Who is David Stocker? Inside playboy pastor's scandalous private life as he's forced to step down
MIAMI, FLORIDA: David Stocker, 46, a clergyman who had been preaching at Florida's Westchester district's Brave Church since 2014, was fired in April. This was after the church's governing body, the Peninsular Florida District Council of the Assemblies of God, found him guilty of ''gross sexual misconduct and immoral actions". Stocker is also accused of using the church's credit card to fund some of his illicit trysts.
The shocking allegations are contained in a 307-page complaint filed by the council, which sued Stocker after he refused to step down and continued preaching despite being dismissed for violating the church's bylaws. The pastor was investigated after an angry woman parishioner, allegedly his first fling, reported him to the council in a scathing email in January. She provided 'hundreds' of photographs, videos, and text messages exposing the sexual relationship.
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According to DailyMail, legal papers filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, the woman, whose name is being protected by the council, was devasted after she discovered Stocker was cheating on her with two other worshippers and was still in a relationship with one of them. The middle-aged mother claimed she and Stocker had sex on their first date as part of their ''whirlwind romance,'' and they got their names tattooed on their necks alongwith the date on which they met. She also claimed that Stocker was frequently inebriated, even in public places. Stocker joined Brave Church in 2014 with his then-wife Christina.
Stocker was left shocked on April 15 when the council fired him in a letter following the investigation. However, he still continued to preach at the large white-painted church. He did not leave until five weeks after the council informed him of its decision to launch its legal bid. Following the action, the council sought damages from Brave Church and directors Eliada Rivera, Yarilend Taboada, Josephine Lejuez, and Nivia Pena, alleging that they covered up Stocker's "misconduct" and allowed him to keep his position.
It also demanded that the organization regain ownership of the church building. The council, also known as PenFlorida, has now reached an agreement with the church and the directors, though the specifics are unknown. It is unclear where this leaves Stocker, as the case against him is still pending in court. It was revealed by DailyMail that the house in Miami where Stocker lives is owned by Brave Church of Miami Inc., according to Miami-Dade property appraiser records which points towards an ongoing connection between Stocker and the organization despite the ongoing legal action.
According to the 307-page complaint filed on May 24, Stocker and ''mistress'' number one connected through Instagram in April 2019. The complaint read, "In a written statement Woman #1 provided to PenFlorida on January 17, 2022, she confessed that she and Stocker went on their first date on April 7, 2019, after which they engaged in sexual relations. Woman #1 also revealed that Stocker was involved in a sexual relationship with at least two other women from the congregation, and indicated that on at least two occasions, Stocker used church funds for his personal use." The woman provided ''hundreds of text messages, photographs and videos evidencing the affair and Stocker's indiscretions," said the lawsuit.
The paperwork continued, ''About four months into their relationship, Woman #1 discovered that Stocker was paying particular attention to another woman from the congregation (Woman #2). Stocker had, in fact, been romantically involved with Woman #2 the entire time he had been involved with her — all while still being legally married to his then wife."
''Meanwhile, around July of 2020, Woman #1 confirmed that Stocker was cheating on her with yet a third woman (Woman #3). Upon learning this fact, Woman #1 ended her relationship with Stocker, though the two later rekindled and remained on and off for another year," it added.
In December 2021, David Marotta, the ex-husband of Woman #1 accused Stocker of stalking her. Marotta petitioned Miami-Dade Circuit Court domestic violence division for a protection order against Stocker. The petition claimed that Stocker had ''threatened harm to the petitioner'' when he arrived at his RV and "On December 15, 2021 the respondent showed up at the petitioner's home bagging (banging) on the windows", it read further. ''The petitioner called the police, when the officer arrive, while they were speaking to the petitioner's ex-wife, the respondent walked around the RV and walked to the petitioner and said 'you don't know who you're scr**ing with ill (sic) destroy your life. I know lots of important people.'' The action was eventually dismissed by a judge for lack of evidence.