BURIEN, Wash. — A local youth pastor was arrested after admitting to repeatedly raping a family member, beginning when she was 15, according to charging papers obtained by KIRO 7.
Epati “Pat” Lang, 38, is charged with rape of a child and incest. King County jail records show he’s still behind bars.
Prosecutors said in charging papers that the youth pastor used religion to shame the victim into silence and confessed to police that he raped her. Lang admitted to molesting the victim during a prayer so that he could be rid of the “demonic spirit of lustfulness,” charges say.
A source told KIRO 7 Lang is a youth pastor at Divine Covenant International Church in Burien. The church has shared Facebook Live video of Lang praying on their Facebook page.
Charging papers state the victim told investigators that Lang allegedly started raping her when she was 15 years old and that it repeatedly happened while she was asleep.
The sexual abuse continued for several years, charging papers say.
The victim, concerned for her safety, called the King County sexual assault hotline for help this month, fearing not only more sexual abuse but that she would be hurt physically, according to charging papers that described Lang’s behavior as “stalking” and “threatening” toward her.
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Lang also allegedly sent sexually explicit text messages to the victim and “threatened to kill any boyfriend she might have.”
KIRO 7 went to Divine Covenant International Church in Burien but no one answered the door or immediately returned our messages.
We also went by Lang’s home address in Federal Way where court documents state he lived with his mom. No one answered the door.
KIRO 7 called her cellphone and the family declined comment and an interview.
Another family member told us off camera he was initially shocked by the charges and described the allegations as hard to process.
KIRO 7 emailed Federal Way police and asked if detectives feared there may be more victims but we did not immediately hear back.
Cox Media Group
