Former KC-area pastor, school board president accused of grooming kids won’t face charges
Prosecutors will not pursue charges against former pastor and ex-school board president Bobby Hawk after allegations of inappropriate behavior from roughly 10 years ago surfaced online, a spokesperson for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday.
“The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office was made aware of the investigation involving Bobby Hawk in June 2024,” said Jazzlyn Johnson, director of communication with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
“We carefully reviewed all evidence and allegations involving Hawk which dated back to the late 1990s. After that review, prosecutors determined that the statute of limitations precluded the filing of any charges that could have been pursued.”
Johnson said that prosecutors will review any new evidence or allegations that come to light.
Hawk abruptly resigned as president of the Blue Springs Board of Education and pastor of EPIC Church KC in June amid allegations that he groomed children.
The Blue Springs Police Department also launched an investigation into the allegations, which came to light in a blog post by Isabelle “Izzy” Davis that detailed Hawk’s alleged “grooming” behavior, which started after her family began attending EPIC Church KC in Independence, where Hawk was the pastor.
Davis recalled a youth group sleepover at Hawk’s house. She said Hawk grasped her hand and placed it underneath his thigh while the two were watching a movie. She noted Hawk told her not to tell anyone.
Since the allegations surfaced, several women have come forward.
In July, a group of five women stood outside the Jackson County Courthouse saying they were determined to speak out against Hawk, each with a story of how they say he took advantage and groomed them years ago.
“We were manipulated by an emotional, physical and sexual abuser,” Destiny Bounds said at the news conference. “All victims who have suffered at the hands of Robert ‘Bobby’ Hawk.”
Bounds said she and her sister Danielle Hahn “came forward to speak our truth about Bobby” 25 years ago. The sisters were 13 and 15 at the time.
They were shamed, told to stay quiet and pressured by many in the church, including Hawk, to say nothing, Bonds said.
