A 65-year-old former youth minister is behind bars in Montgomery County, Texas, accused of abusing children decades ago. According to FOX 26 Houston, the man has been jailed as authorities pursue allegations that reach back many years, in a case that has only now resulted in his arrest and detention.
The man at the center of the case is Leland Fleming. He was, according to the report, extensively involved in local religious ministries during the 1990s, working with kids' choirs and homeschool groups. That involvement placed him in regular contact with young people in the community at the time the alleged abuse is said to have occurred.
The current case took shape earlier this year. Police launched an investigation in Conroe in May, after three women came forward to report what authorities described as historic abuse. Their accounts prompted detectives to look into conduct alleged to date back decades, reviving claims from years earlier.
That investigation ultimately led officers out of state. Detectives arrested Fleming in Arkansas and then brought him back to Montgomery County, where he was booked into the county jail on Thursday. The arrest marked the first concrete step in the case since the women's reports set the inquiry in motion.
Since being returned to Texas, Fleming has remained in custody. He is currently being held with no bond, meaning he is not eligible for release while the case proceeds. The no-bond status underscores how seriously authorities are treating the allegations against the former minister.
The accusations against Fleming concern alleged conduct from decades ago and have not been tested in court. For now, the case rests with Montgomery County authorities, after the reports from three women turned long-standing claims into an active criminal matter and an arrest.