Fairfield Pastor Faces Additional Molestation Charges

A former police officer and pastor who plead not guilty to 27 charges of child molestation now faces four additional charges.

Robert E. Ruark, 65, who goes by the name of Father Silas over at St. Timothy Orthodox Church, was arrested by Fairfield Police at his Suisun City home in early July.

During a June court appearance in a Solano County Superior courtroom, Ruark was charged with 27 counts of lewd acts with a child and one count of dissuading a victim. Victims at the time of the alleged acts were 12 to 13 years of age.

The district attorney's office filed additional charges last week.

“We added four charges including an additional victim,” said Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marshall.

Ruark is charged with molesting four individuals. He is accused of molesting one person from August 2001 through July 31, 2006.

According to a complaint filed by the district attorney's office, on June 23, 2012, Ruark attempted to dissuade one victim from testifying against him. Deputy District Attorney Mary H. Nguyen alleges that the abuse against the person began when the individual was 13 years old. The victim is now 23.

In her complaint, Nguyen also charges Ruark with lewd acts upon two females, one for a period of about a year, and the other for a period of about two years.

Ruark, who is well-known in the community, was honored by the Solano County Board of Supervisors in October 2003 with a plaque for his 14 years of service to the county.

Ruark remains in Solano County Jail on $500,000 bail.