday by 33-year-old Marian Barbu and 40-year-old Mihai-Constantin Petcu of Romania, allege that Paul Havsgaard — a former Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor and missionary — abused them and dozens of other children over eight years. The lawsuits also name Harvest’s founder and senior pastor, Greg Laurie, along with other church leaders, claiming they failed to intervene.

According to the lawsuits, Havsgaard enticed vulnerable street children with food and promises of shelter and schooling.

“Hurt, angry and still suffering from PTSD and social difficulties,” Barbu and Petcu are seeking accountability, said Jef McAllister, a London-based attorney representing the men.

McAllister said he expects to file additional cases in the coming weeks on behalf of at least 20 more alleged victims.

RELATED: RivCo Church Volunteer And Wife Suspected Of Child Sex Abuse: Police

“Some of them are still illiterate even though they lived in these homes where they were supposed to get an education,” he said. “They have issues with trust. They look after each other.”

Most remain in poverty and are seeking both financial help and recognition of the abuse they endured, McAllister said.

“They've had a hard slog,” he said. “They would really like to get some sense that they've been heard and that the injustices they've suffered are recognized.”

The Associated Press, which first reported the story, does not typically identify sexual abuse victims unless they choose to come forward, as Barbu and Petcu have.

In a statement, Harvest Christian Fellowship described the allegations as shocking but argued Havsgaard, not the church or Laurie, should be the focus.

“This misplaced lawsuit wrongly targets Harvest Riverside and our pastor as a form of financial extortion,” the church said. “It does not seek the truth nor does it seek to stop the purported wrongdoer.”

The lawsuits accuse Laurie and senior leaders of negligence, claiming they ignored repeated warnings from donors, visitors, and others about suspected abuse and poor living conditions. The complaints also say Laurie allowed Havsgaard to remain in Romania with little oversight, while the church deposited $17,000 a month into his personal account. Havsgaard allegedly returned to California with some of the children he abused to raise funds for Harvest, citing his work rehabilitating Romanian street kids.

The church acknowledged funding Havsgaard’s work “for a period of time,” but said “most of what is in the lawsuits about our church is absolutely and entirely false; some of it is plainly slanderous.” It added that leaders had reported the men’s allegations to law enforcement, but that Barbu, Petcu and their lawyer declined to cooperate with U.S. authorities.

Barbu described life at the shelter as “a torture chamber inside a prison,” alleging Havsgaard regularly intruded on boys in bathrooms or while undressed, staring or masturbating in their presence. Both men also accuse Havsgaard of "pimping out" older boys through virtual video sex work and at bathhouses and taking a portion of their earnings.

The lawsuits detail sexual assaults, forced kneeling on walnut shells, and children being tied to beds or radiators. Havsgaard allegedly told children while abusing them: “I know what God wants; what I want, God wants.”

The megachurch, based in Riverside and affiliated with Calvary Chapel, was founded by Greg Laurie in 1973. In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Laurie was asked to comment on the string of evangelical leaders who had been accused of sexual misconduct.

“It is a great disappointment to me when a pastor falls,” Laurie told the website. “A pastor needs to be a good example. He is a spiritual leader. People expect pastors to live morally and to be honest. That is a realistic expectation. They expect it of Christians, certainly they have that expectation of a Christian leader.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.